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3. A Request for Michigan Anglers

Trout Nuts...I know that this is an international web site and there are folks from all over the world here, but this is a small request to the "Michigan Boys", and of course the "Michigan Fly Girls" out there...

There has been an on going discussion here in Michigan about expanding our gear restricted waters and the new proposal has been presented and the proposal is now in the final phase that may lead to implementation.
We need you to send a small but sweet message to the link below and just let them know you support these changes. This proposal is the result of discussions between the Michigan DNR and a great many angler's groups and just plain citizens of Michigan.

This is the link to the new proposals: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/GearRestrictedWatersReview_332448_7.pdf

This is the email address to where to send your remarks:

Attention Dr. Kelly Smith...mailto:smithk@michigan.gov...He is the chief of the fisheries division of the Michigan DNR.

I won't bore you with details, but these may be the best changes we have had here in Michigan since the late 80's when we fought for our first "catch-and-release" stretches.

For more info you can see the web page at www.gateslodge.com and at the bottom right of page click on "Fishing Report" (by-the-way that's my nephew there on the front page fishing :)(proud uncle moment here since he's on the same page with pictures of Rusty Gates & Rusty guiding Ernie Schwiebert! Not too shabby company, eh!?) or you can visit www.ausableanglers.org.

Spence

Below is my copy of the letter I sent...It doesn't have to be this long, in fact it's probably better to shorten it up a bit, but when have you known Spence to be short on words?! :)

"Mr. Smith,

Sir. I just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know that I support the new proposal by the MDNRE for gear restricted water here in Michigan. I want to thank all for the work that this represents and thank you for a job well done.

I am a catch-and-release angler and have fished Michigan all my life. I’m 56 now. Save the “no-kill” sections created back in the 80’s this has to be, in my opinion, one of the more pleasing developments to come along in quite some time. I still don’t understand why the no-kill on the South Branch of the Au Sable wasn’t extended down from Lower High Banks to at least Smith Bridge (M-72), but I will be happy with what we can get.

My new slogan is, “Let’s Make the Mason Tract Catch-and-Release!” It’s just a thought. Why did we halt it in the middle of the woods anyway? The Mason Tract was a wonderful gift to Michigan’s citizens who enjoy the wilderness…This past weekend I took my 12 year old nephew up for the annual river clean up organized at Gates’ Au Sable Lodge. He helped clean the river from Chase Bridge to Forest Rest and on Friday we fished a bit near Daisy Bend (he had never fished before) and we looked for birds in the Tract Sunday together before heading back to Detroit. That place needs to be expanded and protected before it’s too late!

Thanks for your consideration and thanks again for your work on these fishing regulations.

Spencer Vanderhoof
Novi, Michigan

My nephew and I also stopped to look for birds at, the north side Higgins Lake State Park, the Houghton Lake Flooding, the Dead Stream Flooding, the Reedsburg Dam, & finally at the Maple River Wildlife Area…We are very thankful for all these places…They are “Pure Michigan!”…:)"