Another three months have passed since our last edition of Mad River Drift and seemingly not a lot has changed. The pandemic, with its social distancing, mask wearing, carry-out-only food, store closures, bans on large group gatherings, etc.,   continues for the foreseeable future. Schools around the country are preparing to start classes, either on-line or in-person with parents everywhere wondering how that will all work out. Major fall sports will or will not start up too.

We do not know when we will be able to resume having quarterly meetings or hold our Mad River Gala. There have, however, been a few things happening, some good and some bad.

Clean-up, log-jamb removal, and trail-clearing projects on the Mad River have been completed, thanks to a small band of TU Madmen volunteers. We have not solicited for big groups of Chapter members to assist as big groups have not been required thus far nor do we want to assemble any sizeable gatherings.

Another small group of volunteers completed the first stream water quality monitoring session that we have been able to have since last fall. You may recall that last year’s regularly scheduled sessions were cancelled/postponed several times due to high water conditions. We had been anxious to see what effect the historically high-water levels of last year had had on the macroinvertebrate population. Please see the report of the most recent session which is included elsewhere in this newsletter.

We are currently in the process of getting funding established for Phase 3 of the Pimtown Road Habitat Improvement Project. This will require completion of the design and subsequent approval by the Army Corps of Engineers before the actual work can begin. Phases 1 and 2 have been successful and we are in the planning stages with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources(ODNR) for Phase 3. This project has required larger groups of volunteers as it is quite labor intensive. The hope is that the coronavirus will be sufficiently under control by the time Phase 3 is ready to carry out so we can gather a larger group of volunteers together. We will keep you posted.

The ODNR has officially taken ownership of the river access at State Routes 29/296. TU Madmen, the Ohio State Council of TU along with Buckeye United Fly Fishers, Central Ohio Fly Fishers and Miami Valley Fly Fishers have all contributed funds to make this land acquisition possible. Not only does this acquisition ensure that fishermen, canoeists and kayakers will always have the right to access the river at this location, we’re hoping that monitoring of this location will be stepped up to try to control the rampant dumping/accumulation of trash that historically has been a particular problem at this location.

Speaking of trash…we are still in the process of establishing our formal Adopt-A-Bridge Program for the regular clean-up and monitoring of the access points (typically the bridges) along the Mad River between West Liberty Park and St. Paris Pike and also Mac-O-Chee Creek. If you know of any group that might be interested in adopting a location or two, please contact Tom Allen or me. Our email addresses are listed on the Madmen website.

Also, we are looking for a new Adopt-A Bridge Coordinator as our original Coordinator has taken leave due to changes in work status and a return to being a full-time student. If you are interested in taking this position on the Board and continuing our efforts to establish this program, please contact me.

If any of you have fished or driven by the Route 36 access west of Urbana, you no doubt have noticed the disturbing changes on the east side of the river, south side of the road. Doing business as Urbana Sand and Gravel, the Morrow Gravel Company (a subsidiary of The Jergensen Companies, a heavy construction company that operates in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky) has begun operations on the 150-acre site formerly known as “city farm”. They will be extracting gravel from this site for the next 40-50 years to a depth of 40 feet or so below grade. I suppose that at some point years down the road, there will be a new lake at this location. Hopefully, that will be the only permanent result of the operation. As a Chapter, we are working closely with local officials and state agencies to ensure protection of the Mad River. If you note any sort of unusual conditions in the river downstream of Route 36, please contact Tom Allen or me.

On the national front, even though the current administration seems to have done hunters and fishermen a favor by recently expanding access to public lands, they have also opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to leasing and drilling operations. This may be a moot point as the direction that the gas & oil industry is going, they are not exactly falling over themselves snapping up the leases.

The administration has also recently flip-flopped on the Pebble Mine Project. In mid-August, they once again decided to by-pass the normal review processes to fast-track approval for the Pebble Mine Project on Bristol Bay in Alaska and then two weeks later they put the Project on hold again, due to political pressure. I would guess that after Election Day, they may just flip-flop again and allow the project to go ahead.

Literally no scientist, conservation group, environmentalist, previously completed and/or peer-reviewed study, or representative of effected indigenous peoples can justify the approval of this project. The benefit to a handful of mining interests can never justify the risks to the environment, the fishing industry, and to the indigenous peoples that live there. Please write your congressmen/women to insist that they not allow this project to be undertaken. There is information on the TU national website www.tu.org to help you with this undertaking.

In the meantime, I hope that all of you have had some opportunities to get out and fish. It is certainly a safe enough activity to do during the pandemic and nothing else helps me to forget all that is happening around me like a day on the water.

Stay safe and tight lines everybody!

Rick

Continuing Work on Mad River
Tom Allen, Conservation Chair

Development of the Adopt-a-Bridge/Streamwatch Program
Tom Allen, Conservation Chair

For years the TU Madmen Chapter has conducted cleanups on Mad River. In recent years the Ohio Trophy Trout Hunter and the TU Madmen Chapter, along with other groups and individuals, have conducted 2 major cleanups per year. This year, because of the pandemic, there hasn't been a cleanup but hopefully we will be able to hold one later this fall. Cleanup of litter doesn't just make the area more aesthetically pleasant, but it is also great for public relations with communities and landowners. Unfortunately, the cleanups are not enough to address the constant littering, especially at bridge areas with access to the Mad. Also, in recent years there are more episodes of open dumping. To address the litter and open dumping issues the TU Madmen Chapter is developing the ADOPT-A-BRIDGE/STREAMWATCH Program. As the program is developed, we will be reaching out to local officials, businesses, agencies, groups, organizations and individuals in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties to get involved and support the program. For now, we are looking for volunteers to adopt a bridge or area in the Mad River watershed to pick up litter on a more consistent basis and as part of the semiannual cleanups. Is there an area or bridge(s) that you would volunteer to pick up litter? If yes, please contact Tom Allen at 740-816-2213 or ptallen111@insight.rr.com Please help us keep the Mad River clean!

Priceless Time Spent Together
Steve Kennedy, TU Madmen Member

As a parent, I am always trying to find a way to stay involved in my children’s lives, as well as introduce them to something new. On a recent camping trip to the Grayling, Michigan area, I kicked around the idea of taking my son Justin fly-fishing on the AuSable river; after listening to his father drone on about the "holy waters," he agreed.

I must admit I am fairly new to the fly-fishing world but have embraced it with a passion and hope to learn as much as possible. So, the challenge of choosing where to start can be a daunting task! Therefore, I decided to visit the Gates AuSable lodge and picked as many guides’ brains as they would allow. After I asked many questions, a few guides referred me to a book from the Challenge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, A Trout Anglers Guide to The AuSable River, which was an exceptional book and an absolute wealth of knowledge.

The idea of a newcomer attempting to teach a youngster how to cast, match the hatch, and find the magical spot where all the rivers finest trout are hiding is probably not the easiest endeavor. But after some suggestions, the decision to start him nymphing seemed to be the most logical choice for success. He picked it up quickly, and was even able to get several hook ups, but unfortunately nothing to the net. Justin was able to assist me with the release of one of the Brown Trout I brought to the net. It was cool to see him absorb the beauty of the markings that this trout displayed and then release him back into the AuSable.

I do not believe that you can pick a bad spot on a more beautiful river system; no matter which branch you decide to fish, you will not be disappointed by the sheer beauty of this fishery. I will not tell you that we knocked the ball out of the park on catching nets full of trout, but we did achieve a few milestones, one being my first Brook trout caught on a dry fly. The highlight of the trip was that I was exposing Justin to fly fishing and had the opportunity to expose him to one of the most prolific trout waters in America.

I am not an AuSable river expert, but I cannot imagine not taking advantage of this river in such proximity to the members of TU Madmen, do yourself a favor, and take a road trip up north!

Slate Drake Patterns -- Wet and Dry
courtesy of Kevin Ramsey