Mad River Drift Newsletter

Well, we’re just two months into the new year and the pandemic rages on. The good news is that the rate of new infections and hospitalizations are slowing somewhat while the rate of vaccinations going into arms is picking up. We’re a long way from being out of the woods, but things are definitely looking up. The Madmen are not ready to normalize operations quite yet, but I want to fill you in as to what we’re thinking for the near future as well as what activities are continuing on a limited basis.

We don’t foresee having any in-person quarterly Chapter meetings until at least Fall of 2021. Until then, it’s likely that the Board will be able to have virtual meetings in some form or another. Likely this will be in a video format with a link that we will send out to the members via email and/or that will be included on the website and Facebook pages. We will assess the status of the pandemic each time that the dates for the meeting approaches. We’re hopeful that in-person meetings will resume in the not-too-distant future.

Concerning the Annual Meeting and Mad River Gala, the earliest date will be Spring of 2022. There are a few minimum requirements that the Chapter needs to complete in order to fulfill our obligations with TU National. We will be sending an email out to the membership soon to fulfill those obligations -- the Treasurer's Report and other bookkeeping exercises.

We still have all of the raffle prizes for the Gala and many members have requested that we hold the money for their tickets for the event until it gets re-scheduled. If anyone has had a change of heart and would like to have their money refunded, please contact Pam Allen.

Tom Allen, Dave Dailey and Mike Palatas have been and will continue to work on cleanups and logjam removal projects during the pandemic. These obviously are outdoor events and they have been limiting the number of volunteers and maintaining social distancing when doing their work. They are always seeking volunteers; if you’re interested in helping out with future projects, please contact one of those three Board members.

For the time being, Joe Nagel is not scheduling any stream water quality monitoring sessions. We can’t really maintain social distancing while doing the monitoring. If the situation with the pandemic improves enough, there’s a chance that the last one or two could get scheduled later in the year.

Katie Johnstone has continued and will continue to hold limited outdoor gatherings and on-line activities for our women members. Look for an article in this newsletter for details.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing is currently shut down nationally. Jarod Klucho will let everyone know when the program ramps back up again.

We continue to seek volunteers to “adopt” access points on the Mad. Volunteers would simply try to keep the access points clear of trash whenever you're in the area and monitor the area for any obvious problems that may come up. Ideally, this would be on a somewhat regular basis, but something is better than nothing. Some of the access points have already been adopted, but there are many more that have not. If you’re interested, please contact Tom Allen who can let you know which access points are still up for grabs. Even if you don’t want to adopt a specific point, please take a trash bag along whenever you go to the Mad and clean up where possible. We all certainly appreciate those efforts.

As always, we are continually looking for items to be added to our website and /or social media (Facebook and Instagram} pages. Member's fishing stories, trip reports and fly recipes for upcoming issues of Mad River Drift are always appreciated. Please submit any such items to Pam Allen and me whenever you have something to share.

Feel free to contact any of our Chapter officers and/or Board members with questions, ideas, comments and concerns. We value your input.

Just a reminder for everyone to check when your fishing license expires. Annual fishing licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. Annual and multiyear fishing licenses are valid from the date of purchase until the expiration date printed on the license. A complete list of license options and prices for fishing can be found on the ODNR website.

And lastly, a HUGE Thank You to all of the healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers everywhere who are working to keep us all safe, healthy, fed and warm throughout these trying times that we live in.

Stay safe, stay healthy, wear a mask in public and maintain social distancing. Together, we can get through this.

Tight lines everybody!

John Davis and Jarod Klucho, former and current PHWFF Program Leads, Central Ohio

Recently our Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing team here in Columbus and Central Ohio learned of the untimely passing of one of our enduring veteran participants, Robert Allen Sheff Jr. Robert was a proud Army National Guard veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm.

Robert resided at The Commons at Livingston, National Church Residences and became an active participant in the early part of 2013. He was a regular at our Fly Fishing 101 instructional sessions at the Commons as well as our fly-tying gatherings and outings. Robert was one of six veteran participants selected for our first group to construct their own, custom-made fly rods. Robert included a convenient, removable end to the butt section of his rod creating a convenient storage compartment for flies. That rod was the one he proudly fished during our outings.

Robert earned a Bachelor of Material Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University. Through the years Robert demonstrated his creative nature adding his unique alterations to the various fly patterns we tied. On his own, he designed and constructed a collapsible frame to hold our PHWFF banner at events including outings. His wry wit and humor were a standard.

Robert’s casting noticeably improved during the years. His quiet, sometimes aloof, and protective, persona hid his loyal nature, but those who knew him liked and accepted him as one of ours. We will miss Robert’s physical presence at the fly-tying sessions and at our upcoming fish outings though we know that he will be with us in spirit and in our fond memories. We thank you Robert for your military service, your friendship and fellow camaraderie. Fish on brother for you will forever be part of our casting crew!

The Beauty of Winter Fishing
Katie Johnstone, TU Madmen Member

When the temperature dips below 20 degrees it can be hard to find the motivation to go fishing. After a fresh snowfall, that all goes at the window, at least for me. With all the snow we had this Winter, I couldn’t help but adventure to the river.

I had a Friday off so I packed my car and hit the road around 9 a.m. The temperature wasn’t going to hit 20 until noon so I wasn’t in a huge rush to get on my way. After an hour of listening to some good tunes, I turned down the road that is oh so familiar to me and smiled. I was heading into one of my favorite state parks and was humbled by the beauty that surrounded me as I drove down to the river. After dealing with a minor parking issue (almost got stuck!) I tossed on my waders, grabbed my rod and hiked to an area I like to fish. Little did I know I was going to be hiking through a foot of snow!

After 25 minutes of hiking through the deep snow, I found a hole and hopped in the river. Immediately my guides were frozen and I started to feel chilled as my body cooled from the hike. Instead of thinking oh great, it begins, I smiled and felt grateful for days like this one. Too often we forget to enjoy the moments where we can disconnect from everything going on and just be. I stood there for a while enjoying the river surrounded by trees and snow.

I spent the next half hour dealing with ice and not having any luck. I decided it was time to move on and hit another section of the river. I found another hole, casted my line and fish on! I netted the fish and looked for a rock behind me to rest my reel on. I was so excited about the fish that I didn’t realize I had missed the rock by an inch.. I went to pick up my rod and realized my reel was frozen and laughed. I couldn’t believe what a silly mistake I had made. Luckily I had enough line out that I could keep fishing!

I spent a couple more hours on the water then decided it was time to call it a day after catching a few more fish. I made my way back to the car and was thankful I had the opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful winter day.

(I was also thankful to not see another soul. Mostly because I could enjoy nature by myself, but also because I had to walk back to my car with a pile of frozen line that I couldn’t reel up!)

Recently we have been hearing questions and complaints related to the work we have been doing on the Mad River. Some have questioned why we are making in-stream habitat improvements because they believe it’s a waste of time, money and effort; others have questioned why we are removing logjams because they believe the logjams provide good fish habitat.

Why does the Mad need help? Starting in the late 1800’s and escalating after the 1913 floods, much of the Mad was channelized to drain wetlands, direct water flow for agricultural use, and control flooding. Levees created during channelization disconnected the river from its flood plains and wetlands and destabilized stream banks. These physical alterations removed the natural meander, reduced natural riffles and pools, and reduced habitat for fish and aquatic insects.

In natural or “wild” rivers and streams, change still occurs from year to year moving substrate from one area to another, but the change is slower and more controlled and the riffles, runs, pools and holding water for fish is more sustainable. This stream stability also has logs and woody debris lasting longer along banks and in bends; silt and sediment is deposited on flood plains or in adjoining wetlands. The change of the stream corridor in the Mad is at a much faster pace than normal, especially in recent years. It creates an instability with increased bank erosion and the resulting silt and sediment remains in the stream channel and impacts the riffles, runs, pools and fish holding areas. The degradation of the stream channel in the Mad is occurring at an alarming rate.

Why remove logjams? Woody debris in the stream is good for fish habitat and aquatic health, but the buildup of logjams that fully restrict flow causes issues. Such logjams are an obstacle to people that float the river and create dangerous conditions in high water. They escalate bank erosion and can contribute to the blow out of levees and cause localized flooding, as it did below State Route 29.

The TU Madmen Chapter has been working to improve the Mad River for over 30 years. We spend time evaluating the issues, collaborating with landowners, and developing a plan of action before carrying out any project. We are not just playing in the river. The approach with logjams and in-stream habitat improvements is to open flows, reduce the potential of debris build up, maintain riffles, runs and pools, create fish habitat and limit silt and sediment from bank erosion. We will continue to do what we can -- it has made a difference through the years. Please contact Tom Allen if you have questions or are interested in volunteering for the work on Mad River.

For the future of the watershed, sustaining the existing riparian zones and restoring the impacted areas on the mainstem and tributaries is an especially important issue to address. It is going to take a long term, coordinated effort and it begins by working with the landowners; as a part of building collaboration and cooperation, there must be respect and understanding of their needs with a variety of options to encourage them to protect and restore these areas. Also, we will need to have cooperation and collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies, groups and organizations, elected officials, community and local business leaders. Donna Lewis, Program/Volunteer Coordinator, Clark County Park District, contributed the following article about the park district's efforts to protect the Mad River through education:

The Clark County Park District preserves over 600 acres of parkland adjacent to or near the Mad River at the Spangler Nature Preserve/Leadingham Prairie, Estel Wenrick Wetlands, George Rogers Clark Park/Peckuwe Battlesite, and Mad River Gorge & Nature Preserve. How does the Park District help protect the Mad River as it flows through Clark County? By educating the public about all it has to offer.

One of my greatest memories of teaching is when I had a group of kids at the Leadingham Prairie pond. Dr. Amber Burgett, a Wittenberg professor, was teaching the kids about the aquatic insects they found, mostly dragonfly nymphs. There were kids all around the pond, laughing, getting in the pond muck with their hands and becoming excited about what they found. I wasn’t lecturing them on how to take care of the pond and its inhabitants. I didn’t need to. Once they discovered what was there beneath the water, they wanted to protect that pond; the dragonflies zipping up and down, the bluegills they caught in the net, the blackbirds singing nearby and the crayfish holes surrounding us, were all reasons they wanted to protect it.

The Park District inspires people to connect with nature and history through the Davidson Interpretive Center, natural areas, wooded trails, bike trails, educational programs, events and volunteer opportunities. We strive to ensure the conservation of our natural resources while allowing people to explore these natural areas in their own “backyards”.

A huge part of our workday is to be good stewards of the parks -- clean up brush on the trails, take care of fallen trees, clean debris from the bike trail, plow snow, mow grass, cut honeysuckle -- whatever needs done to maintain the parks’ natural beauty. In being good stewards, we also organize clean up days with volunteers to remove garbage from our trails, the Mad River and the parks. In May of 2017, we embarked on a huge cleanup at the Mad River Gorge, with more than 200 volunteers and 60 sponsors. Trails were built, garbage was cleaned up and honeysuckle removed. More than 125,000 pounds of trash were removed in one day. The Ohio Climbers Coalition continues to organize clean up days in the Mad River Gorge almost every month.

My job as the Program/Volunteer Coordinator is to create and implement programs for the public. The goal with our programs is to educate the public on the wonders of nature and history by not only teaching programs myself but by utilizing living historians, university professors, biologists, and naturalists from other parks and volunteers. By using professionals from different areas of the field, the public can get a much broader knowledge of the different aspects of nature and history. We have had biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service do fish studies to help kids identify local fish, a Wittenberg professor teach about frogs and dragonflies, a living historian portray Black Hoof, and a Ohio Division of Wildlife biologist use her specialized equipment to hear bats. We offer these programs to make the public aware of what’s out there and to instill a sense of responsibility for protection of the resources in the area.

We now have a group of youth volunteers that clean up in and around the Mad River throughout the year. We have adopted an area of the Mad River off Spangler Road as it flows through Spangler Nature Preserve. A couple years ago during a water study program, one of the youth volunteers said we should adopt the area as our own and keep it cleaned up. That’s what we did! We have now officially adopted the area through the Clark County Solid Waste District.

How can YOU help to protect your local river? Get in involved with your local park district, a conservation group or organize your own clean up. You can also volunteer to help with programs. The Clark County Park District is always looking for volunteers to help maintain the parks and to help educate the public about this precious natural resource. Reach out to us at (937) 882-6000 or email dlewis@clarkcountyparks.org.

It was the spring of 2011, and I was on my first club trip with Buckeye United Fly Fishers, a group I’d become a member of the previous winter. I’d received a fly rod for Christmas and joined the club hoping someone could show me which end I was supposed to hold. Ok, ok, that’s a slight exaggeration of my novice fly fishing ignorance, but not by much.

In an act of extreme generosity, an experienced fisherman named Gary Cummins agreed to take me under his wing for the duration of the trip to expedite my learning curve. On the first day of the trip, Gary (a retired biology teacher) showed me how to turn over rocks along the Nantahala River to see what aquatic insects were present in the riverbed, and helped me select flies based on how closely they would mimic the naturals we found. I managed to land my first few trout on a fly that day, and assumed I’d unlocked the secret to fly fishing. As long as I picked a fly the same size and color as the naturals under the rocks, the fish were practically obligated to take my offerings. Abracadabra!

The next day, we returned to the same hole that produced for us the day before but to my dismay the trout that had been so plentiful the day before appeared to have disappeared entirely. After several hours of casting with no success, I took my lunch up to the guard rail overlooking the now dead hole. Gary sat next to me and explained that trout streams are a living environment that change constantly, and thus fishing the same place the same way two days in a row can and often will lead to very different results.

As we talked, a pair of women rounded the bend in the river upstream and started making their way toward our hole. As they approached us, I noted that each woman moved with the deliberate motions of someone old enough to be more than a little concerned about the danger of a fall. The short, gray fading to white hair peeking out from under their wide brimmed hats further betrayed any illusion of youth, but their focus on the water was impressive. As the first lady made her first cast into our hole, I smiled at Gary and asked if we should tell them we’d already tried it and the fish weren’t playing today. He grinned back at me and responded, “Let ‘em be. They might just surprise you.”

Almost on cue, I heard the telltale song of line being taken off a reel and looked toward the water to see a rainbow trout twice the size of my biggest fish from the previous day make one, then two, then three jumps out of the water. The lady landed the fish with the dexterity of an absolute expert, and didn’t even let out a single hoot or holler as she admired her catch before quietly releasing it.

Phil Pursley, another club member, had been walking up behind us as the scene on the river unfolded. We told Phil about our own hard luck in the hole, and mused at what this lady knew or had done that we didn’t. The more we told Phil about our own struggle, the more excited he got. Finally his curiosity got the best of him, and he galloped down the bank to ask what their secret had been.

A few minutes later he returned to where Gary and I were sitting with his fly box in hand, and a smile on his face like he’d just found a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth among the rocks lining the river. He held out his hand to display a fly that looked like it had just come off a three day bender at a Billy Idol concert. It had a shiny purple body with a chartreuse rib, and spiky yellow wing buds poking out from underneath a bright green collar. As if the color scheme weren’t enough of an insult to the idea of matching the hatch, the thing had two white horns sticking off the sides. “It’s called the Psycho Prince! This is what she caught it on! She says she already got three others bigger than that one today too!”

As soon as he could get his newly acquired offering tied to the end of his line, Phil was in the water and had a fish on, then another, and another. I sighed and looked to Gary to make some sense of what we were witnessing. “I don’t get it, I thought we needed to match the hatch, but there’s nothing alive in this or any other water that could possibly look like that thing.” Gary smiled again, then offered the following explanation: “Yesterday we had bright sunlight and clear water. We got some rain overnight, and the water clouded up a little. There’s also more cloud cover today. The fish wanted exact imitations yesterday. Today they want something flashy that’s gonna get their attention. You never fish the same river twice, Cowboy, the trick to the game is observation and adaptation.”

After Phil was done pulling fish out of the water all around us while we mostly casted and watched, we walked back to our cars together and discussed our day. Phil was on cloud nine over his success, and we were all making plans to tie Psycho Princes after dinner that evening. Gary suggested we stop at a fly shop on our way back to the cabin to get the required materials, but Phil seemed hesitant. Gary chided Phil, saying that we couldn’t all get our flies hand delivered to us free of charge on the river, which made Phil blush a little. Finally, he spoke up and said, “Well, the fly wasn’t exactly free. It seems the ladies are staying at a hotel in Cherokee and I sort of think they may have gotten the impression I was going to meet them for drinks in the lobby tonight.”

After we composed ourselves, Gary asked Phil what his wife would think of him meeting these two ladies for drinks in their hotel. Phil responded that the ladies were “much older than him” and therefore he was certain they only wanted to discuss their successes on the stream, however if one of us wanted to join him, he’d be more than happy to have us along, “just to be safe.” We both agreed, however, that we didn’t want to encroach on Phil’s blossoming friendship. Shortly thereafter, Phil began complaining of a stomachache that conveniently left him laid up in his bed in the cabin the rest of the night, no doubt to the dismay of his chagrined female companions.

For the rest of the trip, Phil didn’t seem to want to go back to that hole, or even to the Nantahala for that matter. It was almost like he was afraid of running into someone who’d gifted him a secret under false pretenses. I used my new Psycho Prince nymphs on the river with tremendous success, however, and learned a lot about the laws of attraction in the process. I guess it’s best to start off acting natural, but if that doesn’t work it never hurts to add a little flash…and always follow through on an offer to buy the first round.

Psycho Prince Nymph
courtesy of J.R. Jackson

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Articles Needed!! I could use your help with future newsletters. If you've been on a fishing trip, or have something else you'd like to share, like a fly recipe, we'd love to hear about it. Write an article and send pictures to me at pamallen@tumadmen.org; it's that easy :)

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