Leave wildlife in the wild

Good advice for any of you planning on being outside, especially in fields and woods. Birds are building nests and busy finding mates.
Waterfowl are busy strutting around marsh areas looking for likely nesting spots that will conceal babies but not too far from water for swim lessons.
Young deer, fawns, are animals most likely to be picked up by humans and brought home to be hand-raised.
By trying to do the right thing when it comes to nature, we often wind up doing the exact opposite. Those nests with young birds are fine. Parents are off searching for bugs, worms or seeds to feed the little ones with.
Does leave for most of the day leaving their fawns alone while the mothers feed. By staying away and not going in and out of the nesting place, does aren't likely to leave their scent which attracts predators.
The best advice is to leave that baby bird where you found it and get out of an area where a fawn was left.
You'll be offering them better protection.

Fly-Fishing Expo coming March 12-13

The Macomb Community College and Expo Center in Warren hosts the 2016 Midwest Fly-Fishing Expo, the oldest all fly-fishing show east of the Mississippi. The annual event is hosted by the Livonia-based Michigan Fly Fishing Club.  The Macomb Community College Sports & Expo Center is located at 14500 E. 12 Mile Rd. in Warren.  Admission is $10 per person; boys and girls age 16 and under are free. Two-day tickets are $15.  Parking is free.

“Our cast of headliners brings a blend of familiar names and newcomers,” said Expo Chairman Joe Sprys.  “Joe Humphreys leaves us in awe every time we see him.
"Ed Engle knows how to elicit a strike from even the most finicky fish.   Jeff Currier is blessed with the skills of a truly outstanding teacher.  Skip Morris is a walking encyclopedia of fly patterns and insights into how to fish those patterns.
"And Jason Randall brings volumes of knowledge from observing trout in their native habitats and is able to make that knowledge accessible to the rest of us.”

 The show will feature dozens of free seminars about fly fishing techniques, fly tying and fly fishing destinations and bring together more than 100 exhibitors, including dozens of fly tiers, rod builders, artists, guides, outfitters and conservation organizations.   “Many of our exhibitors hail from Michigan and Ohio.
"We’ve also got outfitters, guides, artisans and artists from places like Washington State, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Connecticut and Maine, as well as several from Ontario,” he said.
Humphreys has taught fly fishing for more than 40 years and still loves to share his insights.  In fact, he is the subject of a documentary – “Live the Stream” – currently in production.  The film focuses on Humphreys’ lifelong journey to share the sport he loves while inspiring a greater respect for his home waters near Penn State.
In the course of his more than four decades teaching fly fishing, he spent 19 years directing Penn State's angling program, succeeding the legendary George Harvey.  Some high-profile pupils include former President Jimmy Carter, former Vice President Richard Cheney, and retired basketball coach Bobby Knight. He currently teaches a weekend course at the Yellow Breeches Creek at Boiling Springs, PA, hosted by the Allenberry Resort located directly on the creek.
This is a good opportunity to gain exposure to fly fishing and tying. It's a chance to rub elbows with some of the best in this sport and make plans for the upcoming trout season.

Matt Beukema limbering up the long rod on the Mason Tract, south branch of the AuSable River.

More ice at Houghton Lake

"We've got good ice up here," Team Gunsmoke guide Brandon Stanton said when I called him about ice conditions for the second gathering of Mark Martin's Ice Fishing Vacation School.
Once we got on the ice just before sun up Sunday, I saw what he meant. We had a good 12-inches of solid ice.
Due to the recent warm weather coupled with rain, Oakland County lakes haven't been in any condition to consider fishing them through the ice.
To top it off, a tragic accident involving a dad and his 4-year-old son should have driven the message home to any of you still thinking you know more than Mother Nature.
Ask any dive team, fire department or safety expert when is ice safe. They all will tell you that no ice is safe.
Remember that the next time you strap on the creepers, strap your auger to your sled and begin pulling everything out.
Because continuous cold weather has held in the northern part of the state, Houghton Lake had good, solid ice.
Originally, this school was set for Saginaw Bay going out of Linwood Beach Marina. Once reports were received that the wind had blown what ice there was out into the Bay, plan B was put into affect.
Stanton, from Elkton and very familiar with the workings of the Bay checked things out near Caseville.
The ice seemed good so plans were made to house, feed and get everyone launched from that area. That is until warm winds broke the remaining ice up making it impossible to fish.
Plan C was put into affect and in no time officials at Houghton Lake had come through with a fantastic program, probably one of the best in the 25 years I've been attending this program.
Local businesses; lodging, meals, launch site and storage area for trailers and snowmobiles were ready to go in less than a day.
To say Houghton Lake welcomed the school with open arms is an understatement. Students as well as staff were complimentary of the facilities and services.
If you're interested in attending Martin's third and final school at Little Bay de Noc March 12-15, go to icefishingschool.com for registration information.

Brandon Stanton preparing to release a short Hougton Lake fish. By Beukema

Stay warm on the ice with Otter fish shacks

Mike Schneider, a pro staffer with Mark Martin's Ice Fishing Vacation Schools is always on the move. Besides driving his snowmobile onto the ice at Lake Cities Lake Missaukee, he's constantly checking his GPS and Navionics lake map to be sure he is on the spot he wants to be.
Once on the spot, he takes no time in setting up his Otter style Cottage fish shack. The Otter line of portable shanties is different from any other I've fished in.
First, they go up easy and quick which means a lot when it's bitter cold and windy. The place you want to be is inside something with walls to block the wind and provide some warmth.
All Otter models provide warmth through a unique blending of seamless stitching and insulation.
If you think a portable shanty can't be insulated you haven't sat in an Otter.
The insulation not only makes it warmer than non-insulated shacks, but the noise of wind blowing and other machines passing by is muffled.
Once holes are cut to fish from or hang electronics, light your propane heater, be sure the door is closed and zipped, then sit down on one of the bucket or bench seats.
In a matter of minutes you'll be looking around for a place to hang your heavy Ice Armor coat because the warm temperature doesn't take long to make the shack comfy.
Because of a unique sewing method, there are no outside seems to leaks or allow wind in. These Otters are tight.
But back to Schneider. Once he has the shack up, holes drilled and cleaned and heater running, he's on to rods, which lure to use and bait selection.
"Keep it just off the bottom," he says, "then jig softly and let it sit for a minute." Constantly observing and offering constructive suggestions, Schneider feels one of his objectives should be putting students on fish.
But sometimes the fish don't cooperate no matter the experience, type of lure or method of presentation. That's another reason it's called fishing.
In my opinion, Mike Schneider is one of the top pro staffers who constantly makes it his business to see  to it that students are comfortable with what they are doing, know why they do it, and correcting any of the mistakes they make.
Martin's net ice fishing school is set for Saginaw Bay, February 7-10. If you go, ask for Schneider to be your guide.  You'll learn a lot and won't be sorry.
Visist www.markmartisicefishingvacation schools.com.

Mike Schneider pointing out one of Otter's new Dome shacks. by Beukema

Gaylord-home of Elk Viewing and Treetops Gourmet food for Skiers

With thin snow around Michigan, even the snow belts city of Gaylord was finding it strange not to have plenty of the white stuff around. The last few years with heavy snowfalls have made us expect plenty for winter activities.
By late Saturday night and into Sunday, phones were ringing off the hook at local ski resorts. Callers were inuring about snow depths and making reservations for snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing and all else having to do with snow sports.
The group I was with wound up show shoeing the Aspen Trail just outside of Gaylord proper. By mid-morning Saturday our group from the Michigan Winter trails had decided against cross country skiing, tubing or downhill skiing.
Many opted for hiking or strapping on the snowshoes in nearly 40-degree temperatures and light rainy.
Following our two-mile trail walk, we stopped to view elk in a 100-acre enclosure near Aspen Trail.
If you've not seen elk you will be amazed at their size, especially the bulls with huge racks.
All of that changed about 7p.m. Saturday night when the predicted snowstorm dumped nearly a foot on area slopes and trails.
our sleigh ride-in this case wagon ride-courtesy of Tree Tops resort, out to Project Nature and our dinner destination was enjoyable during the heavy snowfall.
We were treated to a gourmet 4-course dinner culminating in a snowy ride back to Treetops.
For more information on Treetops Skiable feast or Wilderness Sleigh Ride Gourmet Dinners visit treetops.com or call (877)TREETOPS.
Trail and other resort information can be found at mywintertrails.com.

Photo be Beukema of bull elk

Twas the Night Before; Can't Be Without Snow

A little snow at Christmas helps set the season. When we lived in southern California, we would get up on Christmas morning, head for church, and be driving in short sleeves, sunny skies and palm trees instead of spruce and maples.
Truth be told, there are times when I wish we were still out there with the warm weather and sunny, vitamin D rich skies.
This weeks column is about a local man, Jay Stielstra. Jay is a sportsman; a bird hunter and fly angler still sling the flies on the long rod.
He's also a fine musician and song writer, having written over 150 songs. He's written poetry and five plays.
His work is all about Michigan and the outdoors. The "Manistee River Waltz" is a song about experiences along the Manistee and the many places fly anglers are familiar with.
One place I have never heard of was the Mecum bar. "Where is that at, Jay," asked him over the phone.
He chuckled then said, "there is no Mecum bar. You won't find it. But there is a Mecum Road along the Manistee River. We used to hide beer under a tree there and would say to others fishing, we'll meet you at the Mecum Bar."
Another song I just learned about is called "The Christmas Tree Ship." It's a song about the wreck of the Rouse Simmons, a 205-ton, three-masted schooner that disappeared on Lake Michigan in November, 1912.
A Wisconsin diver had discovered the grave of one of the most famous "Christmas tree ships" and its skipper, "Captain Santa,"captain Herman E. Schuenemann.
The ship gets it's name from hauling Christmas trees to Chicago and selling them dockside. Because trees were becoming popular and Chicago had a scarcity, several ships hauled trees to that port each year before Christmas.
For more information about Stielstra and his songs visit judithbanker@gmail.com.

In Between Seasons; Just at Wrong Time of the Year

I used to think the in between times were somewhere just after ice out and the spring fishing seasons began.
But this weather has changed that. Hard water anglers are doing everything they can to have a hand in ice fishing.
There are contests being promoted for tackle and ice shacks, charters advertised for hard water once it gets here, promotions for everything new in the ice fishing world and so forth.
Here we are, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, and we're still looking at 50-plus degree temperatures later next week.
Ski resorts must be tearing their hair out. This is definitely going to be a late start for snow sports and ice fishing.
Longtime ice angler, Don Luenberger from Bay City has his equipment all ready to load up. "I'm waiting on the ice like everyone else," he said. "But I've heard the bay won't have enough ice to fish this year or next."
That's not good news for the small mom and pop retailers that cater to anglers and snowmobilers by renting rooms, selling gas, oil or the many tackle items fishermen need. For some, the winter season is the most productive.
But getting back to the Christmas season, check out my column in this Sunday's Oakland Press. Bob Luellen of Worldwide Marine Underwriters Insurance sent me information about his fishing buddy Randy Gaines.
Although the event took place earlier in December, it seems as though Gaines may have made a family near Salem, Ohio happy by helping to put food on their table.
Without telling too much of the story here, Gaines made friends with two young children as he was tying up his boat. Following a little conversation, Gaines knew what the right thing would be to do.
Along with this column, Luellen mentioned that the National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) has a program that allows them to provide rod and reel combos, T-shirts and other goodies to the first 100 kids that show up for one of their tournaments.
Last year, NPAA held 118 tournaments. That's a lot of rod combos! To finance the program, NPAA hosts an auction with all proceeds going to the Future Anglers Foundation. The auction takes place January 9, 2016. For more information visit www.npaa.net.

Bob Luellen and a young angler holding fresh caught walleyes. Photo contributed