Bart Durham

Van, good to know, please share with us pros and cons of your zoom tying experience. ISA is purchasing a special camera for the close up tying demonstrations. We hope to do several this winter. I look forward to hearing about your trip out west last fall.

ISA will host its first zoom fly tying session on Sunday, January 24th at 6:00 pm. ISA member Jim Wright has kindly agreed to demonstrate the "Fuzzy Minnow" fly. This is a phenomenal smallmouth fly. Materials needed for this fly tying session include the following: A size 1 predator hook; a sculpting flash fiber brush (in shrimp color); white buck tail; white strung maribou; 6mm tabbed eyes; Jim mentioned he purchases the fiber brush from Mad River Outfitters (Columbus, OH) Here is the zoom link invite for the fly tying session: Topic: ISA Zoom Fly Tying Session with Jim Wright Time: Jan 24, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84375380803?pwd=QklXazZBb0RVZVV2SElCd3BVTGd5Zz09 This will be our first ISA zoom fly tying session so there may be a few kinks to work out during the process. Our goal is to have two zoom fly tying sessions per month until the spring fishing season begins. If any members are interested in demonstrating a fly pattern on future zoom sessions, or if there are any questions about this, please let us know.

So sorry to hear about this, he is a legend.

Welcome aboard Ryan! In addition to what Kevin mentioned, Tim Holschlag has another excellent book entitled "Smallmouth Fly Fishing, The Best Techniques, Flies and Destinations" Another great resource is Bob Clouser's "Fly Fishing for Smallmouth in Rivers and Streams" Lots of great reading resources to get you through this Pandemic winter and prepared for spring fishing!

John, I can't help you with finding another pedal drive, but I'm trying to learn more about them and I'm curious what you liked about the pedal drive vs. paddle and whether you think a pedal drive would be good for fishing use on our local rivers?

A well deserved honor indeed, congrats Mike!

Some good news to report. Dam removal projects in Illinois are moving forward. See attached article from Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-illinois-dam-removals-20201013-jtcb2h3hpfhkhfgugacsw64lcu-story.html

Pleased to report website issue on mobile device has been resolved.

Thanks for the heads up Eric, we're looking into the issue and hope to have it resolved soon.

They’re not otters, but endangered mussels in Illinois play a crucial role as environmental sentinels. ‘They all have a story to tell.’.webloc From Chicago Tribune

There is an area on the lower DuPage River near the campground below the breached lake south of Shepley Road that was at one time full of tires that needed removal. I haven't floated that area in awhile and maybe they have since been removed or washed out but that would be an area worth checking out. Not a bad area for smallmouth fishing either. Shhhhh.

Coal ash along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Will Vistra Do What's Right? Photo by Jeff Lucas. Your Voice Now Will Make The Difference for Future Generations The Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act, passed in 2019 was just the first step in bringing about regulations that will protect Illinois residents from the effects of toxic coal ash pollution. Over 80 coal ash storage sites throughout Illinois are threatening the health and safety of our residents. Now the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Pollution Control Board must develop the detailed rules that will govern coal ash management and disposal in the coming years. The IPCB is ready to hold a second round of virtual public hearings on September 30th and October 1st. A huge thank you to those who already submitted written comments or made oral comments in August. But if you didn't ... This is another opportunity for YOU to make your voice heard. And we intend to make it easy. You can participate in three ways: Watch and Listen - We want as many people as possible to connect remotely to show the IPCB how much the public supports strong coal ash rules. You may use either your phone or WebEx video conferencing. Read a short statement into the record - Tell the IPCB about the risks of coal ash pollution near you and why you want strong rules to make sure that your community and the environment are safe. These statements should be no longer than 2 to 3 minutes and can be pre-written. You will not have to answer any questions. Send the IPCB your written comments via email - These may be longer and will carry equal weight to spoken comments. Here is the Schedule for the Public: Wednesday, September 30th from Noon to 1:30pm. Thursday, October 1st from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Dan River Clean Up after coal ash spill. 2014. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife. To Participate: Sign up here to say that you are attending at least a portion of the hearings and/or making a comment. Indicate that you are participating as a supporter of EJC. Click here to view a guidance document that will give you talking points and more detailed instructions on how to participate in the hearing, including how to call in or connect remotely to the State’s WebEx video conferencing service. Register here to attend a virtual comment writing party this coming Sunday, September 20 at 2pm. You can ask questions, share your thoughts, and hear what others are thinking. Can’t make that day or time? Here are two other opportunities.: Tuesday, September 22nd at 6pm. Register here. Thursday, September 24th at 3pm. Register here. Call in on September 30th or October 1st and let the IPCB know how you feel. We have come very far in the campaign to protect Illinois residents from toxic coal ash. As we head into the final rulemaking process, we need to hear your voice one more time. If you have any questions, call Lan Richart at 773.556.3417.

Second group is putting a wrap on our four day stay, weather has been phenomenal but smallmouth bite has been a little more finicky than normal , still catching a lot of great fish, hate to see our trip end but back to reality soon .

Good news on this and for chance to help improve water quality on the East Branch.

I hope this can be reversed if new administration gets in.

Mark Agresta of DRiFT kindly shared this information with us on an important local dam removal conservation project with webinar Information which will be broadcast tonight and Thursday night on the subject: “Hello, everyone. We have been contacted by a local not-for-profit group, The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW), which includes more than 50 wastewater treatment works and municipal entities. The DRSCW is proposing to remove the dam at Fullersburg Woods to enhance the fishery of Salt Creek. They have invited all of our members to one of their webinars to present the plan and solicit community feedback. The Webinars will be broadcast on July 7 and July 9. If you are interested in viewing and participating in the Webinar, visit the group's website to register: http://www.restoresaltcreek.org You can get all of the detailed information on this proposal at their website, or through the attached fact sheet that DRSCW has provided us. Check it out and let us know what you think. Best regards, Dan Fisher Director Media & Marketing“

I believe Downers Grove, Woodridge, Lisle, and Bolingbrook, all have wastewater treatment plants that empty into the East Branch. I believe West Chicago, Warrenville, Naperville, Plainfield, Shorewood and Channhon have treatment plants that empty into the main branch. There could be more but those are the ones of which Im aware. So yes there is a tremendous amount of treated wastewater in the river.

Looks like North Aurora dam on the Fox will be coming down soon.. If Montgomery dam is also removed there would be unobstructed float from Batavia to Yorkville. Thanks for sending me the article Mark Lutz. https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-north-aurora-dam-st-0608-20200608-w72kimalargo5h7db5s6cowg4q-story.html

This Blue Sky yak is pretty cool, a kayak you can actually fly fish from.

In light of the Covid 19 epidemic the Conservation Foundation has modified its approach to the Dupage River cleanup project this year which was set previously set for May 16, 2020. Here is their announcement: DUPAGE RIVER SWEEP MONTH May 16, 2020 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Our care for nature connects us all, even during this time of social distancing! For the health of our volunteers, we are modifying the annual DuPage River Sweep that was scheduled for May 16th. We are now declaring the entire month of May as DuPage River Sweep Month and encouraging everyone (regardless of what county you’re in) to get out and show some love to a waterway near you! Our health and the health of our communities are directly tied to the health of our rivers and streams, so let’s get out there and make a difference! At times and places that are convenient for you, head out yourself or with immediate family members and clean up trash and debris on a trail or waterway near you. The fact is, even trash on land will eventually wind up in our rivers, so if you don’t have easy access to a river or stream, you can still participate. All you need are some gloves, a trash bag, and a heart for service. Even though we can’t gather in large groups this year, our small efforts will collectively make a big difference! If you want to do a clean-up during the month of May, this list can help you find a location. Before you go out though, please email Adam Carlson ACarlson@dupageforest.org so that we do not have multiple people going to a site and also so that the forest preserve rangers know to go pick up the trash at the designated locations. Share your impact #riversweep2020 Please take photos of your cleanup and post them on your social media pages with the location you worked at and the hashtag #riversweep and tag The Conservation Foundation. Then we’ll all be able to see what a difference we have been able to make together even though we are apart! Not Cancelled: Making a Difference. Not Cancelled: Community Impact. Not Cancelled: Conservation. Here are some tips to make your DIY River Sweep safe and successful: Wear protective clothing, especially gloves. Maintain a safe social distance from others. Bring bags and containers appropriate for transporting trash back home with you. Do not use a park’s trash containers, as they can get overloaded. Photograph your participants, collected trash, path or shoreline. Please carry out your cleanup efforts on public lands or private property that you have access to. We are not advocating trespassing on private property!

Attached is link to article from Suzanne Baker of Naperville Sun on Retrofit of Fawell Dam on DuPage River to help fish swim upstream, the article mentions the Hammel Woods Dam in Shorewood is slated for removal in 2021. https://digitaledition.napersun.chicagotribune.com/html5/mobile/production/default.aspx?pubid=f4f07333-3b9b-4f20-9475-b439d74dfc58&edid=7e0d5365-a73e-4141-87c2-35d488c97c2f

Here is link to article on Carpentersville Dam removal update from Rafael Guerrero of Elgin Courier News: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/ct-ecn-carpentersville-dam-fox-river-st-0415-20200414-ykg4xfur3be4fhwowowpf3sk44-story.html

Scott, I’ll send it to you.

The Missouri Smallmouth Alliance was kind enough to send me their recent article which examined a recent In Fisherman article by Hal Schram entitled River Smallmouths: Considerations and Conquests, where the author writes about Smallmouth Migration Patterns and references 5 telementary studies on the subject performed in five Midwestern States (Not Illinois unfortunately), Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. For those of you interested in the subject, Matt at MSA was able to locate two of the studies which are contained in the link below. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1B0KdsQ0794-Cg8jACih_rkeUH7QGF-_H

Following up on our Blowout Speaker, Art Malm's talk at the Blowout, below are two recent newspaper articles on the subject from Dale Bowman at Sun Times and Brenda Schory at Kane County Chronicle. Both articles point to some encouraging news. Hopefully the 20 million allocated by the State in this year's budget for Dam Removal will remain intact. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/4/11/21217411/chicago-rivers-discussion-dam-removals-des-plaines-fox-dupage-chicago-rivers https://www.kcchronicle.com/2020/04/07/state-funding-steps-up-fox-river-dam-removal-projects/aphr45r/