Mike Clifford

Is fishing downstream a fly fishing thing? I don't recall his reasoning for it at his Blowout seminar, that's why I ask. The only time I've ever fished downstream with a spin rod is when I was replicating Geno Altiery's masterful technique for floating catfish bait. Otherwise, I'm fishing much differently for smallmouth.

Awesome collection! That CF Minnow would tear it up on the Kank.

Welcome aboard! Enjoyed reading your story, and look forward to many more.

"The groups reiterated their call for a controversial but permanent solution: a hydrologic separation of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes Basin. But in the meantime, they suggested several interim steps, including: • Design of a new channel near a key lock in the Chicago River, which could divert invasive species from entering the lakes. • Increased water controls at that lock. • Research to see if reconfiguring other locks in the river would help prevent Asian carp from moving into the lake. The Alliance for the Great Lakes spearheaded the joint statement, and the group’s president, Joel Brammeier, said the sheer number of positive DNA samples – which was higher than in past rounds of testing – served as a call to action. “We still have an opportunity to extinguish this spark before waiting for the house to burn down,” he said. Asian carp DNA also has been found more sporadically in other locations through the Great Lakes basin, including in Toledo, Ohio, and Green Bay, Wis. But Brammeier said those isolated findings don’t pose the same level of concern as the consistent DNA findings in Chicago, which indicate the fish may be moving closer and closer to Lake Michigan. After all, research five years ago showed Asian carp DNA several miles downstream from the lake, while the latest data shows it on the lake’s very threshold." http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/environment/asian-carp-may-be-creeping-closer-to-great-lakes-20150116

Still looking for HELP, gang! You should have received an email on the shows today. Your option there is to email Scott to let him know you'll be there.

Saw first-hand how the original leech could do business on finicky smallmouth when nothing else worked. Bill (Ballenger's?) imitation pour was a close second in plastics. Can't wait to see it, Rich.

That's a Kank float right there.

Thanks for the excellent effort you put into organizing this, Ed. Looks like the start to a very fruitful relationship with our peers in conservation.

Sweet. Nice work, Terry.

What if I actually waned to DO a guided tour, rather than simply attending one?

I'm good for Saturday 10- ?

Please message your number.

I'm all in for this. I'm especially interested in knowing how and where the vets are going to use this equipment. We can make this happen in so many ways...

Representing the ISA at many conservation related functions and meetings over the years has left indelible memories that will last a lifetime. The respect our organization is given by our peers is heartfelt from their perspective and always appreciated. Receiving Pat Quinn's Environmental Hero Award in 2007 probably changed my life more than any other single thing as conservation is concerned. Having pie and coffee overlooking the Kankakee River with a senator and presenting her with indisputable facts on why a lead ban for anglers will not work in this state, and seeing the bill pulled from the legislators the very next morning gave me a great deal of faith in the system. It served to remind me that WE are a part of the system, and deserve to have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect us all. Seeing over 100,000 kids benefit from our efforts in teaching them how to cast a fishing rod and watching them catch fish as a result of our education provided memories for me I will carry with me the rest of my life. What started as 20 kids at Monee Reservoir blossomed into several years at the State Fair, Hunting and Fishing Days, Scout-O-Rama, the Rosemont Show and continues today with Sgt. Tommy's Kids. Conservation Congress was an amazing experience in learning the inner workings of the IDNR, and a program that I will expect to continue with a new administration. Many of the social aspects of the club I experienced while we were in a "working environment". The purpose of ISA members being there was to benefit smallmouth fishing and natural habitats in the future. I couldn't be more proud to be associated with these amazing individuals and an incredible organization over these many years.

Here is the video from that specific netting that Scott posted about in the first post of the thread. Turns out the IDNR is making a MAJOR dent in the population on the upper IL. Just had a long phone discussion about it with the Director. I'm feeling much better knowing this.

Be sure to follow the link in the article here, as well as paying attention to the big picture. Where there is a will, there is a way! http://www.environmentillinois.org/news/ile/clean-water-groups-highlight-progress-apple-river-call-more-success-stories

I shudder at the thought of trying to fish for smallies under this scenario in any given "usual spots on the usual flows". What a frightening future we're facing.

Cook County is fighting the protections, so we are on board with several other organizations. The letter: Commissioner Suffredin Oppose Waters of the US Resolution.pdf THE DRAFT COOK COUNTY RESOLUTION MISREPRESENTS THE PROPOSED “WATERS OF THE U.S.” RULE There are a number of inaccuracies in Cook County draft resolution 14-6510, “A Resolution Opposing Expansion of Federal Jurisdiction Over Non-Navigable Waters of the United States,” including: The resolution incorrectly implies that the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction is limited only to “navigable” waters. Since its passage in 1972, the Clean Water Act has protected both navigable and nonnavigable water bodies. Although the Act frequently uses the term “navigable waters,” it defines that term broadly to mean “the waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.” As a result, when the question of what kinds of features qualify as “waters of the United States” has reached the Supreme Court (something that has happened three times in the Act’s history), no Justice of the Court has ruled that the law only applies to actually navigable waters. Under President Reagan, the law was applied to any water body that could serve as habitat for migrating birds; as the independent Government Accountability Office (then called the General Accounting Office) found in 2004, under that policy, “the Corps was able to regulate almost any body of water or wetland.”v This rule would not reinstate that policy, but instead would only protect waters with a demonstrated and significant impact on the physical, chemical, and biological condition of downstream water bodies. The proposed rule would not give the federal agencies de-facto zoning authority. The proposed rule does not change any local authority, including zoning. It does not protect any waters that have not historically been covered under the Clean Water Act; and, in fact, the proposed rule would protect fewer waters than Reagan Administration policy did. The proposed rule does not regulate dry ditches. As EPA’s “Ditch the Myth” website says, “the proposed rule actually reduces regulation of ditches because for the first time it would exclude ditches that are constructed through dry lands and don’t have water year-round.” vi The proposed rule is not an unfunded federal mandate. It is a clarification of which waterbodies are covered by the Clean Water Act. EPA estimates about 3 percent more waterbodies would be covered by the draft rule. As part of the rulemaking process, EPA did an economic analysis showing that the “proposed rule would provide an estimated $388 million to $514 million annually of benefits to public, including reducing flooding, filtering pollution, providing wildlife habitat, supporting hunting and fishing, and recharging groundwater. The public benefits significantly outweigh the costs of about $162 million to $279 million per year for mitigating impacts to streams and wetlands, and taking steps to reduce pollution to waterways.”vii This analysis was developed by experts in the field and reviewed by staff of the Office of Management & Budget. Lyman Welch Water Quality Director Alliance for the Great Lakes Richard Eidlin Director of Public Policy American Sustainable Business Council Brandon Wright Co-owner Hamburger Mary’s Chicago Andersonville Brewing Company Rebeccah Sanders Executive Director Audubon Chicago Region Jennifer Browning Executive Director Bluestem Communications Hal Sprague Water Policy Manager Center for Neighborhood Technology Erik Sprenne Advocate Chicago Whitewater Association Lan Richart Co-Director Eco-Justice Collaborative Wouter Hammink Clean Water Campaign Organizer Environment Illinois Jessica Dexter Attorney Environmental Law and Policy Center Albert Ettinger Environmental Attorney Rev. Brian J. Sauder Executive Director Faith in Place Sandi Nelson Manager Flossmoor Station Brewery & Restaurant Margaret Frisbie Executive Director Friends of the Chicago River Benjamin Cox President & CEO Friends of the Forest Preserves Matt Gallagher Co-owner and Head Brewer Half Acre Beer Company Walter J. Bock Treasurer Illinois Council of Trout Unlimited Jennifer Walling Executive Director Illinois Environmental Council Tom Eckels Illinois Paddling Council Illinois Water TrailKeepers Mike Clifford Executive Board, Conservation Director Illinois Smallmouth Alliance League of Women Voters of Cook County Jan Goldman-Carter Senior Manager National Wildlife Federation Henry Henderson Midwest Director Natural Resources Defense Council Gerald W. Adelmann President & CEO Openlands Glynnis Collins Executive Director Prairie Rivers Network Cindy Skrukrud Clean Water Advocate Sierra Club Illinois Josh Gilbert Founder Temperance Beer Company

A long time coming! An incredible smallmouth fishery. Previously, the only access was by boat. http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=2&RecNum=12785

Mark- a very interesting read. Be sure to follow the link in the article as well. http://www.environmentillinois.org/news/ile/clean-water-groups-highlight-progress-apple-river-call-more-success-stories

Scary stuff! Funny thing is that I'm on 2 completely different committees for the eradication of these carp, but couldn't tell you the names. Had a couple conference calls like 2 years ago and never heard from or about them again. Everybody has a plan.....

Rooting around in some boxes in the garage, I happened upon some old ISA newsletters. What I was able to determine from a 2004 issue was that it was when I became the Conservation Director for our group. It astonished me to learn that I've been in that position for half as long as the ISA has been in existence. Another interesting fact to consider- of the 17 club officers at that point, 5 of us remain. Scott, Joz, Eric, Rich and myself. If any of you have favorite memories and photos from your membership, please feel free to share them here! Whether you have been a member since the beginning, somewhere in between or have been here for a short time and would like to talk about your ISA experience- I'd like to hear about it!

I see that the lure parts company was already in Springfield, as I couldn't figure out if that location was strategically chosen. Best of luck to them in their endeavors!!

The county board vote means nothing. The IDOA approves EVERY factory farm. We have seen this many times before. Follow the way the megadairy in Jo Daviess went away. Lots of positives to find there. Reach out to them! They were able to find infractions during initial construction via aerial footage, despite laws designed to keep whistleblowers from accessing the property.

Awesome photos. Just the kind of follow-up we need to see from these events!