From The North Woods Call
DNR biologist Steve Sendek wants to revive a trophy, near-wilderness, steelhead fly fishery that anglers haven't experienced in around a half century. He proposes transporting a few hundred Au Sable River steelhead to the stretch of river between Alcona and Loud dams. Virtually no fishery exists there now.
Sendek, who is stationed in Grayling, points out that recent adjustments in operation at Consumers Power Company's Au Sable dams has improved habitat. The dam settlement also provides several thousand dollars a year for fisheries management, to compensate for fish killed in the hydros.
His concept for the largely undisturbed stretch between Alcona and Loud impoundments isn't new, Sendek points out. In the 1940s, the Conservation Department briefly released steelhead above Loud Pond. The fish were moved upstream, from below Foote Dam (the last one on the river) in the fall. During winter they acclimated. After spawning in the spring they remained in the river into summer.
The records show it created a sensational, if limited, fishery, especially during the Hexagenia limbata mayfly hatch. According to Sendek, fly anglers were taking fish up to thirty inches.
Due to improved water quality and habitat, Sendek suspects the steelhead would spawn successfully. How many fingerlings would survive the trip downstream, through a series of dams, could be determined with fine nets below Foote Dam, he points out.
Because access is limited, Sendek says the fishery may be self-limiting.
To avoid over-exploitation, angling could be limited to fly fishing. Limited, or no-kill, harvest rules may be needed to get the maximum benefits from the fishery.
Sendek emphasizes that no consideration is being given to releasing salmon. RWOL
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