2021 Michigan Trout Unlimited Awards

by Tom Mundt

During September, Michigan Trout Unlimited’s first inperson council meeting in over 18 months, we celebrated the contributions our members and chapters made to the protection of Michigan’s coldwater resources and presented awards for:

• Chapter of the Year. This award is given annually to the chapter that best demonstrates membership engagement, financial growth and stability, and the protection of our coldwater resources. • Order of the Caddis. While technically an award, it’s more akin to being named to the Michigan TU

• Art Neumann Award. This award is presented periodically to an individual or group for making outstanding contributions to Michigan TU’s mission and vision.

This year’s award winners were selected from the nominations submitted to the Awards Committee, chaired by Jim Cantrill, council fundraising chair, Gabe Schneider, council vice-chair, John Zolan, president of the Ann Arbor Chapter, and Greg Walz, past council chair. I want to thank those who took the time to prepare and submit the nominations and the Awards Committee for sorting it all out.

While this past year may not have been conducive to in-person gatherings, this chapter accomplished a lot. Their team executed several key habitat improvements within the Upper Au Sable, including the placement of over 30 in-stream woody structures bringing the total to 65 installations over the past two years. They also collaborated with Michigan TU in a project allowing fish passage around the Grayling Fish Hatchery. This project along the East Branch of the Au Sable River includes a trail system to improve access to family and handicap-friendly fishing areas. The chapter is also working closely with Michigan TU on the Upper Manistee River project.

These initiatives are just a few of the contributions Mason-Griffith Founders has made to protect and restore the Upper Manistee and the birthplace of Trout Unlimited, the fabled Au Sable River. The Michigan TU Executive Committee sends a big congratulations to Chapter President Karen Harrison and her dedicated team for winning Chapter of the Year. The Michigan TU team also congratulates Karen for receiving the Michigan Environmental Council’s 2021 Petoskey Prize for her decades-long work protecting the Upper Manistee and Au Sable Rivers and keeping clean cold water flowing and healthy trout swimming.

Greg, shown in the photo above accepting the award from Robb Smith, becomes the nineteenth person to be named to the “Order of the Caddis,” an honor he well deserves. I first met Greg at a council meeting at the RAM Center nearly a decade ago when he represented the Miller Van Winkle Chapter as president. Following his three-year tenure as MVW’s president, he served in 2015 and 2016 as the chapter’s treasurer/secretary and then secretary. In 2017, Greg became Michigan TU’s council vice-chair and then onto the chair position in 2018. Greg’s steady leadership style as a “we” guy and not a “me” guy calmly directed the organization through Covid-19 when it would have been easy to let the organization drift and become lethargic. Instead, Michigan TU held virtual meetings that promoted the extraordinary participation of its board members. Finally, Michigan TU thrived financially during Greg’s term from both increased individual donations and grant awards. Congratulations, Greg, on being named to the “Order of the Caddis.”

Eli Stanesa (right), with his wife, receiving the Art Neumann Award from Tom Mundt

the committee to award both nominees. The winners are TU Life Member and Vanguard Chapter’s Eli Stanesa and the all-volunteer staff of the Michigan TU Fly Fishing School.

Eli Stanesa earns the Art Neumann Award from his two decade’s tenure/leadership as the Vanguard Chapter’s conservation committee chair. Described as a softspoken gentleman, Eli has exhibited a deep passion and commitment to Michigan’s coldwater resources, particularly Paint Creek in Rochester, Michigan, where he has led the Paint Creek Habitat Restoration Project since its inception in 2016.

Using an assessment report prepared by Michigan TU’s Aquatic Ecologist Kristin Thomas, Eli took the lead for Paint Creek restoration securing local city and park permits and DNR/EGLE and landowner approval. During 2018 and 2019, he hired and worked with habitat consultants to plan and install many in-stream woody structures to create trout habitat. Eli secured a TU National Embrace-A-Stream grant that funded additional restoration work that is currently underway. He also led many other chapter conservation initiatives and has been a true ambassador for TU through his work with other conservation organizations and government agencies. Congratulations, Eli, and keep up the great work.

The All-Volunteer Staff of the Michigan TU Fly Fishing School was an easy choice to receive the Art Neumann Award because they just celebrated their 50th year of introducing aspiring anglers to the art of fly fishing. Our school is not only one of the nation’s finest but most likely one of the longest-running of its kind in the country. Since its inception in 1971, this program has been staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers (with a couple of staff members serving for more than 40 years) who convene each year in early June to teach novice and advanced anglers fly casting and tying skills, fishing knots, stream etiquette, aquatic insect identification, and how to read the water. Over its 50-year history, several thousand students have attended the school, with many returning multiple times to improve their skills and renew relationships with other student anglers and the school’s volunteer staff.

The fly fishing school’s success directly results from the dedication of the volunteer leaders and instructors who take time from their daily lives to plan and execute this three-day event. I want to point out that all the school’s instructors are TU members, experienced anglers, expert fly casters, and well-versed in the art of fly tying and insect identification. The instructors also go through rigorous training and testing before joining the school’s staff. Some are professional fishing guides as well.

The current roster of volunteer leaders/instructors includes:

Bob Baughman Patrick J. Gossman Perry Piccard John Cleveland George Killat Cole Publiski Jim Craig Ed Kulnis Doug Ruesink John Dallas Dave Leonhard Tony Schneider Steve DeQuoy

Vance McCabe Mike Slater Madeline Drake Dave McCullough Robb Smith Glen Eberly Denny McLean Scott R. Smith Jim Gibbs Mike Mouradian Mike Traugott Jane Piccard

If you know any of these fine folks, please thank them for their dedication to teaching future generations of fly anglers. Congratulations to the Michigan TU Fly Fishing School’s All-Volunteer Team for 50 Years of Excellence and 50 more years of success.