Book Reviews

by Glen R. Blackwood, Great Lakes Fly Fishing Company

Two titles have drifted across my reading desk recently. While these books have entirely different focuses, both are based upon observational awareness of the natural world. These authors, one making his debut (Jac Ford) and the other award-winning (Jerry Dennis), have shared their observations in a fashion that the reader will benefit from, whether fly fishing from a drift boat or simply reading for pleasure.

The View from the Middle Seat

Jac Ford describes himself as a “guide” throughout his new book, The View from the Middle Seat. Many other terms come to mind as you read his recently released work. For me, most have an educational slant. “Mentor,” “teacher,” and “instructor” are all apt, only I prefer “coach,” and this work is his personal playbook to angling success, which he has graciously shared. To say that Jac is just a guide is like saying Sparky Anderson was just a baseball manager. Just as Sparky was a student of the game with the Big Red Machine and the Detroit Tigers on the baseball diamond, Jac is a student of fly fishing. His success is achieved through observing, prioritizing fundamentals, and a lifetime of in-game adjustments, albeit on a different playing field than Tiger Stadium.

This is Jac’s first book, but his reputation as an angler and guide is far-reaching, as is apparent by the book’s forward written by George Daniels and the dust jacket’s reviews from Kevin Feenstra, Kelly Galloup, Joe Humphries, and Mike Schmidt. Jac was an angler before his second career as a fly fishing outfitter and guide in Michigan and Montana. His early experiences of Michigan angling and western spring creeks and the skill set that these waters require honed his current observational and detailed approach to trophy fish angling, as the book contains chapters on warm water species as well, such as smallmouth bass, northern pike, and muskies. Jac mentions that he pondered a book on spring creek fishing; I hope that will be his next project.

Jac’s voice, both in person and in his writing, is one of quiet confidence. His words are poignant and are chosen for his meaning. While I would categorize this title as a technical fly fishing book, the text flows more like a boat launch conversation. Throughout, he regales stories from past trips and clients. These tales are written as if parables to teach a specific lesson. The words are not preachy, only steadfastly describe the author’s viewpoint: a point of view that is not cemented in angling past but has developed over time and continues with each day he spends in the middle seat, an example being his use of modern technology as it relates to weather.

As a rule, I do not carry a smartphone with me when fishing. Jac uses his as a tool to watch the weather as an indicator of “bite windows.” Another example of the author’s stepping into the future is the book’s collections of fly patterns from modern innovative fly tyers he follows both in-person and online. Yet, at the same time, Jac pays homage to the past with a discussion of lessons learned from the likes of Will Godfry, Joe Humphries, and Bob Linsenman. I found this blend of old school versus new school refreshing and enjoyable.

In a world where self-published books are becoming the norm, and quality production seems a bye-gone attribute, this title is well designed and professionally crafted. Printed in the United States, the resolution of the book’s images are crisp and add to the reader’s overall pleasure, as do the original paintings that illustrate the book’s pages by talented sporting artist David Ruimveld. David utilized watercolor techniques and paper with black paint to achieve a unique washed tone that my eye found appealing.

While the book’s theme regards the pursuit of trophy fish on a fly rod, the underlying theme throughout is conservation. The author brings his conservation message to the forefront in a sound and respectful fashion. It is subtle at times and louder in the afterword. His sentiments ring true and should be read and pondered by all.

Reading and rereading Jac Ford’s manuscript in preparation for this review sent me back to my formative fly fishing years. My grandfather and other fly fishing mentors taught me not only the fundamentals of casting

and knots but also the importance of observation. My grandfather described it as “water eyes.” They also taught me that attention to the fine details of angling gives you a chance to hook and land a fish that others may squander. By reading and taking in Jac Ford’s thoughts and tips presented in The View from the Middle Seat to heart, your on-stream squanderings will diminish, and your “water eyes” will improve.

Up North in Michigan

While Jerry Dennis’s newest release, Up North in Michigan: A Portrait of Place in Four Seasons, is not an angling book, his latest collection of seasonal essays deserves discussion. This compilation of Michigan-originated natural history observations is simply delightful. His eye for finding an interesting speck in Michigan’s waters, flora, and fauna, and then painting the environment’s detail through his words, I find personally impactful. “Water,” “flowing,” “still,” and the Great Lakes are reoccurring topics throughout this read, as is the pursuit of the fish that live in them. Other topics include birding, canoeing, hiking, and overall outdoor exploration.

Through his essays, you see the author not only as a writer but a compassionate human. Passages introduce his family, friends, and strangers along the way, including a groom-to-be, stranded, stuck in a snowbank, and late to his wedding. Yet, the reader will understand his value of solitary time afield.

Up North in Michigan is not a fly fishing book like the author’s previous works, A Place on the Water and The River Home. This title is a seasonal study of Michigan’s water, waves, and weather. Our night skies, berry patches, bird migrations, two-tracks, trails, and much more, a contemplative discussion of Northern Michigan’s large landscapes and natural nuances. No matter the season, this book will be savored and entertain the reader, whether at home, camp, or cottage.

Observations can be both strategic and soulful, assisting the reader’s growth in either skill or mind. These two books are examples of both. Written by authors whose observations are the foundation of their messages, books that, as my grandfather, James Glen, taught me, will develop your “water eyes.”

The View from the Middle Seat: Lessons Learned From a Lifetime of Guiding

By Jac Ford Published by Jac Ford, Country Anglers 2021 $34.95

Up North in Michigan: A Portrait of Place in Four Seasons

By Jerry Dennis Publisher University of Michigan Press 2021 $24.95 fish rely on for navigation. Based on high-resolution, continuous fishway monitoring data, the FishPass Science Team will adjust and move sorting tools around in a “plug-and-play” manner to maximize the number of desirable fish and minimize the number of undesirable fish reaching the upstream end of the sorting channel.

This iterative process will have substantial latitude for testing as all sorting will occur below a barrier to all fish. In other words, no fish will be allowed to pass during the project’s research phase volitionally. Such latitude in the experimental process will enable trials to “fail” without putting any part of the watershed at risk and allowing scientists to learn and improve future iterations of the sorting process. Over ten years of dedicated research, optimizing sorting will lead to the optimal configuration identified to provide long-term selective fish passage in the Boardman/ Ottaway River.

Fishery Management Decisions

Once the passageway is optimized for sorting, a clean stream of desired fishes that makes it to the upstream end of FishPass will be allowed (via lowered gates or an automated fish lift) to continue on their journey upstream to complete their life cycle and subsequently pass back downstream to Lake Michigan. FishPass will become a functional fishway, reconnecting the Boardman/Ottaway River to Lake Michigan.

While debate still exists about what species are “desirable” and warrant passage, one thing is certain—nobody wants sea lamprey passed. For the duration of the research phase, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has agreed with the project partners that only species native to the Great Lakes shall be considered for limited, controlled passage. Ultimately, the decision of what species are provided access into the Boardman/ Ottaway River is independent of FishPass and will be made by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the MDNR, with input from citizens and angler groups. However, regardless of the management decisions that are ultimately made, FishPass, and FishPass alone, provides the opportunity to have many alternatives on the table and engage in data-driven decision making.

The adaptive management process being implemented will allow for science-based decisions about passage targets and goals in light of management objectives for the Boardman/ Ottaway River. Indeed, without FishPass, managers have no tools to resolve conflicts over desirable passage or control invasive species—the connectivity conundrum. Typical fishways are often selective for jumping or strong-swimming species, such as Pacific salmonines, over native fishes that have not evolved to leap over barriers, and have no controls for invasive species passage. Other than labor-intensive trap-and-sort fishways that include manual hauling of fish upstream to bypass a barrier, no solutions exist for the dual challenge of restoring connectivity for native fish restoration and simultaneously controlling invasive species. This is the global challenge being addressed at FishPass.

A whole-river restoration takes incredible commitment and strong partnerships led by the City of Traverse City, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and MDNR, among many other project partners. A project on the scale of a whole river takes considerable financial investment made possible by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, State of Michigan, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Consumers Energy, and many local contributors. In closing, on behalf of these great partnerships, much like George Griffith and the other founding members of TU, I look forward to the day the first runs of native lake-run fish ascend the Boardman/Ottaway River for the first time in more than a century.