IA DNR & AWARE Volunteers Clean Up Waterways (...Trash Talk continued)

*JULY 7-14 were the dates for the 2012 AWARE clean-up of the Iowa River. Please see the 2012 post for results:  http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2012/07/this-year-participants-in-iowa-dnrs_19.html *


    On July 9-16, 2011, the Iowa DNR again backed up its trash talk with action.  The DNR’s Project AWARE volunteer river clean-up of the Little Turkey, Turkey, and Volga Rivers netted 64,722lbs of garbage.  That is the equivalent of 32.36 tons, or nearly the weight of 18.5 new 4WD Honda CR-V LX SUV’s, being removed by volunteers and their canoes! 

   This year, 429 volunteers participated in the clean-up.  An average of 152 volunteers participated each day with 273 being new to AWARE this year and 61 having participated for 5 or more years.  Of the total amount of trash collected by these volunteers, 96% was recycled.  Scrap metal, then tires (611), composed the greatest weight of recyclables, and 335lbs of redeemable cans/bottles (cha-ching!) were found.   

   Participants ranged from aged 2 to 76.  An Indiana father/daughter team participated and a father from Cedar Rapids, IA., had sons from Illinois, Colorado, and Oregon join him on the hunt for garbage.
    When asked what the most unusual piece of trash removed from a river was, Brian Soenen, Project AWARE Coordinator replied, “While I don’t recall anything being incredibly unique, volunteers found quite a few wooden-spoked wagon wheels and an insane number of large implement tires.  The great news is that most of the trash was ‘old’ junk…been there a long time and has now been forever removed.”

Photo Caption Information:

   #1:  On day 1, Nick Gaeta, Cedar Rapids, IA, transports trash through Gouldsburg Park on the Little Turkey River, following a 'pre-cleanup' of nearby Crane Creek. Gaeta has participated in all but the 1^st year of the Project AWARE clean-ups.  #2:  While at least 5 paddlers had already spent a good portion of this day plucking trash on a 'pre-cleanup' of Crane Creek, most volunteers set up camp at Gouldsburg Park, Hawkeye, IA, & enjoy the day's outdoor festivities. The confluence of Crane Creek and the Little Turkey River is located at the park.  #3:  KJ Rebarcak, Long Grove, IA, left, and 'Dutch Oven' Dave Brown, Springfield, MO, transport trash through the Little Turkey River on the first day of this year’s Project AWARE river clean-up.  The trash was actually removed from nearby Crane Creek.   

 #4:  Members of the Dubuque Fly Fishers and the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association were asked to volunteer their time and present a hands-on fly casting clinic.  Approximately 8 fly anglers participated.  Project AWARE volunteer Rose Danaher, Homestead, IA, (pictured) receives a fly casting lesson from Kate Lodge, a member of both clubs, & a Geneseo, IL, resident. 

   For more information about Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), & methods of participating in the clean-up of Iowa waterways, please visit this link:   http://www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/ProjectAWARE.aspx .   And, please e-mail me your 'trash talk'!  If you pick up trash from waterways or want to share how you have changed your own habits of trash disposal while on waterways, if you want to comment about how waterways have improved over the years, or if you want to report about what you most commonly find in and along waterways, email me about it or send me a picture.  I'd like to increase the attention paid to the maintenance and appreciation of our waterways.  ~Twitch

Tight Lines and Smallmouth Bass

   The ‘hole’ was actually a span of riffles located next to a seam of slow-moving pocket water abutting the bank.  Following a couple of roll casts, I casted traditionally, aiming near the edge of the pocket.  With more line out, my soft hackle nymph drifted out along the slow water & began to swing across & into the riffles.  Just as I began to strip line in, FISH ON!  The temps were cold enough to freeze water on the rod guides, it was windy, & my soul was lifted.  The fish fought well, leaping from the cloudy water.  It was a 14” Rainbow; a feisty stocker.  It was landed on Swiss Valley stream on my last hole of the day.  Jackfish Kate and I had started out fishing together, but our paths split when Jackfish headed downstream, fishing and exploring.  Soon after, I'd discovered a nice view of the stream when trekking along an uphill trail.  Jackfish was framed beautifully while fishing in mixed ribbons of golden brown earth & milky brown water.  We met back on the trail, readying for home.  That was how we ended the day of March 12, 2011 in the NE Iowa Driftless region:  fly fishing.

   We started our day walking into the Swiss Valley Nature Center, Peosta, IA., just as the programs hosted by the Dubuque Fly Fishers and presented by Tight Lines Fly Shop owner Tim Landwehr and shop guide Nate Sipple were set to begin.  Forty to fifty guests had come to listen to the men from the De Pere, WI, fly shop give their presentations.  Topics included:  how and where to fish for river Smallmouth Bass; demonstrations on how to tie smallie flies; and why the Midwest, and especially Wisconsin, is a fantastic & underappreciated freshwater fishery for fly anglers.

   Of course Tim gave an overview of the offerings of his fly shop, including guide services with the 7 guides on staff, free winter programs of guest fly tiers, a large selection of flies for sale & the shop’s websites.  He then delved into the meat of the first topic, which was how to successfully fish for river Smallmouth Bass.  While standing in the heart of Iowa trout country, Tim reminded the anglers that trout live and interact differently in their habitat than smallies do in their habitat; therefore each species should be approached differently.  For example:  prey in the trout environment often move slowly whereas forage for smallies often move quickly & are generally chased; trout typically face into the current, but smallies face many directions; and trout hold close to, or in direct current, but river smallies prefer to hold in little or no current.  

   Then, with photos displaying on the video screen of river structure, interspersed with photos of happy clients with rotund 19”+ smallies, Tim provided examples of how to fish the given structure, the forage type & how it presents itself, and followed with how & when to fish top water, intermediate and sinking flies.  Tim stated that 85-90% of a smallie’s diet is crayfish yet 2 of the most successful shop patterns used are the Bart-O and Mudich Minnows.  Tim said, “Opportunity trumps quantity always”.  More energy and risk are involved with eating a crayfish than a baitfish.  Due to the aggressive nature of smallies, Tim also reminded the anglers not to cast in the same spot twice.

   Nate presented the 2^nd portion of the program.  He demonstrated how to tie the Murdich Minnow & another un-named baitfish imitation he’d created.  Additional tips, such as how & why to use an adhesive gel vs. the liquid version when attaching eyes, and why one should gently lift a fly tied with ‘Fish Lips’ to the water’s surface prior to casting again, were provided.  The shop’s top 6 fly recommendations were given, and Tim gave a demo on how to tie a Fordyce Loop when attaching a fly, especially a popper or streamer pattern, such as a Clouser, to the leader.

   Tim finished the programs emphasizing how the Midwest & particularly Wisconsin is a great freshwater fishery for fly anglers.  He spoke of stream improvements in NE IA and SW WI, the amount of free public access granted in these states & the diversity of fishing opportunities afforded those lucky enough to regularly fish the region.   Tim claims the Midwest has the best Smallmouth Bass fishing available.  He also spoke of trout streams, the Hexagenia Limbata hatches, the Musky Capital of the World, migratory fish including big Brown Trout and Steelhead, & of the hard-fighting carp.

   Tim also displayed a graph comparing the length of the fishing seasons in Montana versus the Midwest.  Shortly afterward, Jackfish and I donned our waders.  The program was over but we had more Iowa winter fly fishing to do!