Mudflats!

One of the interesting talking points of opponents of the removal of the Estabrook Dam, Grafton Dam, and Limekiln Dam on the Milwaukee River is that, after dam removal, large mudflats will be left behind. These large unsightly stretches of clay and silt will then become homes for weeds, thus spoiling their scenic view of the river.

This is a true statement, but only in the short run. In order to find out why, let us examine what a mudflat is, and how it is formed.

Rivers are great earthmovers and builders. Over vast amounts of time, they erode outside bends and deposit silt and particulates on inside bends. These initially form flats of sediment or rock. In the Midwest, these inside bends are mostly composed of silt, sand, dissolved clay and tiny wood debris. This inherent character of rivers is why they bend and meander in their channels, always eroding earth and depositing it in new places such as inside bends and estuary regions. One look at a map or trip to a river will prove this to be true. As time passes, these inside bends grow larger and larger, beginning as mud flats and ending up as land that people build homes upon. First grasses and hearty plants (weeds to some) grow upon the flats. Then small shrubs and trees take hold. Finally, the former flat becomes part of the shore structure and may be indistinguishable from the surrounding woods.

All these building, moving, and eroding processes are natural, so why the fuss over a natural riparian structure? Here we find the irony. Because, simply put, it is man’s interference with rivers by slowing the water flow with dams and creating impoundments, and channelizing the river with artificial bank structure that impedes the river from its earth moving, its ability to push the silt downstream, form new channels, and build new river banks. Thus, the actual composition of the bottom of the river changes from gravel, boulders, silt, mud, and sand, to primarily long flat bars of silt. When water levels are lowered, these become mudflats. Anyone who lives in a tidal basin on the ocean knows this process well, albeit in a natural way.

Flow rates and gradient also play a part. Faster flow moves the sediment, while slow deep areas of a river (like an impoundment) allow the sediment to fall to the bottom and collect.

So it is ironic in a sense that the very dams and resulting impoundments that they create are primarily responsible for the formation of these mudflats that seem to be the bane of dam proponents.

There is, obviously, one missing factor here, and that is time. We measure time in days, years, and generations. Nature measures time differently. Given a long enough time, all mudflats become banks and islands. Walking in a river will prove this. Where did that island come from? Was it always there? Chances are it started as a small gravel and silt deposit forming what is known as a ‘braid.’ Over time it continued to build as the river, flowing around it, deposited more and more silt, mud, gravel, and particulate at its downstream end. Then birds nested on it and brought undigested seeds. Nuts and seedpods washed down and took root as well. Then trees began to grow.

We can see, in a shortened time, how mudflats become land. The North Avenue Dam removal created an enormous set of flats on both upstream banks. The river, which was formerly slow, deep and very wide here, shrank to less than half its width. Where did the flats go…?

The answer is that you are walking on them. At present, the land reclaimed from the impoundment all the way up to Hubbard Park in Shorewood is a jumble of brush, shrubs, grasses, and small trees, but in another twenty years, if we don’t mess with it, that area will return to nature completely, and provide an aesthetic view. We can and have aided that process by securing the former flats with bank stabilization, and planting native plants.

So, dam removal opponents, in a nutshell, that is what mudflats are. They are natural, and in time, will morph and grow into something beautiful. They are your mudflats: created in this instance by the dams themselves.

Grafton votes to keep ‘historic and iconic’ dam and millpond on the Milwaukee River

Citizens of Grafton voted by an overwhelming majority (75%) to keep the dam on the Milwaukee River, and prevent the village board from using federal dollars available to remove the dam. The Wisconsin DNR has ordered the village to replace/repair the dam by 2019 in order to be in compliance with new flood control measures.

It is no wonder that the referendum passed. The wording was one-sided, and no mention was made of the larger issues of dam compliance, federal funds available, or any vision of a restored river. When the time comes to repair or replace the dam, the folks of Grafton will most likely have to pony up the funds themselves.

Too bad that Grafton is not able to envision the asset that a free-flowing river can provide to the community, wildlife, and all recreational users downstream of their impoundment.

Water quality on the river has improved so much that stoneflies have now become resident. Stoneflies only hatch in areas with oxygen-rich water that is free of siltation. Areas of the river that run wild have seen a recent return of bald eagles, nesting wood ducks, and other signs that nature appreciates the return of a restored river.

The Estabrook Dam has been open now for several years, and the water clarity downstream is the best this writer has ever observed. The lack of the seasonal opening and closing of the weir to fill and draw down the impoundment has allowed the river to cut channels in the silt backed up by the dam, and that very silt has been more or less blocked from pouring into the lower river.

The dam at Limekiln Park in Grafton is slated to be removed this spring, and the dam at Thiensville has received a new fish ladder, allowing migratory fish species such as sturgeon, bass, pike, and steelhead to ascend to new spawning waters.

All in all, our river, which used to be denigrated for its stench, is well on its way to recovery after years of being ‘managed’ by man. It is just kind of sad that the village of Grafton has refused to be part of a new vision for a restored river that already has proved an aesthetic, recreational, and natural asset in areas where it has been allowed to recover.

Water Quality on the Milwaukee River

Milwaukee River water quality.

This spring I have been amazed at the increasing quality of the water on the Milwaukee River. Last night while trying out longer bellied spey lines at Hubbard Park, I observed an amazing mixed hatch of mayflies and caddis. Tan caddis lightly sprinkled with black caddis, blue winged olives, warm water cahills, midges, sulphers, and possibly gray drakes. This is a tremendous sign that water quality is good. The non-spawning immature smallmouth bass in the riffles that were home to the hatches were gorging on food.

I had an introduction to water monitoring for the Milwaukee Riverkeeper by my friend Rick F. We took PH levels, dissolved oxygen, and temperature and turbidity. In addition to that, we pried up streamside rocks to find out what kind of larvae were living under them. All this in the Hubbard to Capitol drive stretch which emerged from suffocation when the North Avenue bridge came down. Before the dam was removal, the only bugs in the area were mosquitoes, and the water stank.

Water clarity in the Milwaukee was excellent all year until recently when rains coincided with farmers plowing their fields. The north branch of the Milwaukee is running rather muddy, and downstream the silt is being carried in the water.

Recently a beaver has been spotted in the clean water around Good Hope road. (pictures here from the Milwaukee RiverKeeper). This stretch runs clean until the MMSD outflow pipe on the northeast bank of Green Tree road adds fecal matter and stink. Then downstream on Green Tree Rd. the water backs up from the small waterfalls at Kletzch Park, and is slow and unhealthy.

Beavers are a sign of healthy water and habitat. The Milwaukee River has come a long way since the days of its reputation as the big stinky. The removal of the Estabrook dam is the next step in aiding the river in repairing itself from the best intentions of mankind. That and preventing MMSD from arbitrarily dumping sewage in the river every time Milwaukee receives more than two inches of rain. If we are going to call ourselves “The Water City” we better clean up our act first.

A colleague of mine was teasing me about the beaver, theorizing that perhaps it had been recruited by the Estabrook Dam preservation faction to perform repairs and stabilize the structure with its beaver-dam engineering skills. ;)

Of rivers, fish, and men

I fished the Milwaukee Friday and Saturday. The flow level was over 1500 cfs on Friday and fell to 1440 cfs on Saturday. Water clarity was as good as it ever gets. Friday was rather balmy, while Saturday proved why we in the Midwest say of the weather, "If you don't like it, just wait ten minutes..."

Saturday began with winds that kept switching direction from Northwest to West to North to Southwest, finally settling on howling from the north and bringing snow showers.

To me and a few die-hards, the river comes alive at over 1000 cfs. It roars and froths and pushes against your legs. One wades with caution and moves slowly lest the water sweep you away. The fishing and casting were challenging. Just getting one's fly to the proper place is hard enough in a river that is the size of the Skagit, but add the cold wind to Valhalla, and every third cast goes awry. My double spey sailed, while my reverse double was awful.

Some of the best structure of the river is hidden under these wild spring flows. Knowing the river intimately gives one the confidence to swing flies in areas that we know must hold fish. The water temps were against us for such heavy flows, with daytime temps in the sub 40 degree zone.



I fished alone on Friday and managed a nice small fresh buck, but on Saturday we convened the ancient order of what has been referred to as the "Milwaukee boys." Today this shifting group of veteran two handed addicts included Dave P., Joe S., Barry R., Brian K. and myself. We ran into Carl and a friend on the river.



All in all, we landed two fish Saturday, and missed several more. I was very lucky to hit this nice fresh chrome hen of the Ganaraska strain in a waist deep boulder garden. I went to strip the line and take a step, and soon as I moved the fly, she pounced upon it. Good juju! Barry landed a nice fish in a run upriver several hours later. Joe S. showed me how the short slot water game is played as we fished from shore with tiny casts to pocket water.
Brian K. showed how neither wind, snow, rain, or blustery winds can stop his graceful casting. Dave P. hucked out his signature deep running "Stuff that he just makes on the river."



The river had a decent number of fish in it, and we saw several porpoise, but with the heavy flows and cold water, it was the rare hot fish that would rise and smash the swung fly that is our peculiar passion.

We all fished different flies and styles as befits our different personalities, but took time out to sit on the bank and marvel at what we had in this river. This is what we love.

Then the snow and wind drove us off, and we retired for pizza, beer, and fishing stories.

The river will find a way...

A quote sent to me by a friend of our rivers...

"Men may dam it and say that they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening. In Time, it will have its way; the dam, like the ancient cliffs, will be carried away piecemeal in the currents."
- Wendell Berry

The photo is of the dam on the Milwaukee River at Estabrook park. The debris buildup and ice jam can be seen beyond the concrete dragon's teeth.

An addition:

With the Woolen Mills dam removal in West Bend on the Milwaukee River a similar impoundment was removed and the river came back to life. Read a testament here http://www.wsn.org/shorelands/Milriver.html

This is what could await us in the stretch from Estabrook to Kletzch Park.

What am I missing here?

I am confused...

The homeowners along the stretch of river upstream of the dam at Estabrook park on the Milwaukee river have consistently made the argument that the removal of the dam at North Avenue ruined the river, and that the resulting muddy and shallow creek destroyed recreation and ability to paddle.

Here is an excerpt from a letter placed on the Riverotter blog found here. (A good blog with a civil discussion)


From a concerned citizen;

"...Prior to moving here, I lived on/near the Milwaukee River north of the North Avenue Dam.
There, too, as I was working on my property, I would hear the crew boats coming down the river. Shorewood had built a boat house for them and they practiced every Saturday. Then one day the river was gone. The dam had been removed (it seemed overnight and with no notice) and the mighty river and the community it supported became a muddy ugly stream. To this day it is still a diminished river, unapproachable, and abandoned..."


I must be missing something here...

Photos by Erik Helm of the section of river above the North Avenue dam after its removal.







And finally, of a free flowing river in Idaho, fresh from the Rocky Mountains... or is it the Milwaukee?


Notice the similar structures of the water flow and the clarity of the water itself? The fall picture was taken in a low water flow period. Looks like fun boating water to me. Riffles and pools, boulders and spits...all on the Milwaukee River.

I remember the Milwaukee River before the dam removal, and this is a hundred percent improvement. The only activity that is curtailed in this section of the river is the consistent ability to paddle a canoe or a kayak UPSTREAM. Paddling downstream is not a problem as long as flows are above 175 cubic feet per second, which they are in all but low late summer flows. Even then, one can steer their canoe or boat as I do to avoid the shallow riffles, like I would do in any free-flowing river. River level fluctuation is a normal condition. The silty and slow flowing water I remember before the dam was removed is not.
Yes, the river as the citizen remembers it has changed... but for the better.

It is neither "Unapproachable", nor "Abandoned" and in this writers opinion, not a "Muddy ugly stream." I should know, I have fished, hiked, and boated wild rivers in Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. When I come home from my adventures, the Milwaukee River is awaiting me, and this beautiful stretch beckons with its abundant and restored beauty. You can find me there in summer evenings. Come say "Hi."

And more...

This from a concerned homeowner quoted in the March 10 article by Lee Bergquist in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...

"If the dam is torn down, "we won't have a Milwaukee River," said Bob Orvis of Glendale, "we will have a Milwaukee stream."

But, the area in question above the dam is not a river now. Instead, it is an impoundment. Does no one get this? Rivers flow. This is what defines them. Rivers speak. The moving water trickles, murmurs, and roars. Impoundments are silent.

I like a good debate, and respect other opinions. But I sure wish those opinions would occasionally be based on facts, not myopic vision. Go see the whole river. From its headwaters as trout streams, to the estuary.

Flotsam

I fished the Milwaukee River on Saturday. Conditions were beautiful. Water was high and clarity was not at all bad. The water temperature was a bit low at 32.6 degrees, but I still managed to hook a fish. Brown or Steelhead we will never know because yours truly lost the fish after a few seconds. (Dreaded dangle hookup.)

Moving downstream, I waded into the heavy flow of @ 900 cfs, and began to swing a steelhead akroyd in a nice run, when the mother-load of flotsam came down the river from the Estabrook Dam. The ice had broken up and carried with it all of the debris that should in theory be removed by the county in fall. Bottles, logs, basketballs, sticks, more logs, trees, disposable lighters, spray paint cans, and every plastic bag known to man flowed down the river.

The ice and some wooded debris is normal, but this sudden release of litter was amazing to see. In a natural flowing river, the litter would come downstream at it's own pace, not all at once due to the dam. I had to wade to shore on numerous occasions to avoid being bombarded by the urban flotsam. I wish people would not litter.

Look at the first picture (before) and then the second (during the debris deluge).

Estabrook Dam removal: A call to action

Hijacking this literary flyfishing site is necessary sometimes. This is one of those times.
An urgent call to action to all concerned:
------------------------------------------

Dear fellow anglers, A vote will be taking place shortly regarding the future of the Estabrook Park Dam on the Milwaukee River by the committee of Parks, Energy and the Environment of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.

Please join the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Sierra Club Great Waters Group, Trout Unlimited-Southeast Wisconsin Chapter, and Milwaukee Steelheaders in calling for the removal of this dam.

The impoundment created by the dam creates an artificial pool of stagnant water, degrades fish habitat, prevents fish migration, warms the water, lowers dissolved oxygen levels, and allows sediment accumulation. The sediments are also full of toxic PCBs. The removal of the dam would greatly improve water quality and fishing opportunities for us.

Unfortunately, we are opposed by a highly organized group of homeowners along the river upstream of the dam, who are concerned with the loss of the impoundment which they refer to as “The largest inland lake in Milwaukee County.”

Please help us in these efforts to advocate for the removal of the Estabrook Dam. Email, call, and or write to the members of the County committee of Parks, Energy and the Environment, and tell them you support dam removal. If you are an out of state angler, and fish our river, all the better. The parties involved need to understand that this is not a simple local issue, and that the decision they make will effect anglers, nature lovers, boaters, and others who use the river for recreation.

I drafted a simple letter that follows below. Feel free to copy and paste it to form the body of your email or letter. Also feel free to add your perspectives and wording to your request to the supervisors. The few minutes it will take to send an email, call, or letter will be of enormous importance in helping to restore this vital natural resource, and improve your angling experience. Thanking you in advance, and yours in service to the river,

Erik F. Helm


Here is the list of County Supervisors on the committee:

_____________________________________________

Parks, Energy and Environment - Committee Members

Gerry Broderick, Chair
414 278-4237
Gerry.Broderick@milwcnty.com

Joe Sanfelippo, Vice Chair
414 278-4247
Joe.Sanfelippo@milwcnty.com

Elizabeth Coggs
414 278-4265
Elizabeth.Coggs@milwcnty.com

Marina Dimitrijevic
414 278-4232
Marina.Dimitrijevic@milwcnty.com

Joseph Rice
414 278-4243
Joseph.Rice@milwcnty.com

Chris Larson
414 278-4252
Chris.Larson@milwcnty.com

Theodore Lipscomb
414 278-4257
Theodore.Lipscomb@milwcnty.com

All of the supervisors have the same mailing address at:
MILWAUKEE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 North 9th Street, RM 201
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: 414-278-4222 Fax: 414-223-1380

--------------------------------------------
Sample email/letter to send:


Dear Milwaukee County Supervisor:
As a sports fisher of the Milwaukee River I call on the Milwaukee County Board, and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Standing Committee on Parks, Energy, and Environment to take the following actions:

1. Vote to NOT fund repairs of the Estabrook Park dam.
2. Do advocate for the removal of the Estabrook Park dam.
3. Do advocate for the restoration and cleanup of the Milwaukee River from the current Estabrook Park dam location to Kletch Park.

I would like to see the restoration of the wild aspect of this natural river area for current and future generations, and to improve water quality, remove contaminated sediments, remove barriers to fish passage, improve fisheries, minimize flooding, and improve public access to this urban natural resource.

I call for this so that all persons enjoying the river or engaging in recreational activities such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing, or hiking along the river’s edge will have an improved experience in this urban park environment. I believe that the ecological health restored by a free flowing river is of higher long-term value than maintaining the current impoundment created by the dam. As a fisherman, I contribute license revenue to the state of Wisconsin, and to the revenue of the county, city, and state in the form of fees, and patronizing local businesses.
The Milwaukee River is a wonderful asset to the community, and the removal of the North Avenue Dam helped create a fishery that I and many others enjoy.

I urge you to vote for the removal of the Estabrook Dam, which in my view would greatly contribute to our recreational experience.

Signed:

Name:
Full Address:

My letter to the editors of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal regarding the removal of the Estabrook Dam on our Milwaukee River

I wrote this letter as a rebuttal to a deceptive and disingenuous letter written on behalf of property owners eager to protect a contaminated impoundment.

The original letter to the editor can be found here.
Read it first, then my rebuttal.


Removal of the Estabrook Dam will benefit us all
By Erik Helm

The removal of the dam on the Milwaukee River at Estabrook Park, and its restoration to a free-flowing state will benefit us all with a natural asset, cleaner water, and increased recreational opportunities, but if one reads the recent letter to the Journal Sentinal by Glen Goebel of the Milwaukee River Preservation Association (MRPA) one might think otherwise.

The MRPA has some legitimate concerns, mainly regarding the river levels adjoining their properties, flood control, and property values, most which have already been addressed, but if the letter represents their opinion, they seem to have to cloak their real concerns with obfuscation. At the end of the letter Mr. Goebel writes “Don’t be fooled by selective science…” which sounds suspiciously like “Don’t let the facts confuse you.”

Uninformed citizens reading this letter would be led to believe that dams and their resulting impoundments lead to cleaner water, that the silt and toxic PCB filled ‘lake’ upstream of the dam constitutes “A beautiful historical and recreational gem”, that the removal of the North Avenue and other dams led to the outbreak of cryptosporidium and algae blooms in Lake Michigan, or that free-flowing water contributes to pollution by moving and scouring sediment.

On the contrary, free-flowing rivers cleanse themselves. The removal of the North Avenue Dam led to the river speeding up, scouring and cleaning the sediment, creating riffles and pools and natural river-flow structures. This led directly to the emergence of aquatic insect life, and a change in fish population from rough species such as carp to an explosion of clean water gamefish. With the fish came fish-eating birds such as herons, osprey, and mergansers, a true indication of cleaner water. The river in this stretch became a recreational and natural asset with the removal of a single dam. Visit the river in the heart of the city at Hubbard Park, where it flows unobstructed and free, and be amazed at the treasure we now enjoy. This is what awaits us upstream of the Estabrook Dam if it is removed.

The impoundment created by the dam, by comparison, creates an artificial pool of stagnant water, degrades fish habitat, warms the water, lowers dissolved oxygen levels, and allows sediment accumulation. Full of highly toxic PCBs, the sediments must be removed, a plan the Wisconsin DNR has in place. This toxic ‘lake’ which dates back to the 1930s was intended for recreation, but the ladies with parasols rowing boats in Lincoln Park disappeared long ago. Where they docked their rowboats sits a smelly mud flat on which nothing will grow. Dam removal and cleanup would lead to increased park area and usability here.

The implication that the removal of dams on the river contributed to or caused cryptosporidium outbreaks and algae blooms in Lake Michigan is a simple scare tactic, and disingenuous. Cryptosporidium outbreaks have been traced to heavy rains, sewer overflows, and agricultural runoff, while the algae bloom is due to changing lake conditions.

Finally there is the Estabrook Dam itself; an aging structure badly in need of repair and constant maintenance, which is a financial drain on the county and the taxpayers. It is estimated that repairs will exceed 1.3 million of our tax dollars. The PCB laden sediment must be removed according to remediation plans already written. Why not restore the river in the process instead of throwing good money after bad trying to repair and maintain a dam that’s purpose has long ago faded away? The financial costs for removal need not be born entirely by taxpayers. Funds are available from federal and state sources. Otherwise, the maintenance costs of the crumbling dam will be born by county taxpayers in perpetuity.

The special interests of the few residents concerned with motor boating and property values, and seemingly deaf to the reassurances of the Wisconsin DNR and other experts, should not outweigh the long-term benefits to the entire community of an unobstructed and free-flowing river. A river, which in places has already returned to its native beauty due to a single dam removal.

Let us all enjoy the benefits of a clean free-flowing river gracing our urban community. Call your County Supervisor and tell them that you support removal of the Estabrook Dam.

Erik Helm is a life-long Milwaukee County resident, writer, and concerned taxpayer. He lives in Shorewood.

Bright connection...

Finally. All it took was a heck of a lot of perseverance. The fish simply took out six inches of the loop. I felt nothing for around ten seconds or so, then lifted the rod, felt resistance, and set the hook. A pretty buck. The swing is so slow here compared to out west that several times I almost fell asleep. I am awake now!
Weeeeeee!

The Milwaukee River part 1 of ....?

The Milwaukee is my home river. I live less than eight blocks away, and spend at least one evening a week at Hubbard Park practicing my spey casting and answering questions from curious Russian immigrants. In summer I chase Smallmouth as much as possible. In spring and fall, steelhead.

The Milwaukee is a fickle lover. She is rain dominated, so the flow really determines how you must fish, where you can wade, etc. It runs from a shallow summer norm of between 100 and 300 Cubic Feet per Second (CFS) to spring highs in excess of 7,000 CFS. What is wadeable at 300 is death at 1,500.

The Milwaukee can be beautiful. One can lose himself in fishing and not realize that this is an urban river. Tree-lined banks, blue herons, kingfishers, owls, hawks, waterfowl such as ducks and geese, and diverse songbirds add to the setting. Curiously, most Milwaukee residents think the river is polluted and full of poop, so they rarely venture into it.

Indeed, the Milwaukee used to be an urban cesspool. The North Avenue dam backed up the flow upstream so that the dominant species were carp and other rough fish. Downstream from the dam, anything thrown into the river stayed where it was and rotted. Diners at river walk restaurants would suddenly run for the bathroom when the wind shifted. Then in 1997, the dam was torn down. In a couple of years, the river returned with only a little help from the DNR. Silt was washed away, exposing spawning gravel, bass populations exploded, and the birds came back. The tearing down of the dam had another side-effect; it created one hell of a steelhead fishery. Those who took early advantage of it such as John Apple, Bob Blumreich, Dave Pinczkowski and Joe Solakian had the river to themselves. Not for long....

An explosion of anglers and fish greeted every fall and spring day. The trees were trimmed with colorful lures and flies. On one walk down the river I collected over 35 crank baits! These were the glory years, when anyone who had a rod and a little gumption could land a steelhead. It was easy. Then things began to go wrong. Lake Michigan saw a collapse of it's food base due to invasive species. The fish that ran the river to spawn decreased. The great summer run of the feisty Skamania strain of steelhead began to die off in the lake. Salmon that came into the rivers in the fall arrived already well baked and marinated. Flows that guaranteed good fall fishing fell off due to global warming weather patterns. Spring flows went crazy, and the high water kept people off the river.

I may dislike the environmental collapse of the great lakes ecosystem, but it has seen a decrease in the crowds that were getting a bit ridiculous. Less anglers means a better fishing experience for all. Less fish not only means less anglers, but a more challenging fishery. Instead of "how many did you get?", fly fishermen began asking "did you get one?"
This is my kind of fishing. Not shooting fish in a barrel, but having to work for it.
The interesting thing from my perspective is that the Milwaukee, which was a great fall fishery for steelhead, now fishes better in spring. (Less fish, but a better fishing experience, if you know what I mean) In April of 2007, I accidentally caught my first steelhead on a waker. I was testing a new spey rod and line and had a foam waker in my Hardy bag. Hmmm,. I thought after I landed the fish, (O.K. actually I went leaping down the river in ecstasy!), This is interesting. These April fish are agressive, the flows are way up and the water is clear. Swinging flies was like fishing the Skagit. Big tubeflies and sink tips. Lots of faith and patience. In April 2008, I was fishing a run that usually is nothing but exposed gravel. The flow was just shy of 1,200 CFS. I was wading alone in the river with roaring in my ears, when I connected with a spring fish that instantly tried to get back to Lake Michigan. It was one of the most blistering runs I have ever experienced. I bruised my knuckles. The fish was only around 27". A buck that must have been cruising around looking for females like a pissed off steroid popping linebacker at a nightclub at closing time, it had taken a vicious swipe at my black and purple tube, and hooked itself in the corner of the jaw. Reading Dec Hogans book A Passion for Steelhead that night, a picture of a run on the Skagit looked just like the water that I had hooked that fish in. I wonder if Ed Ward would agree?

The Milwaukee still fishes well, although never as it has in the past. Perhaps that is a good thing.
It is a river of micro-structure. After fishing out west for several years, I came back and saw the 'Big Milwaukee' differently. It seemed much smaller. Areas that I walked through began to look good, and I hooked fish in new places, especially in flows that local guides "would not even float a kayak in", they thought it was that dangerous. I like to swing big traditional flies on the river if I can get away with it. Something like an Irish shrimp pattern or one of my orange and gold speyflies floats my boat on the Milwaukee.

There is so much more history. Who fished it. How. When. etc. Natural history, aquatic history and just plain history. Some of us anglers have even made a bit of history ourselves, not that anyone should take any notice of those crazy guys waving poles in the river.

The Milwaukee would not be on my short list of rivers to fish for steelhead if I ever was given the choice, but it is what we have. Many people bitten by the steelhead bug have much less, and have to drive three or four hours to fish even the Milwaukee.

All urban rivers have hazards. The Milwaukee sports bank walkers who may be after something fishy rather than fish. They hang out in the woods and the parking lots in parks looking for possible 'open air' same sex experiences. We call them "Bush Bunnies." Being yelled at from bridges is common, as well as having rocks thrown at you. Stubbing you toes on construction debris and underwater re-bar adds to the experience. Hooking a shopping cart is a possibility, as is a Milwaukee river grand slam where the angler hooks a diaper, plastic bag, salmon carcass, and the rough fish of your choice. But when it is on, it is on. It can fish beautifully.

I can't cover everything in this post. Thank god for that. I will save some special thoughts and stories for later posts. Like the time that someone called 911 because they thought they saw a body in the river, but it just turned out to be good old Rob...

Regards and tight lines, Erik