October 17, 2014

Welcome to the MRF 
e-Newsletter!
Dear Foundation Member or Friend of the Madison,

Welcome to our e-newsletter, meant to help keep you up-to-date on Foundation events and activities! 

Getting a lot of email messages can be annoying, so we promise not to inundate you with frivolous ones. You may, however, unsubscribe to this newsletter by clicking the link at the top of the page (we won't hold it against you...).  

Finally, please feel free to forward this to any of your friends who might be interested in our efforts to preserve and protect the Madison River and its related ecosystem. Thank you!


Eight Mile Ford FAS to Close Temporarily
   The Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission met yesterday in Bozeman and approved the department's request to close temporarily the Eight Mile Ford Fishing Access Site on the Madison. The site south of Ennis on the west side of the river will be closed for approximately 30 days beginning later this month and extending into November.


The closure will allow the department to replace the bridge over the West Madison Ditch leading into the site. The bridge rests on 10 X 10 wooden abutments that are rotting and providing inadequate structural support. The bridge decking also is separating from the trusses. The project will replace the wood abutments with concrete footings, install new trusses and a new wood decking. The site will be closed for 30 days during construction.

In another action, the Commission tentatively approved an amendment to the commercial use rules. Currently, it is illegal for guides to accept payment from clients on FWP property, mainly fishing access sites. This rule was intended to prevent illegal guiding by unlicensed guides. The Commission recognized that allowing guides to collect fees from clients at fishing access sites is a convenience for both outfitters and clients. The proposed change would allow licensed guides providing authorized services on behalf of a permitted outfitter to accept payments on FWP property. Details remain to be sorted out, and public comments solicited, before the Commission gives final approval.

Fish Rescue Returns Some Biggies to the Madison River

A big thanks goes out to some great MRF volunteers who rescued a number of large trout from the West Madison Ditch. On very short notice volunteers took to the ditch with nets and buckets when the head gate on the ditch was closed.

A special thanks goes out to Jim Budelman, Heather Anderson and Nelson Rowley for their efforts to rescue some truly handsome trout. And thanks, Jim, for the great photos! And thank you to all the others who helped return fish to the river. The Foundation continues to work with Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the ditch company on a permanent solution to the problem of fish entrainment in the canal.
In the News
 
Fungus Infecting Some Bighole River Brows        

   Anglers report catching some brown trout in the Bighole River near Melrose infected with an ugly looking fungus. Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirms some fish have a fungal infection known as saprolegnia, or "cotton mould." The fungus is native and not an invasive species. Travis Horton, FWP Region 3 fisheries chief, explains that it is not uncommon for trout to become infected at this time of the year.

   During the fall spawning season browns can become stressed. Building redds  (gravel spawning beds) and competing with one another can depress the trout's immune system making them susceptible to fungal infections.  The fungus can be fatal and undoubtedly some fish will die. But this is a natural process and no cause for alarm. As distressing as it might be to see infected fish, the fungus poses no serious threat to the fishery. Rivers with a very high density of fish like the Bighole are particularly vulnerable to the fungus. So far we've not heard of any reports of infected fish on the Madison. It is likely that Madison browns are less susceptible due to lower densities. If you see evidence of the fungus on Madison browns let us know and we'll pass word to FWP.
(Photo courtesy of Missouri River Fly Fishers.) 
Click Here for Conservation
Your tax-deductible gift will help us continue our work to preserve, protect and enhance the Madison River. Just click on the gift amount of your choice and become a partner in our efforts:

$25    $50    $100    $500    $1,000
 
Thank you very much in advance for supporting the important conservation work of the Madison River Foundation!
For more information about the Foundation, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, membership, or the annual Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival, please visit madisonriverfoundation.org, or call us at 406-682-3148.

Thank you!

 

Richard Lessner, PhD
Madison River Foundation
 

We ask a simple question 
And that is all we wish: 
Are fishermen all liars?
Or do only liars fish?

~William Sherwood Fox,
Silken Lines and Silver Hooks, 1954 

 
In This Issue
Eight Mile Ford FAS to Close
Fungal Infection on Bighole Browns
Click Here for Conservation
Upcoming Events 


December 8
Board of Directors Meeting

2015

February  23
Board of Directors Meeting, Ennis, MT

March 27-29
Great Rockies Sports Show
Bozeman, MT

June 20
Guardians of the River Gala Banquet

September 4-5
Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival
   


Visit our website for more information about the Foundation. Join or Donate Online!

Mid Current Ad

  
New MRF Logo Fishing Shirt by  Patagonia 
       
Patagonia has teamed up with MRF to offer a great new fishing shirt with the Foundation's stunning logo embroidered on the pocket.

The "Island Hopper "is a cotton blend shirt designed for fishing and perfect for casting hoppers on those warm August afternoons on the Madison. It's even handsome enough to wear to a nice dinner after a long day of fishing.

Order your Patagonia MRF logo shirt from the Foundation website (website link is above; once there simply click on the "Gear" link). It's $65 plus $5 postage. It comes in a beautiful blue-grey (about the color of this page!) and sizes run M through XXL.

MRF Corporate Partner: TFO Fly Rods

rick pope

    TFO Fly Rods of Dallas, TX is one of our corporate partners. TFO donates a portion of the proceeds of every Tenkara fly rod it sells to the Foundation to support our conservation work. We want to thank TFO President Rick Pope (above) for his company's generous support. And by the way, TFO makes awesomely good and affordable fly rods, both traditional and Tenkara models. Check out the TFO line of Tenkara rods at Madison River Fishing Company in Ennis.


MRF Volunteers: Sign Up Now!

If you want to get your boots wet and your hands dirty to help protect and preserve the Madison, then sign up for our Volunteer Email Alert list. We'll send you alerts and updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities. Just send us a reply to this newsletter and we'll add you to our alert list. 
 
  
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