Trout Lines
The Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited
President’s Message
It was a mid-June morning and the
sun was just starting to create a
warm glow on the eastern horizon. I
found myself launching my boat on a
nearby lake in search of walleye.
Walleye, what the heck am I thinking!
As I climbed into my boat and picked
up a spinning rod I realized that I had
not held a spinning rod in my hand
for over a month.
The entire month of May I did nothing
but fly fish for trout. I opened my bail
and grit my teeth. I should be trout
fishing. It was a perfect morning to be
wading the Little Elkhart in pursuit of
left over stocked rainbows and
resident browns. I was beginning to
regret my decision to go walleye
fishing.
This May proved to be a very good
month to fly fish for trout. This is the
second year for catch and release
protected trout fishing on the Little
Elkhart River and it has proven to be
a wonderful asset. The early season
rainbow trout fishery held up
extremely well. The Indiana DNR
stocks nearly 600 rainbow trout at the
head of the catch and release
section. In years past those trout
would make a mad dash downstream
and within several weeks the
rainbows would be evenly distributed
though out the river. Not so this year.
We were blest with high water levels
and cool night temperatures that
seemed to cause these rainbow trout
to hold in the upper section.
This was great news. It greatly
extended the rainbow trout season.
Later in the summer as water
temperatures begin to rise and water
levels drop we unfortunately will see
our rainbow trout population migrate
in search of cooler places. The bad
news is many will never find cool
enough water and will most likely
perish.
Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008
Some rainbows will however survive.
This year alone our members have
reported more hold over rainbows
being taken then in years past. I
attribute this to two factors. Primarily
we now have catch and release. This
provides protection for these
rainbows and at least gives them a
better chance of survival then the
frying pan. The other factor is last
year we were blessed with a lot of
high water providing deeper cooler
holding areas required for rainbow
trout survival.
The brown trout fishing this season
has been stellar. Brown trout are
much more tolerant of the warm low
water of the summer. The Elkhart
Conservation Club has stepped up
their brown trout stocking program in
the catch and release area and it is
beginning to show. That coupled with
the fact that our chapter stocked 500
eight to ten inch browns, has made
brown trout fishing really good.
You can tell the difference between
the brown trout that were stocked by
the Conservation Club and those
placed by LECTU by the fin clipping.
Our brown trout have a right pectoral
fin clipped where the Conservation
Club browns do not. Presently many
unclipped browns are being caught
and released in the lower sections of
the catch and release water
signifying the brown trout population
is holding up well.
Inside This Issue:
Volume 2, Issue 3
Summer 2008
Presidents Message............... 1
Warning to C&R fishermen ... 2
Report Your Success In the
Catch and Release Section ... 2
Fly of the Month From
Mike Beechy............................ 3
Volunteers Needed................. 4
Spring Outing ......................... 5
June Warm
Water Rainbows ..................... 6
April - May Trout Tally............ 7
Meeting
Minutes.................................... 8
Little Elkhart
Officers Directory ................... 9
These scrappy browns are a blast to
catch on a dry fly during an evening
hatch or a soft hackle fished just
under the surface. They seem willing
to take a fly and for their size fight
amazingly hard.
Next spring you need to reserve the
month of May for trout fishing. We
are striving to produce a year round
trout fishery but this past May has
proven to be a month that is going to
be hard to beat!
Michael L Beachy
President LECTU
Page1
 Warning to Catch and Release Fishermen
By Mike Beachy
The summer months are upon us and with it warm water temperatures. Catching and releasing trout when the water
temperature is 74 degrees or higher can prove fatal to trout. The trout have a hard time recovering from a battle in water
temperatures that are too warm. I would suggest a voluntary moratorium on trout fishing any water that is in the mid 70’s
due to fish mortality.

Keys to successful catch and release:

a) Do not over play a fish to exhaustion. Get them in as quick as possible and get them back into the water
b) Always wet your hands prior to handling a fish. This will reduce the damage to the trout’s protective slime layer. Better
yet never touch the fish. Slide your hand down the line to the fly and unhook it.
c) Keep the fish in the water as long as possible. Unhook the trout while it remains in the net in the water.
d) Turn the trout upside down. If you have to handle a fish turn it upside down. This will disorient the trout and it will
temporarily hold still and not flop around. It also eliminates the need to squeeze the fish.
e) Pinch the barbs down on your hooks. You may loose some fish but it speeds up unhooking and reduces the chance of
damaging the fish’s mouth.
f) If a fish takes your fly deep cut the tippet as close to the fly as possible and get it back into the water as quick as
possible. Do not tear a fish apart in an attempt to recover your fly
g) Face the trout into the current free from sediments to revive a fish if necessary. Silt in a trout’s gills will decrease its
ability to take in needed oxygen. Release the fish gently back into the river. Do not toss it.

Sandy Troyer Don Fiwek

Report Fishing Success on Catch and Release Section:

We need detailed reports from you on your success or failure this year on the catch-and-release section of the Little
Elkhart River. This information is essential for our reports to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The data
allows the IDNR to assess the continued viability of the program. The Little Elkhart River is only one of three streams
with designated stretches of catch-and-release fishing. We need the following information from you for each outing this
season:

1. Date of outing.
2. Number of hours fished.
3. Number of rainbows caught and released
4. Number of brown trout caught and released.
5. Number of brown trout with a clipped right pectoral fin.
6. Fishing satisfaction: (poor, okay, completely satisfied).

Please send your response by e-mail to Jim Phillips at JAHOPH@aol.com

Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008 Page2
 Fly of the Month
Soft Hackle
Beachy’s Version
Hook: TMC #2488 size 14
(Straight eye scud hook)
Thread: 8/0 dark brown
Body: dubbing of choice
Bead: 3/32 copper
Hackle: partridge flank
During the early season I discovered
brown trout feeding on surface
insects. The soft hackle has proven
to be very effective at catching these
browns. The trout were focused on
the surface and looking upward for
their food source. The soft hackle fly
imitates a hatching nymph or pupa
moving along with the current just
under the surface scum layer.
Instructions:
Start by sliding a 3/32 copper (non-
tungsten) bead on to a #14
caddis/scud hook. Mount in vise.
Secure the bead on the shank by
wrapping a thread “football” just thick
enough to wedge the bead over.
Wrap the thread in front and in back
of the bead crossing over the bead
with the thread. You want to place
the bead just far enough back from
the eye to allow the wrapping of the
hackle feather later on.
Next wrap thread in a cone shaped
under body from the back of the bead
Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008
down and around part of the hook
curve. This gives the fly a buggy
look. Most nymphs that are drifting
usually ball up slightly and are not
laying flat.
Over the thread cone wrap a coating
of body material. You can use what
ever turns you on. Leonard Gustin
likes to use colored floss in yellow or
orange. I prefer a bit of sparkle so I
opt for a combination of Superfine
Dry Fly Dubbing with a twist of Ice
Dubbing over the top. Wrap it in a
cone shape up to the back of the
bead. Tie it off with a couple of half
hitches to secure the body then jump
the thread over the bead to the front.
Next prepare the partridge flank
feather. Cut or tear off the fuzzy base
hackle fibers from the stem of the
feather. Then cut off the tip of the
feather leaving a small triangle at the
tip to tie onto the shank. You only
need a ¼ inch section of hackle
fibers remaining on the stem. Then
anchor the small tip of the hackle
feather to the shank in front of the
bead.
Grab the base of the stem of the
hackle feather with a pair of hackle
pliers and lift it straight above the fly.
Lick your finger and thumb of the
other hand and fold both sides of the
hackle fibers straight back towards
the tail of the fly. Wrap the hackle
feather stem around the shank of the
hook while at the same time holding
the hackle fibers back with the other
hand.
It is tricky at first. You only need to go
around the shank once or twice with
the hackle feather. Tie off and trim
stem. Glue with head cement.
It is easy to over do the hackle wraps
thinking more is better however these
hackles represent the legs of the
emerging pupa. When wet and
moving the hackle fibers will fold
back over the bead. Too many
hackles will hide the body and make
the fly look like a cocoon. You want
your hackles to be somewhat sparse.
I personally use a small copper bead
on my soft hackle to assist the fly at
breaking through the surface layer
and not floating on the surface until it
is pulled under. What I particularly
like about a soft hackle is how you
fish it. It is so simple. You cast it to
the bank and allow the current to
sweep the fly out and away. You
want your fly line to drag in the
current. When your line is straight in
the current you simply pick it up and
do it again. You do not have to worry
about getting a drag free drift or
mending your line to correct for the
current. You do not have to worry
about underwater snags since the fly
is only an inch or two under the
surface. You can fish this fly right
over submerged trees without fear of
snagging. The takes are dramatic rod
jerking slams. There is no doubt
about the strike.
Page3
 Volunteers Needed for River Work
The Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited has been given the responsibility of cleaning out a one-mile section of the
Rowe Eden Ditch. This project was originally ear marked as a de-brushing project according to the Elkhart County
Drainage Board. Plans were to clear cut all trees 20 feet back from the waters edge and remove all woody debris from the
stream. This type of de-brushing project comes as a precursor to stream bed dredging. The property owners residing
along the ditch initiated this project and petitioned the drainage board. Apparently they have been experiencing flooding
issues during high water events.

The section of ditch requiring cleaning out runs from County Road 18 to the confluence of the Little Elkhart River. The
Rowe Eden passes under County Road 43 and State Road 20 in this project site. This ditch is a legal drain under the
jurisdiction of the Elkhart County Drainage Board. The Little Elkhart River is not a legal drain.

The name Rowe Eden “Ditch” is a misnomer. This is a cold

water trout stream and home to many brown trout. It connects
to the Little Elkhart River in the catch and release section and
is the major contributor of cold water to the Little Elkhart in
this section of river. The Little Elkhart Chapter was opposed
to this project as originally planned due to loss of trout habitat
in the streambed and the warming effect eliminating bank
side shade trees would have on the stream. We did not
however stand in opposition to the project since we did not
want to oppose the property owners who grant us permission
to fish along its banks.

The Indiana DNR came forward and stopped the project as

written. The reasons were due to required permits not being
granted for such a project and the future dredging would be a
state court battle since the Rowe Eden Ditch is one of six
stocked trout streams in Indiana. The DNR Division of
Fisheries would never willingly grant the dredging rights for such a stream without a court battle. As a result the project
was rewritten to one of logjam removal by rearrangement, not removal, and general cleaning of the streambed and banks
to increase drainage and water flow and prevention of future logjams in a trout friendly manner. The newly written project
was granted to the Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited. LECTU volunteered its services to help out the property
owners, the County and to preserve our interest in the stream. This type of project requires no special permitting form the
DNR or the Army Corps of Engineers.

Recently our efforts have been delayed due to the Elkhart County Drainage Boards concern of liability issues and monies
we have requested to do the project. Originally the board planned on spending upwards of $16,000 for the de-brushing
phase of this project. We have asked for less than $5000 to assist us in purchasing equipment necessary to do this
project and to equip our chapter with the needed equipment for future conservation projects.

At this point we are scheduling “workdays”. We need your help in manpower. In the event that the Rowe Eden Project is
put on hold we will tackle other areas of the Little Elkhart River. We have plenty to do. We need to open some logjams
along the Little Elkhart by removing debris restrictions and accelerating the flow. This will make the river more fishable
and increase the oxygen content. Restricted water is slow water and it is easily warmed. General trash removal also
needs to be addressed.

We require your help. The more volunteers the better. Friends are welcome. Volunteers should expect to work in the
water. You will need waders (I recommend an old pair), work gloves and bug spray. Presently the chapter does not have
any equipment for volunteers. An old garden rake or hoe is a good instrument to pull out old sticks from logjams so bring
one with you if you have one. I also recommend that you pack a lunch and drink depending on how long you plan to stay.

Plans are to meet at Riverbend Park just east of Middlebury at 8:00 am. We will leave for the work site from there.
Weather permitting. If it is going to be a for sure rainout we will not work otherwise we will. Workdays are Saturday July
12, July 26, August 9 and August 23.

Please plan to attend as many workdays as possible. Thank you in advance.

Mike Beachy
Chairman; Conservation Committee

Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008 Page4

 Little Elkhart Chapter Spring Outing
th
On May 10 the Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited hosted it’s third annual spring outing at Riverbend Park in
Middlebury on the banks of the Little Elkhart River. This years outing was well attended. Many of our chapter’s members
took advantage of the scheduled activities.

Chris Miller did a great job, taking members around on the stream access tours. Chris was able to show off the access
sites and explain a little about the river in the process. Members were able to get a good idea of where to fish and what to
expect at each access site.

Mike Beachy took several members out for some hands on fly fishing demonstrations. Don Waldrop of Goshen and
Patrick Ilada of Warsaw where successful at landing trout during the morning exercise. In the after lunch session a group
was taken streamside and explained how to probe logjams utilizing a streamer and the “dangle technique”.

Don Waldrop showing off his catch Lynn Roose providing instruction

Lynn Roose judged a fly casting competition on the park’s duck pond. Lynn’s three ring casting targets and limitations of
back casting challenged participants. She then gave casting instructions to those wanting to fine tune their skills. Thank
you to Lynn for sharing your expertise.

Lee Troyer was confined to a fly tying demonstration table due to a broken ankle he suffered on opening day of trout
season. It turned out to be a good addition to the outing. He gave tips on how to tie flies suitable for use in the Little
Elkhart River and was surrounded most of the morning by interested onlookers.

A bratwurst lunch was served around noon followed by a “pick of the table” raffle. The raffle netted the club over $300 and
many of the attendees went home with some quality prizes. We wish to thank all those who donated so generously to the
chapter’s brown trout stocking program through the Adopt-A-Trout raffle.

Special thanks go to Bill and Penny Myers who ran the signup and information desk, collected money and gave out
general information. The Myers team was a great asset serving as greeters to the attendees and helping to organize the
event.

TU Members waiting for their numbers to be called during the raffle

Over all, the outing was a great success. Members from outside the immediate area were able to take away a lot of good
information about the Little Elkhart River and about our chapter. Our mission was to stir up interest in our home river and
that was accomplished. I hope that all those who attended left with a feeling of being connected to the chapter and the
Little Elkhart River.

We are still learning about how to run an outing. Plans for 2009 are already in the works. We should be more efficient with
our instructions and better organized. We hope to see all those who attended again next year. If you were unable to make
the outing this year, please plan to attend next year. Generally our outing is held the first or second Saturday in May.

Volume 2, Issue 3 – Summer, 2008 Page5

 June Heat Can Prove Detrimental to Rainbows
By Mike Beachy
June greeted northern Indiana with several weeks of higher than normal temperatures. Daytime temperatures in the 80’s
and 90’s and warm nights combined for a spike in water temperatures along the Little Elkhart River. The Little Elkhart had
water temperatures in the low to mid 60’s during the month of May however June water temperatures were in the 70’s.
Rainbow trout can stand these water temperatures for a short period but several weeks of mid 70’s water can prove fatal
to rainbows unless they have plenty of oxygen and shaded deep holes.

The high water temperatures have caused the

state-stocked rainbows to vacate the extreme upper
sections of the catch and release waters. I assume
that these rainbows have gone in search of cooler
more suitable water downstream. Near the mid-
point of the catch and release section the Rowe
Eden Ditch enters the Little Elkhart River. It
generally runs several degrees cooler then the Little
Elkhart and provides a needed cooling effect for the
Little Elkhart downstream. Water farther
downstream is further influenced by springs and
runs cooler yet.

Fortunately these high June temperatures did come

Patrick Ilada with a Little Elkhart Rainbow
with unstable weather conditions that resulted in
high precipitation. The water levels have remained
higher then normal. That could be the saving grace
for these rainbows. Provided that these fish can find
sanctuary in deep shaded holes they may have a
chance of surviving this unusually early heat wave.

I would not be surprised to find new populations of rainbows showing up in sections of the river downstream from
Middlebury that classically are cleaned out by catch and keep fishermen during the first couple weekends of the season.
Rainbows seem to migrate up and down the river in search of suitable habitat. By taking the water temperature reading
prior to fishing and looking for the coldest water, might be the best way to find these wondering rainbow trout populations.

http://www.pmlodge.com

Volume 2, Issue 3 – Summer, 2008 Page6

 TROUT TALLY
By Jim Phillips
Trout fishing continues to improve along the Little Elkhart River catch-and-release section, with significantly more trout this
year brought to net than during the same April-May time period in 2007.

The total number of trout taken from Opening Day (the last Saturday in April) through May 31 can be seen in the following
graph:

April-May Catch

500

400

300
Trout

200

100

0
2007 2008

A total of 197 trout were taken in 2007. This jumped to 432 in 2008 – a 119 percent increase. (These figures must be
regarded as minimal, since not everyone who fished along the catch-and-release section reported their catch.)

By species, it worked out this way:

RAINBOWS: Anglers reported netting and releasing 185 rainbows in 2007 and 278 in 2008 – a 50 percent increase.

BROWNS: Anglers reported bringing to net and releasing 12 browns in 2007 and 49 non-fin-clipped browns in 2008 – a
310 percent increase. The latter total is exclusive of the 500 fin-clipped browns we stocked this spring. If we add the 105
fin-clipped browns taken by anglers, the total brown trout catch jumps to 154 – a 1,183 percent increase. (Our fin-clipped
browns totaled 24 percent of the overall catch and 68 percent of the brown trout catch.)

Thus, we find that during the 2007 April-May time period rainbows accounted for 94 percent of the catch, while browns
totaled only 6 percent. In 2008 the percentage of rainbows declined to 64 percent, with browns (including fin-clipped fish)
increasing to 34 percent.

Anglers reported fishing a total of 135.5 hours, resulting in an average catch rate of 3.2 trout per hour.

Volume 2, Issue 3 – Summer, 2008 Page7


Mike Beachy brought the meeting to
order.
Meeting Minutes
There was one correction to the May
meeting minutes. They were
approved as corrected.
Fishing Reports
Jim Phillips presented statistics on
fishing success in the catch and
release section. There is a marked
increase in the number of trout
brought to net this year compared to
the same time period last year. The
catch rate this year is 3.2 trout per
hour. Brown trout have made up a
larger percentage of the total catch
than last year. This is partly due to
the brown trout that the Little Elkhart
Chapter released this year.
However, hold-over browns (no fin
clip) also increased this year over
last year.
There were a total of 50 rainbows tail
punched when they were initially
caught. Only one has been caught a
second time.
The water temperature at the CR 43
Bridge was 70 degrees. It was 68
degrees at Riverbend Park and 67
degrees at CR 35.
Treasurer’s Report
There was no Treasurer’s report.
Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008
June Meeting Minutes
June 11, 2008
Fund Raising various options for putting the logo
Mike Beachy reported that we on apparel. He stated that caps sell
received a donation of a fly rod and the quickest. Fleece also sells good,
reel combo from LL Bean. We also however, there are shirts and other
received an Orvis 9’ 6 wt. Zero articles available as well. His
Gravity rod blank through TU, which company will design the logo and
Mike has built into a finished rod. We digitize it free of charge. His staff will
will be able to use these items for come up with several logo designs
future raffles. and present at the next meeting.
Communications Conservation
Brandon Rasler will be sending out Rowe Eden Ditch project – Mike
the next newsletter by the end of Beachy submitted a list of equipment
June. Mike Beachy will include a soft to the County Surveyor to be used for
hackle fly for the Feature Fly section. the Rowe Eden project. The
If anyone has photos that they would equipment totaled approximately
like to be included, please send them $4,500. It is hoped that if this
to Brandon. equipment is approved, we will be
able to retain this equipment for
Web site – Brandon Rasler reported ongoing projects. The County
that the LECTU.org domain name is Surveyor will need to take this
still available. He also reported that request to the County Drainage
the cost of registration and hosting of Board on Tuesday. Mike has already
our own web site would be $153.84 purchased an Echo brush cutter and
total for three donated it to the club. A big thanks
years through to Mike.
godaddy.com.
The site comes Mike also brought up several dates
with 10 gig of as possible work days, but no final
space. Mike decision was made. Mike will
made a motion discuss possible dates with Chris
that we go Miller and then finalize the work
ahead with the dates.
web site.
Leonard Gustin The Little Elkhart also needs some
seconded the trash cleanup. The fence on the
motion. The Schwartz property has a lot of trash
motion carried. in it that needs to be cleaned. This
Brandon will be was cleanup up last year but it looks
responsible for like this will be an ongoing challenge.
the site. It was
felt that we will Old Business
be able to Wayne Andrews spoke with Lowell
cross link with Miller about parking at the
NEITA and Southern Indiana TU on Middlebury well field. Lowell stated
their sites. that parking is not allowed there for
security reasons; however, we can
Catch and Release Signage still walk along the stream in that
Mike Beachy stated that we have area. Parking is available on Spring
grant money for signs denoting the Street in the cul-de-sac.
Catch and Release section. Tom
Taylor volunteered to investigate the Next Meeting – July 9, 2008 at 7:00
making of the signs. PM at the Middlebury Library
LECTU Logo and TU Apparel Lee Troyer – Secretary
Andy Kitson, owner of Imagemill
reviewed the process for coming up
with a logo for the club and also the
Page8
 Little Elkhart Chapter Officers Directory
President ............................ Michael Beachy.......... beach@npcc.net ................................574-534-1123
V. President........................ Leonard Gustin........... gusnlg@embarqmail.com ..................260-463-5020
Secretary............................ Lee Troyer.................. lst100@maplenet.net .........................574-875-5432
Treasurer............................ Chris Miller ................. miller327@verizon.net .......................574-825-4467
Newsletter Editor ................ Brandon Rasler .......... rasler@gmail.com ..............................574-333-3349

Little Elkhart River and Rowe Eden Ditch junction

The Little Elkhart Chapter of Trout Unlimited

13777 C.R. 8 Middlebury, IN 46540
Editor Email: rasler@gmail.com

Meeting Notice
Second Wednesday of every Month at the Middlebury Public Library
Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 9 7:00 P.M.

Volume 2, Issue 3 - Summer, 2008 Page9