September 2026 Newsletter
Mid Missouri Trout Unlimited CH 493
President’s Message
Dear Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited Members,
Our first Tuesday monthly Shakespeare South Pizza gathering is next week. The gathering starts at 6:00 PM on Tuesday October 6. Board members are asked to come at 5:30 for a board meeting.
There are still a few days left to comment on the roadless rule please comment if you haven’t done so yet. TU has a handy page where you can submit your comments: https://www.tu.org/roadless-areas-defending-americas-sporting-lands/#take-action .
It came as a surprise to me that there are 25,000 acres of roadless land in Missouri. The Forest Service had an inventory web page (https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/roadless-map-inv-areas-missouri-stelprdb5068525.pdf) but apparently it is blocked now. The areas are Big Creek, Swan Creek, Spring Creek, Anderson Mountain and Irish (located within the Irish Wilderness area).
Curt Morgret and I attended the Tri-Lakes Fly Fishing Show on Saturday September 12th. We were able to talk to folks about Trout unlimited and urged them to take action on the roadless rule issue. We gave away a few of the “Keep ‘Em Wet” fly boxes.
Louise Miller and I went to the Women's Free Fishing Day at Bennett Spring State Park on Saturday, September 26, 2026 we were able to distribute a lot of “Keep ‘Em Wet” fly boxes provided by Bill Laberson.
There is a cleanup scheduled Spring Creek on Friday October 2 starting at 9:00 AM. Yes this is the same Spring Creek mentioned above but there are roads where we are going such as they are. We will be providing trash bags, gloves and lunch. It looks like we have a lot of folks coming to the clean up so this will be fun. Of course there is usually fishing afterwords. Meet us at the Route J and Forest Service Road 1803.
Saturday October 3 is the Niangua Homewaters event at Hidden Valley Campgrounds. Trout Unlimited will have a table where we will be giving out more “Keep ‘Em Wet” fly boxes. The new Mountain Ozark Chapter will also be working the table. I intend to talk to who ever I can about the roadless rule and work to get more people to register their comments. The sponsors are having the “one fly” contest again so think about coming out to the event.
The chapter will be presenting the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) on Sunday, October 25 at the Forum 8 Theaters. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the film starts at 6:30 PM. These are not the same films as shown this year by the MoKan Chapter and the new Mountain Ozark Chapter. Tickets will available for purchase on our Facebook page and the website soon. Tickets will be $20 online and $25 at the door. We are looking for sponsors so if your business would like to be a sponsor please contact me.
This year we will be trying something a bit different for the Bethel COMO Lake Winter Trout Stocking. We will be reserving a shelter at the Lake on each of the two Mondays immediately before the stocking and the Monday after. We will be presenting and developing skills and equipment before stocking and instruction and fishing after the stocking. The program will be open to youth fourteen and older and sessions will be limited to 10 students. We don’t yet know how many sessions we will be having. Boys and Girls Clubs have expressed and interest in attending. This has been possible through Bill Lamberson’s efforts.
Well that’s it.
Tight lines everyone.
Doug Grove
Fly Fishing Film Festival:
Mid-Missouri Trout Unlimited will present the 2025 International Fly-Fishing Film Festival (IF4) at Forum 8 Theaters in Columbia on Sunday, October 25. Doors open at 6:00 PM and film starts at 6:30 PM. Tickets will be $20 online or $25 at the door. Links to purchase tickets for our event will be available soon on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MidMOTU) or our website (https://www.midmotu.org/).
We will be raffling off a number of items from manufactures like Orvis, Bajio Sunglasses and Ross Reels.
NOTE: The IF4 is different from the Fly-Fishing Film Tour (F3T). F3T is the Film that has been shown by MoKan and Mountain Ozark Chapters.
September Minutes:
The Mid-Missouri Chapter of Trout Unlimited met on September 1 at Shakespeare’s South for our first meeting of the fall. Eighteen members and guests attended.
The Board of Directors (Doug Grove, Eric Cunningham, Travis Figg, Lynn Kleopfer, Bill Lamberson, and Jeff Holzem in attendance) met ahead of the regular meeting. Items discussed including upcoming events: Women’s Fishing Day at Bennett Spring September 26, Tri-Lakes fly Fishing Expo September 11, Spring Creek stream clean-up October 2, Annual Banquet February 26, 2027, hosting a fly fishing film festival, Doug will investigate renting a theatre at Forum 8, a three-part series of classes and fishing October 20, 27 and fishing November 2 after high school hours to be held at a shelter at Bethel Park, Bill will follow-up with Rick Pace (Rock Bridge teacher). Funding was approved for purchasing 10 half-day passes at Westover Farms to be used for recruitment or rewards for speakers. Passes can be used by members to take a non-member to Westover. The member must pay his or her own entry. Passes may be used for a specific guest only one time.
The business meeting adjourned at 6:00 pm.
After a social hour the regular meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. Items noted above were discuss. Curt noted that the driftless trip next year will center at the Highlandville, Iowa campground on the third or fourth weekend in May. He also noted that replica trout stamps are available and a donation was suggested.
There is a link for public comment on the Roadless Rule in the newsletter, comments close September 21. It is important to weigh in on this possible policy change.
Flies can be donated to the chapter for the Mayfly Project or the Keep’em Wet project. Doug will collect flies.
Ric asked that members send photos for the website. Send to midmotu@gmail.com.
Attention can be brought to Missouri conservation issues by introducing a resolution for consideration by the Missouri Conservation Federation. For example, the Missouri Ozark chapter is introducing a resolution for the Spring River to be classified as a blue ribbon trout stream.
Greg Curtin, President of the Capital City Fly Fishers noted that the Conservation Federation has grants available for workshops, etc.
We discussed sharing a table with the Missouri Ozark Chapter at the Home Waters Event, which will be at Hidden Valley Resort on October 3. This could be an opportunity to attract new members to our both chapters.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Lamberson
Secretary
Advocacy:
Keep our Roadless Areas Intact
As Doug said, there are 25,000 acres in Missouri that are roadless, but could be open to road building. Studies have show that human cause more fires when they access forest by roads.
ROADLESS EQUALS MORE FISH
This is true everywhere, but especially in Alaska. Read about 6 locations boasting incredible fishing thanks to habitat maintained by the Roadless Rule. https://us.list-manage.com/11hkteyJ9nb?e=9fb8644ac7&c2id=d358dbb95fd4e667ce37f15ee9487a78
Stand Up For Clean Water and Healthy Fisheies. Protect Public Lands - Keep them public. https://www.tu.org/conservation/action-center/?vvsrc=/campaigns/126244/respond
WORK ON HEADWATERS TO THE KLAMATH
Sure, the dams are down, and yes, the fish are coming back, but extensive work high in the system is also creating long-term benefits for native fish and anglers.
CX3 - The TU National Meeting
Bill and Laura Lamberson and I attended the event in St. Paul MN. If you have never been to a regional or national meeting, you are missing out on a great experience. You will get a first hand look at TU’s conservation work and get to meet lots of like minded people. I had a chance to visit with Jeff Witten, who was the first chair of the Climate Change Workgroup. One of the best sessions was Dr. Helen Neville’s Trout and Climate Change. Even though she is TU’s lead scientist, managing a team of 8 scientists, she is very down to earth and personable. I had the opportunity to participate in a panel on data centers, moderated by Lindsay Slater, TU’s VP of Government Affairs. The Climate Change Workgroup is developing actionable guidance for addressing data centers. It based on the TU Policy and Conservation Blueprint and it will be available soon on the Climate Change Coordinator web site. We wil offer training in November.
I rode there with John Thomas, our council’s conservation chair. I had the opportunity to meet Amanda and Chris Miller, and Mark Wilson from the new Ozark Chapter. About 265 people attended, many I had only met online previously.
Conservation Federation News:
Resource Advisory Committees are meeting and preparing resolutions that will be voted on during the spring 2027 meeting. This a link to resolutions that have already been submitted: https://confedmo.org/listed-resolutions-through-the-years/ Ethan Duke, whom you may have met at our banquet, heads the Environment and Ecology Committe that I serve on. We are preparing these resolutions:
1. Leftover Paint Disposal
2. Updating the Data Center Resolution
3. Responsible Lighting Resolution
4. Bighead Carp Resolution (They are currently protected/)
5. Solar Paneling of Missouri State-Owned Buildings and Properties
6. Support for Pollinator Habitats and Native Species Gardens in Missouri Municipalities
I will share more CFM updates later, and if you want to know more about them let me know.
Jeff
Conservation:
TROUT AND DROUGHT: WHAT TO KNOW
With low water and high temps, here are two ways you can help keep fish and fisheries healthy this summer. https://troutunlimited.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NzE3NjM4JnA9MSZ1PTQwNzAyMjM0OSZsaT01NzI3Nzk5MQ/index.html
More than 40 million people in the United States and Canada depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water. Each glass of treated lake water is laden with tiny bits of plastic — microplastics — made of toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases. Also contaminated are fish, staples of Midwestern fish fries and fish boils, and an important part of the diet of Indigenous tribes, certain immigrant populations and communities of color.
At 400 stadiums in the country over 2 billion plastics cups wll be used and mostly trashed.
A KC soccer stadium will begin using reusable cups.
RESTORATION
LOGJAMS FOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD HABITAT
In the Pacific Northwest rainforest, TU and the Hoh Tribe are using helicopters to restore historic fish habitat and benefit the entire ecosystem.
A BEAUTIFUL MESS
Watch to learn about how cutting trees and adding them to streams is helping native brook trout.
IMPROVING FISH PASSAGE IN CALIFORNIA
Achieving balance is always a mark of success on a barrier removal project, and on Paynes Creek in Northern California, salmon and steelhead can now move more freely and water users still get the water they need. https://troutunlimited.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NjI5NTgzJnA9MSZ1PTQwNzAyMjM0OSZsaT01NTE5NTk4NQ/index.html
|
Education:
TROUT TIP - ACCEPT CHANGE
Be willing to revel in youth's ever-changing interests as you guide them through learning to fly fish. https://tu.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97310f4c63c3bdc766145bfc&id=d806ed2847&e=9fb8644ac7
Fishing
TIME ON WATER EQUALS FISH
Trial and error is a big part of fly fishing, so test that out by spending more time on the water... both you and your fly. https://tu.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97310f4c63c3bdc766145bfc&id=f0e89cdc5a&e=9fb8644ac7
BROWN TROUT
Fishing for these popular and wily trout are a treat for many anglers. Learn more about their history, their habitats and how to fish for them. https://troutunlimited.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NzQ3MDkyJnA9MSZ1PTQwNzAyMjM0OSZsaT01NzgxODMwMA/index.html
SHADOWS
Which shadows affect fish the most, and how concerned should anglers be about boats? https://troutunlimited.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NzA4OTM0JnA9MSZ1PTQwNzAyMjM0OSZsaT01NzE0MDE3Ng/index.html
TROUT TIP - ROLL CAST
An important cast to have in your arsenal as it comes in handy in many fishing scenarios. https://troutunlimited.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NzA4OTM0JnA9MSZ1PTQwNzAyMjM0OSZsaT01NzE0MDE3MA/index.html
Water Quality Monitoring Training:
Please continue to send me items for the newsletter.
Thanks for all you do for trout,
`
Jeff Holzem
MMTU Newsletter Editor
MMTU Advocacy Coordinator
Ozark Council Climate Change & Advocacy Coordinator
NLC Climate Change Workgroup Co-Chair
OZARK Council NLC Rep
President | Doug Grove |
Past President | John Wenzlick |
Secretary | Bill Lamberson |
Treasurer | Ty Figg |
Financial Reviewer | Curt Morgret |
At Large Board Members | Lynn Kleopfer, Eric Cunningham |
Banquet Chairs | Curt Morgret |
Alternative Funding Committee | Chalen Jackson |
Education Director | John Wenzlick |
Stream Team | John Wenzlick |
Membership | Curt Morgret |
Conservancy | Bill Lamberson |
Conservancy | Sam Potter |
e-Newsletter | Jeff Holzem |
Web Master | TY Figg |
Facebook editor | Ben Moore |
Event Planning | Doug Grove |
Advocacy | Jeff Holzem |
Diversity | Open |
Comments