Dick Swan vs. MDNR's Kelly Smith

This is an open letter to Kelly Smith, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Chief from Dick Swan. Dick has long been at odds with the DNR policy.  In case you don't know, Dick Swan pioneered modern day river fishing techniques and has went down in history as such. 
I invite the MDNR to reply and will furnish equal space & courtesy for their side of the story.

The recounts, charges and opinions offer by Dick Swan are his and his alone.
The management of this website neither agrees, or disagrees with either the MDNR, or Mr. Swan.
4-12-’08 

Kelly:

When I put my “Lite Liner” in the water (in about two weeks) it will be my 64th year
fishing Lake Michigan...which includes (the 40’s) commercial fishing gill nets for perch
and pond nets for herring...all taking place in Gary/Miller IN area waters so believe me,
last year Lake Michigan set a record for “rough seas!” It was this weather that had me
drive the wife to the “Little River” hatchery, to show her how chinook were processed.

It was during this time we saw fish going into a refrigerated truck, while others were
carried to bios. You have been SELLING our fishermen’s salmon!!!!!

It is this which puts you the same “class-act” as the infamous....TEMPO TECH, with
Bob still serving time in PRISON!!!!! Allow me to enlighten you on this era:
It was at the same time our heated “snagging” issue came to a head, with a public
hearing...with our Michigan Commissioners...when I followed Bob’s presentation with a
opening: “That man is lying through his teeth,” when I proceeded with my many years
fishing/guiding on our rivers, while tearing his comments to shreds...when I asked
commissioners for another opportunity to appear before them ...when I would show them
home movies to prove my points.

I became first to appear at two consecutive meetings...first to show a movie, when they
viewed every Platte River Coho we landed (our wives included) with hi-viz yarn in their
mouths...causing them to ban snagging!

I’m sure it was this event, plus giving my expertise in commercial fishing at every
Michigan Indian gill netting meeting (with two Washington legislatures) which insured
me a seat on our Lake Michigan- Lake Huron Task Force, where I have been the only
“independent”sitting on these committees.

So now with these niceties out of the way, allow me to pursue our recent Rain Center
meeting, where the following was debated:

3-rod limit:

Kelly. ..you lied through your teeth at our RAM meeting, discounting my charge
that you bartered with Grand Haven area Capts., during RAM meeting...when at
Grand Haven, you gave trollers 3 rods instead of 2, when they gave you a 3 fish limit
instead of 5.

Now, compound this Grand Haven event with Dexter’s last fall’s Lansing
meeting...when asked about getting back a 5 fish limit, Jim blasted this Capt’s.
request with, ”I don’t want to hear one more thing about a 5 fish limit” and now, at
Ram Center, you are considering a 5 fish limit! Great “science,” great leadership!

Since this 5 fish limit is a possibility, what is our chance to return to allowing river rats
to clean fish in rivers when offal is quickly consumed by brown trout smolts swarming
along shore line at Tippy Dam...feeding steelhead/salmon in all other rivers? From
Washington to Alaska, their bios think of it as “nature’s way.”

During one of my Syracuse sport shows, NY’s bio, Les Wedge, came to my booth and
ended up telling me a monster steelhead showed in his hatchery...at which time be had it
loaded in a tanker and returned to the mouth of his Salmon River...hoping an angler could
take such a trophy fish home!

Then we have you...selling salmon instead of filling tankers, then returning them to their plant sites, where river rats have a second crack at them! It is called PROPER
MANAGEMENT OF YOUR RESOURCES plus, our public once again can take home 5
salmon and trout limits.

You also have demonstrated a complete lack of concern for those who continue to fish
our historical crowded sites, by planting fish in small streams which feature fewer
fishermen.

I lived in Jenison, where Buck Creek receives brown trout plants, where only a few
locals fish, when those plants should have gone to the more popular sites. I now live 200
yards from the Tobacco River, which has received brown trout since (at least) 1955,
where fishermen are rare!

Once again, I strongly urge you to disband your Citizen’s Advisory Committee because
you demonstrate taking very little advise from those of us have been there...those of us
who are still there. You can show us charts, data, which does not jive with our
experiences...such as your computer modeling which thankfully got “deep sixed,” plus
our river experiences having our first “steelhead manger” removed!

Instead of these communities...hold monthly meetings at our port cities and inland trout
districts, when you include the local CO...area fish bio...when also getting feed-back from
local business managers.

While you continue to use “money cuts” for an excuse for this and that, you failed
miserably by not clipping our steelhead...when I told our Lansing group how
Washington’s bios have public come to clip fins, IL’s Salmon Unlimited members spend
a weekend clipping fins...while you allow our charter groups to feed net-penned chinook
until they are released, you will not allow them, or other volunteers to clip fins.. .thusly, I
don’t want to hear bragging rights for 100% WILD steelhead the next couple of years.

Great steelhead management!

Do you really believe your continued cuts in programs will encourage an increase in
licenses, when in reality it is your complete lack of managerial savvy that is killing our
fishery.

Better you should go.. .because you already blew the spring offerings...because you will
also blow the fall season with your routine of selling your public’s Chinooks...which
brings us to the third part of our Ram Center meeting:.."Dept. Budgetary Issues."
Will you tell us how much money these long-time chinook-selling ventures has
brought to your Fisheries account?????

Once again...you should go!!!!!

Dick Swan

cc:
Tim Moore, Lansing
Michelle Mc Mannus, Lansing
Lt. Gov. John Cherry, Lansing
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Lansing
Director Becky Humphries
Glen Shepperd
Tom Campbell
Tony Hanson