The scenes of Michigan from about 200 years ago are now left to the imagination — thousands of Michigan grayling splashing about in the pristine, shallow rivers coursing through the seemingly endless towering pine forests.

The beauty and abundance of this untamed wilderness made Michigan a fishing destination, according to historian Jerry Berg of the Fishing Museum and Cultural Center. The Mason County Historical Society hosted Berg at the Legacy Hall on Thursday, where he presented: Michigan Fishermen and the Tragedy of the Grayling.

For the first part of the program, Berg explained how fishing evolved over the years in Michigan in the mid to late 1800s, and had vintage fishing equipment on hand, such as the first type of reels to be mass produced, poles, hoops and more.

Berg had the a

See Full Page