Writer, conservationist, and fishing enthusiast Thomas Buhr lived the first 14 years of his life in Ann Arbor before moving with his family to Florida, where his father retired in the early 1970s.
“I spent the first part of my life as a Midwesterner, then came of age during the end days of Old Florida in Boca Raton — a place no one had heard of at the time. I became interested in conservation after watching development steal away this magical land that we can’t get back,” he says.
Buhr earned degrees in history and communication from the University of Miami and the University of Central Florida before returning to his home state later in life to attend the University of Michigan, where he obtained a Ph.D. in communication. “By the time I defended my dissertation at age 44, I had soured on academia and fallen in love with fishing and conservation,” he admits. Along the journey, he also became sober and survived Stage 4 cancer.
Some 20 years ago, Buhr moved to northern Michigan and settled east of Grayling near Mio, in Luzerne. The unincorporated community is located within the Huron National Forest. A tributary of the picturesque, 138-mile-long Au Sable River flows through it.
The Au Sable quickly caught the imagination of angler and conservationist Buhr, who feels a deep affection for the river. It’s recognized as a fly-fishing paradise that’s home to one of the country’s finest trout fisheries, as well as a bounty of steelhead, salmon, and other fish.
“There’s a whole ‘nother world under there. With fishing, you never know what you’re going to catch, and you don’t know what you’ve got until you see it. It’s like a gift,” he says, then adds, “Although these days, I don’t keep fish. I prefer to be nicer and just take (pictures) of them using an underwater camera.
“The water and land near water is sacred ground. I often go to the river early, with my chair and book. I walk around. I listen to the gurgling of the water over the rocks. It’s a world in which I feel I belong, and I understand. The Au Sable River is my favorite place in Michigan.”
In 2007, Buhr publicly acknowledged his love for the river by founding the Au Sable Big Water Preservation Association. Over the years, he’s also been involved in several other conservation organizations, and has received multiple awards and accolades for his environmental and conservation efforts.
Buhr says he’s been able to cultivate his passions over three decades through freelance writing for magazines such as Field & Stream, Florida Game & Fish, Michigan Out of Doors, Midwest Fly Fishing, and The Riverwatch, where he also served as editor.
By 2013, Buhr turned his attention toward authoring books. However, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that the snowbird who split his time between Florida and Michigan moved north and was able to give his full attention to writing books focused on northern Michigan and his beloved Au Sable River.
Since last year, he’s released two books through Mission Point Press in Traverse City. The first book, “The Outgoing: A Spinnerfall Thriller,” is part of a planned four-book mystery series. The first installment is centered in Michigan’s north woods, along the Au Sable River. Earlier this year, Buhr’s second book, “The Big Water: A History of Michigan’s Lower Au Sable River,” was released. This book offers a comprehensive historical account of the region and covers everything from the First People of North America to European explorers, American settlers, and captains of industry, up to present-day happenings.
“People came here to trap, hunt, fish, lumber, canoe, and, as of late, to conserve,” he explains. “I included information and interviews from people who lived the history over the past 70 to 80 years because I want the next generation to have an up-to-date starting place.”
The author is currently working on several new book projects involving conservation and history. “It’s important to understand historical context and what different events meant. We have a tendency to repeat mistakes, but hopefully we can move toward a future where we can live in harmony with wild places.”
In addition to writing and fishing, Buhr spends time biking, reading, exercising, traveling, and visiting family in Ann Arbor.
“I love this state. In my youth, I thought I was a Floridian — the whole ‘sand in my shoes’ mentality. But the wildness of northern Michigan is me: Jack pines along the Au Sable River; the beauty and mystery that’s here; the way the seasons flow. There’s a sense of peace that’s lacking elsewhere. Nature has an order and rhythm here that you can’t find anywhere else.”
While Buhr says he still enjoys Ann Arbor and the beauty of the Irish Hills, northern Michigan holds a special place for him.
“Keep going north in Michigan and you’ll fall in love. The U.P. is a country unto itself. It’s incredibly beautiful and, if we’re smart, we’ll keep it that way. You can still experience wild America, even for a while.”
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Thomas Buhr
thomasabuhr.com
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