Showing posts with label FISHING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FISHING. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2011
'Rock snot' infestation shuts Vermont hatchery
Friday, October 14, 2011
Giving in to Fly Fishing
|
Posted: 14 Oct 2011 06:40 AM PDT Cross-Posted from the Women in Fly Fishing blog: I also learned that the target audience of the typical fly-fisher was pretty much the polar opposite of me. A few years later, I ended up marrying a fly-fishing addict—one who works at Orvis and has the sport so ingrained in his being that when he isn’t actually fishing, he thinks about it all day, and then comes home to write about how others can learn the sport at night and on weekends. Can you imagine? Before we were married, I was asked, “Are you sure you can live with this? This is just how I am.” so I knew what I was getting into before taking the next step. But I still did not want to learn to fish. “Nah, not for me,” I said whenever I was asked if I wanted to try. When my husband would fish, if I came along, I would read or hike. I never actually picked up a fly rod. This fact seemed to stun most people I know, but I was actually secretly proud of my steadfast resistance over the last decade. Recently, though, I had a change of heart.
Earlier this year, I felt I was in a rut. I needed to get out of my comfort zone and learn something new. I set a goal for myself to try a few activities I have always assumed I would hate. These activities were primarily centered on fitness. But one day this spring, when my husband broached the subject of whether our son was ready to learn to fly-fish, the topic of me finally learning as well resurfaced. Me? Hmmm… Instead of replying with my typical “Nah, not for me,” I actually thought about the learn-something-new goal I had set earlier in the year. I thought about the activities I didn’t think I would ever like, but which I now love, and realized this just might be the right time to give in to my stubbornness and give fly fishing a try. A few months later, I took the next step. Because women always need a partner-in-crime, I enlisted my friend Kiernan to take the Orvis Manchester Fly-Fishing School with me for two full days last month. The Verdict? I had a blast! This was against my expectations, as you can imagine. I had many preconceived notions of what fly fishing would be like from watching from afar all these years. I had expected that the class would be filled with all men (aside from us), and that I would feel out of place. This was not so at all—the class was actually half women and half men. I thought the instructors would be kind of boring and stuffy and serious, and that laughing, not-very-serious women might be judged as “not authentic enough” for the sport. Again, I found the opposite was true. Those people who teach the sport love it; they want you to do the same.
I expected I would be terrible at casting. What I learned? It takes practice, and basically it doesn’t matter what your cast looks like. The fish do not care if your cast looks like it came out of “A River Runs Through It.” What is important is that you cast so you can get the fly where you want it to go. I had expected that hanging out in the water waiting, waiting, waiting for the fish would be boring. Actually, I was incorrect there, too. Time went quickly as I was thinking of some key things: keeping myself from slipping and falling, not spooking fish, what fly I was using, if I had tied the right knot on the end of the line, not hooking trees. You may not look like you are doing anything out there, but I realized there is a lot of active brain power being used. I really enjoyed learning to cast. There are a few rules for success, and once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to tell the difference between a bad cast and a good one. I felt the same satisfaction when getting the line where I wanted it to go, as I would if I were aiming for any target, like a soccer ball in a net. For any competitive, driven person, it’s really cool to see the gradual improvement with every new cast. There were other parts I liked, as well. I liked that we could look around by the stream and see what the fish were eating and try to mimic those insects with the flies. I enjoyed trying to look at the water and anticipate where a fish might be. I enjoyed wading in the water, taking in the scenery on a beautiful day. Most of all, I loved spending the day like this on the water with a great friend.
Did I think I would catch a fish? Never. Actually, catching a fish never even crossed my mind. I was having too much fun doing everything else. I was told by the instructors that this will change after my first catch, but I’m not so sure. So, what didn’t I really get into? Well, honestly, I didn’t really want to think about the nitty-gritty details. I know fly fishermen love to talk about which rod specifically they need to use, which reel, which leader and tippet, sizes, shapes, lengths….to me, I say, “Whatever.” All the knots, and all the different flies? I don’t think I have the patience to learn any more than two or three knots and do not really want to think about all the fly choices or learning all the names of each. I would just want someone to give me the right rod, set it up for me, tell me which five flies might do the trick, and send me on my way. And from what I learned from this experience, that’s okay, too. I came to realize we can embrace the details if we like, or we take the parts of the sport that are enjoyable to us and make it our own. I’m not sure what my next step is in the learning process, but I just ordered my waders and boots, borrowed a rod from the basement, and started casting practice in the yard. My new fishing license is only valid for a few more weeks—I have some work to do! Robin Kadet is a former Orvis employee and is married to Tom Rosenbauer. Share this with your friends: |
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Help Save "The Most Important Fish in the Sea"
Send a message to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission today
in support of stronger conservation for menhaden, an important forage fish
The Situation
|
|
Menhaden, a key food source for many popular sportfish - especially striped bass - are the most important fish in the sea according to noted historian and author H. Bruce Franklin. Unfortunately, menhaden stocks have declined 88 percent over the last 25 years and are at their lowest abundance in recorded history.
Commercial harvest continues
Despite growing concerns over the condition of the menhaden population, managers have allowed commercial harvest to continue at high levels, resulting in overfishing which seriously threatens some of the East Coast's most prized recreational fisheries, including striped bass. In an effort to increase menhaden abundance and its availability as a forage species, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is in the process of establishing new population targets and fishing limits for the species.
Disease is taking its toll
The declining status of menhaden has taken on more significance with the increasing prevalence of Mycobacteriosis infections among striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay. There is growing evidence that a lack of suitable forage, notably menhaden, has stressed these important sportfish and made them particularly vulnerable to this fatal disease. Stronger conservation measures are required for the appropriate management of the menhaden fishery and will help bolster its population.
A management solution
The Commission has proposed several management alternatives, including a range of population target levels that are more in line with the standards set for other key forage fish. As commercial fishing continues to threaten the sustainability of Atlantic menhaden populations, stronger conservation measures are necessary to ensure the survival of this important forage fish and the sport fish that feed upon it.
Click here to send a message to the Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission in support of stronger menhaden conservation measures. Comments are due by November 2, so take action today to conserve menhaden and the sport fish species that it supports.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The American Museum of Fly Fishing
| After Irene: Assessing Our Streams Saturday, October 22 2:00 p.m.
|
When seemingly small streams become raging rivers, fish and other inhabitants have to fight their own battle to survive the rushing water, increasing amount of silt, and after effects of a depleted food source as insect nymphs are washed downstream. | Annual Membership Meeting |
| Saturday, October 22 9:15a.m.
|
The annual members meeting will be held at the Orvis Fly Fishing school at 9:15 am on Saturday, October 22. | A Graceful Rise Exhibition Catalog
|
The museum is pleased to announce that funds have been secured to publish an exhibition catalog to complement our current exhibition, A Graceful Rise: Women in Fly Fishing Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. The catalog will include the profiles of each of the women as well as some of the images and personal artifacts on display in our gallery. We hope to have these available by early December for your holiday shopping. Check our | Improvements Continue Around our Casting Pond |
| After a site review by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we were approved for funds to remove the invasive plants along the banks of the back stream (which eventually deposits into the Battenkill). Over the three-year grant period, this will enable wildlife to again use these natural resources for subsistence. This past fall, the low-growth bushes were removed, and the overgrown weeds in the yard were trimmed and maintained. Most of the fish that were restocked in fall 2010 survived the winter weather and the high waters brought about by Tropical Storm Irene. As always, the public is en- couraged to cast a line or two in the pond (and to practice catch-and-release so others can enjoy!). |
| ABOUT THE AMFF |
| The American Museum of Fly Fishing promotes an understanding of and appreciation for the history, traditions, and practitioners of the sport of fly fishing. It collects, preserves, exhibits, studies, and interprets the artifacts, art, and literature of the sport and uses these resources to engage and benefit everyone. |
Monday, October 10, 2011
Fly-Fishing: Suspending laws allowed damage to trout streams
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Morgan Lyle
A crew uses heavy machinery to scoop out the bed in Styles Brook in the town of Keene late last month. -(AP)
By now, most of us who spend a lot of time hanging around creeks have heard about the so-called emergency repairs done to protected trout streams in the Catskills and the Adirondacks in the wake of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee.
Numerous environmental groups, including the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, have lodged protests with Gov. Andrew Cuomo for issuing a month-long blanket exemption from stream protection laws — an “emergency authorization” that was supposed to cover only imminent threats to life, property, etc.
Local governments and property owners appear to have taken the emergency authorization as a green light to go in and bulldoze, without penalty, streams they’ve wanted to bulldoze for years. The result has left streams all over eastern New York scraped flat and smooth, with sloping sides, like irrigation ditches, and local officials demanding the emergency authorization be extended so they can continue bulldozing.
This kind of work obviously
ruins trout habitat. But channelizing streams also makes them more dangerous, not less. Removing the boulders and contours — the “roughness” of the streambed — serves to accelerate water.
READ MORE: http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2011/oct/06/1006_FlyFishing/
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Underground’s Short Casts for 2011-10-07
by Tom Chandler on October 7, 2011 · 0 comments
- Ready for another "brutal" winter? Brutal Winter Predicted for U.S.: Scientific American http://ow.ly/6PIoe #
- It's not just Vermont; New York suspends stream protection laws, trout streams getting hammered: http://ow.ly/6PIuW #
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Trout-killing program slowed by poor conditions
By ROB THORNBERRY Idaho Falls Post Register | Posted: Thursday, October 6, 2011 12:00 am
Tough fishing conditions have put a damper on the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s efforts to kill rainbow trout in the South Fork of the Snake River.
Biologists have fitted 1,175 fish with tags that are redeemable for rewards of between $50 and $1,000. There are 14 fish with $1,000 tags.
The goal is to trim the river’s population of rainbows, a nonnative trout that competes with native Yellowstone cutthroat.
The worry is that nonnative rainbows will displace the native fish population. If that happens, Yellowstone cutthroat could be listed as a threatened or endangered species and river management — everything from fishing rules to irrigation releases — could be altered to favor the fish and not anglers or irrigators.
Last year between June and August, anglers turned in 1,642 rainbows. This year during the same time period, anglers turned in 339.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Noteworthy Dates
| |
- September 24: Celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day.
Don't miss the 40th National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHF Day)(http://www.nhfday.org/Page/Home.aspx) celebration on September 24. The NHF Day recognizes hunters, fisherman, and recreational shooters and their explicit role in conservation, while providing Americans a chance to experience, understand, and appreciate the tradition of outdoor sports. Get the family together for the fun and educational hands-on activities that everyone will enjoy at one of the several events located in New York(http://www.nhfday.org/Page/Events-New-York.html).
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Japanese Form of Fly Fishing Gains Fans in the U.S.
James Card
Misako Ishimura with a Japanese tenkara rod in Arkansas. She began fly fishing in the Catskills in 1989.
By JAMES CARD
Published: September 15, 2010
- CROOKED CREEK, Ark. — Misako Ishimura waded knee deep into the current, the water temperature perfect for both swimming and soothing relief from the afternoon sun. But Ishimura, 58, had other things in mind as she swept back her rod and flicked the line upstream in a controlled, gentle cast. The soft-hackle fly dropped into the surface film and drifted near a rock undercut.
Related
-
Times Topic: Fishing, Sport
A shiver vibrated up the line, and Ishimura leaned back with her rod and brought in a scrappy longear sunfish. From a distance it appeared she was fly fishing in the usual style, but the long, supple rod that she cast had no reel, and the line did not run through guides. The line was knotted at the very tip of the rod and formed a direct connection between her and the fish.
That is the minimalist essence of tenkara, a form of traditional Japanese fly fishing that has begun to attract anglers in the United States.
Although the etymology is unclear, the name tenkara is thought to mean “from the sky” or “from heaven,” which may describe the situation from a trout’s point of view: a mayfly gently touches down on a coldwater stream, a free lunch from above. To the angler, the mayfly is an imitation on a hook and an effective and intimate way to connect with the fish.
READ MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/sports/16tenkara.html?ref=fishingsport
Hurricane Irene Update: Good News for the Battenkill
Posted by: James Hathaway
Date: 09/19/11
We have received a lot of emails from readers concerned about trout populations in Vermont post-Irene. For the Battenkill, anyway, there is good news for anglers.
It is not often that Monday morning brings good news, so I was very pleased to get an email this morning from our local state representative here in Sunderland. She was forwarding me a report from Ken Cox, VT Fish & Wildlife Fisheries Biologist on the state of the Battenkill river post-Irene and the condition of habitat restoration Orvis funded a couple of years ago.
There is good news, indeed, and it's a fascinating read. Here is his letter in its entirety:
Subject: Status of Batten Kill post Irene
This message concerns how the Batten Kill has fared with Irene with respect to stream damages, habitat impacts, effects on habitat restoration, and trout populations.
Yesterday, Dan MacKinley, Scott Wixsom (both with the U.S. Forest Service, Green Mountain National Forest) and I inspected the lower Batten Kill which I define here as the VT 313 bridge by the Arlington recreation field downstream to the NY state line. Even though the river overtopped its banks inundating numerous locations throughout its floodplain, the river came through remarkably unscathed. Very little new bank erosion has occurred, most of the large wood habitat structures installed into the river since 2006 remain in place, and the riparian woodlands are intact. Overall conditions remain pretty much as they were prior to the flood, and we were unanimous in our conclusion that it is extremely unlikely that the recovering trout population experienced any setback as a result of the flood. If there is anything good to be said for the timing of Irene with respect to trout populations is that it occurred before the spawning season and the river substrate is loose and not overburdened with sediments. So, the prognosis for spawning and egg incubation success looks good pending “normal” winter and spring river conditions.
Being that the majority of habitat structures weathered this record flood event, we do not see any need to change their design and placement. There is no evidence that any of the large wood placed in the river resulted or contributed to damage to private property, roads and bridges. No doubt Irene caused much debris flow but most of this material appears to have originated from the Roaring Branch and Kelly Road washout. The new concrete arch bridge that replaced two old undersized culverts on Benedict Hollow Brook and designed to provide trout access to spawning habitat came through the flood fine and conducted water and any debris downstream without incident.
Dan, Scott and I attribute the ability of the Kill to come through the flood event so well to so much of the flood plain continuing to be accessible river overflow which allows the river to lose power that can be destructive to transportation infrastructure, personal property and stream and riparian habitat. Furthermore, much of the upper river flows through wetlands that have the ability to dissipate hydraulic energy, store water and capture excessive debris and sediments. Where trees remain on the river banks (which is the case throughout much of the river’s length) banks are held in place minimizing erosion and large debris is retained within the river corridor.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
2011 Annual Fishing Newsletter
As you read through the Fishing Newsletter this year, you will notice the multitude and wide variety of activities and actions that Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) performs in order to provide quality fisheries and fishing opportunities to anglers. Every now and then it's worth stepping back and considering all these efforts within the context of the goals and objectives of the Fisheries Bureau. Quality fishing can only be accomplished through successful fish management, protection of the aquatic habitats upon which the fish depend, and access to our public waters.
Our two primary goals for fish management are very straight forward:
- Provide a diversity of quality angling opportunities through management of self-sustaining wild fisheries and the responsible use of hatchery-reared fish; and
- Protect, maintain, and restore native fish populations, life cycles, and genetic diversity and continue to provide angling opportunities whenever possible.
For the most part, we seek to maintain wild fisheries in streams and rivers and lakes wherever conditions allow. Hatchery fish are typically stocked in lakes and reservoirs where natural reproduction is lacking or where fishing pressure is high and there is a demand for greater angling opportunities.
You will notice in the write-ups of the hatcheries that the western hatcheries provide most of the trout and salmon to our lakes, while the eastern hatcheries at Miles City and Fort Peck provide most of our walleye and northern pike. You may be interested to read about some of our more recent unique efforts at hatcheries to produce redband trout and channel catfish along with our successful importation of tiger muskies. Our hatcheries also provide an increased role in helping with native species management. The Miles City Hatchery helps produce pallid sturgeon to help with recovery efforts of this endangered species, while the Yellowstone, Washoe Park and Murray Springs hatcheries play vital roles in cutthroat trout restoration efforts. Cutthroat restoration efforts sometimes include the need for chemical (rotenone) rehabilitation. In 2010, several notable projects are described, including Cherry Creek in Region 3, Sage Creek in Region 5 and Blossom Lake and the South Fork Flathead projects in Region 1.
Of course all fish management efforts would be much more difficult were it not for the efforts of our fish habitat section, where the primary goals are:
- Preserve and protect aquatic habitats;
- Restore and enhance degraded habitats; and
- Restore and maintain adequate water flow in streams and satisfactory water levels in lakes and reservoirs.
This is why you will see write-ups of the many habitat enhancement projects our biologists conducted this past year. You will find that we have been involved in significant efforts in the Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Big Hole, Red Rock, Jefferson, and Tongue rivers—to name a few! Much more can be found in this newsletter, including a discussion of our latest management plan (Upper Missouri Reservoirs—Canyon Ferry, Hauser and Holter) and descriptions of efforts to optimize balance fisheries opportunities on large and small reservoirs alike.
For more detail on the Fisheries Bureau's goals and programs and how our activities help us achieve those goals, visit us online where you will find a copy of the "Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Strategic Plan-The Road Ahead."
2011 Annual Fishing Newsletter
Download of the PDF file may take several minutes even with a HIGH SPEED connection.
2011 Annual Fishing Newsletter
Pages 1–56
2.8 MB eBook Version
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)