Send Message
Add Friend
Block UserCatching up
Been a while since I could find the time to write a blog post. What with the end of the year feeding frenzy in Congress, Christmas and New Years and assorted travel it just ain’t been gotten done. But we did do some fishin....
Thanksgiving weekend found us fishing the Jackson River above Lake Moomaw. We had a great time fishing for rainbows and browns. Beth even got to fish with a black bear. We also spent an afternoon on Mossy Creek. The fishing was not much but Beth got a chance to work on her photography.
December 29th found me on the Rapidan River with a good friend, celebrating his 40th birthday. The weather was classic for a bwo hatch. The fall had been dry and with some water now in the river, the trout were ready to feed. The fishin was sick good. A great way to end the year!
members.americanangler.com/tdtc
MSU Fly Girls
One of the great benefits of being an instructor is getting asked to do gigs in fun places. Late this summer I had the chance to teach some of Bill Taylor's grad students. Bill is the Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Fish and Wildlife Department at Michigan State University. The ladies and I were hosted by Bill Demmer at Big Creek Lodge, and fished the North Branch of the fabled Au Sable River. It was a great weekend and I am delighted to show off MSU's first All Women Graduate School Fly Fishing Team, aka "MSU Fly Girls". GO Spartans!
Verlyn Klinkenborg's NY Times piece
Klinkenborg's piece is called A Late Afternoon, Mid-October Snowstorm on the Madison River. An excellent piece and a great diversion from real/reel work. You should be able to get the entire piece at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/opinion/21sun4.html?ex=1350619200&en=acdeff5ec370c5dd&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Nexus
[SIDEBAR: if you have not been to the AMFF, it is an excellent repository of fly fishing history. Make some time to check it out next time you are in the green mountain state. Better yet join up and get the journal and discount!]
As a lobbyist for TPL I follow a number of policy debates. Fortunately for me most of the time I am working on issues that involve hunting and fishing. This week I had my hands full with two pieces of legislation that will benefit both hunting and fishing habitat, creating that nexus I love between my passion for fishing and my career as a lobbyist.
In the Senate legislation to address global climate change took its first step forward. In that bill, there is important funding for fish and wildlife habitat mitigation. In the House the bill to reform the 1872 mining act passed. That legislation has important provisions to address royalties, reclamation and land protection.
I am not going to put on my lobbyist hat except to say if you don't think these laws make a difference to your ability to enjoy places to fish then you are not paying attention. Groups like Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and the National Wildlife Federation all are excellent sources of information. They have joined together on the mining reform debate with the Sportsmen United for Sensible Mining Campaign. You can find out more at: www.sensiblemining.org. NWF has been a leader in climate change research and advocacy. You can find out more at: www.nwf.org/globalwarming.
Legislation like this is a loooooooong way from being the law of the land but staying informed and taking some time to let your views be known to your elected representatives is important if you want to see fish and wildlife habitat protected.