Dispatches from the Middle River

Logging in the karma points

Tom Sadler — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:58:35 +0000

It is not all fly-fishing and play time here at Dispatches.

Sometimes we get a tasking that takes us back to a different aspect of our outdoor roots…

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Fly-golf Tenkara style

Tom Sadler — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 14:16:32 +0000

If you are a fly-fisher and golfer and interested in tenkara this post from the Adiopose Fin blog is a must read!!!

It is a tribute to adaptation and innovation and adds fly-golf to the fishing lexicon. I won’t spoil it for you, make the jump and enjoy.

A hat tip to The Trout Underground‘s twitter feed for for pointing it out: @tcunderground: Finally, a use for golf courses

AFFTA board election results

Tom Sadler — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:12:38 +0000

As board member of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association it is my pleasure to report on the results of the recent election. There were 28 applicants for nine board seats. Making it the most competitive election in AFFTA’s history.

AFFTA strives to be sure all segments of the fly-fishing industry are represented on the board. Our by-laws require two members from each industry category must be appointed to the board prior to filling at-large seats.

For this election, in order to maintain industry diversity, four of the nine available board positions needed to be filled first. Then the the five remaining seats could be filled.

Here is the breakdown of the election results:
Representatives (1 required)
Scott Harkins – San Miguel Mountain & River Products

Media/PR&MKT/Associations/Government/Educational (1 required)
Kate Fox – Casting for Recovery

Retailer (2 required)
Pat Pendergast – The Fly Shop, Inc.
Dustin Carlson – Fishwest

At Large Seats (5 required)
Jeff Wieringa – Scientific Anglers
David Heller – Ross Reels USA / Ross Worldwide Outdoors
Larry Barrett – Far Bank Enterprises
Riley Cotter – Umpqua Feather Merchants
Mike Gawtry – LL Bean

As the AFFTA announcement noted, “It is worth mentioning that more than 50% of AFFTA members participated in this year’s election. This is an incredible turnout for any election and a clear demonstration that the association is more active than ever as we reinvent the fly fishing trade during these challenging economic times.

We are excited about the future and look forward to kicking off the year with everyone at the new International Fly Tackle Dealer Show this coming month!”

To become an AFFTA member of you can download an application HERE or get more info HERE.

Catch and release, catch and eat or quit fishing?

Tom Sadler — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:58:25 +0000

There is a very provocative and thoughtful discussion on fishing ethics, Catching, but Not Releasing in the New York Times’ Room for Debate. It well worth the read.

Here are the topics and authors.

Purity and Predation by James Babb, Gray’s Sporting Journal

Drive a Prius, Eat a Fish by Chris Hunt, Trout Unlimited

An Invasive Species or a Steelhead Run? by Cathy Beck, fishing guide, Frontiers International

The Shifting Moral High Ground by Dylan Tomine, fisherman and writer

Causing Pain for Our Pleasure by Lynne Sneddon, fish biologist, University of Liverpool, and

Feeling Little Pain by James Rose, zoologist, University of Wyoming

The comments are lengthy on these posts but if the topic intrigues you then the comments offer more grist for that particular mill.
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“Where wild trout rise willingly to false promises.”

Tom Sadler — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:31:41 +0000

One of my favorite writers, Chris Hunt, often captures the true essence of fishing, in his recent post High Country (below) he outdid himself. I always enjoy his writing as I do our all to infrequent conversations. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Where will I fish today?

Upstream, where hard-bodied trout swim in tight water chilled by perpetual winter. Where wildflowers push the snow away, shine briefly and then retreat. Where spruces pierce the sky defiantly. Where I can cast … alone.

At the river’s head, where water can’t wait to run off the mountain, life takes advantage of its few short weeks free from winter’s cloak. It pulses. It revels in sunshine, soaking it in, for it has to last a long, long time. Bumblebees work tirelessly from flower to flower. Voles and chipmunks furiously gather stores to prepare for the season from which they just barely escaped. Wild trout rise willingly to false promises.

Some say they’re easily fooled. Others dare not waste a cast on something they see as diminutive… not worth the effort they invested crafting a fly meant for something larger, something that looks better in megapixels. I disagree.

“Where wild trout rise willingly to false promises.”

Touching their life force reinforces my own. Fooling them with concoctions crafted in a winter-shrouded basement while they fin, nearly dormant, in water covered in months of snow and ice is an effort to touch Heaven while remaining on earth. It’s a religion. It requires faith.

It’s why, during winter’s grip, I glance often from the valley floor at the high country. I wait for the snows to retreat, for the green shoots of wild iris and columbine to shoulder through the moist, black soil. I wait for the water to clear and the mosquitos to emerge hungrily.

Then I become a temporary visitor. A tourist toting a stick and the simple desire to be part of this place. Just for a bit.

Upstream. That’s where I’ll fish today.

Thanks Chris, hope we fish the high country together soon.

Along the Ocean (Policy Task Force) Front

Tom Sadler — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:07:50 +0000

If you are a saltwater angler you probably recall some of the hue and cry surrounding the Obama administration’s Ocean Policy Task Force. This task force was purported to being writing the regulations that would, among other things, close the oceans to sport fishing. The final report from the task force was released recently and for the most part it was well received as good news for recreational anglers as noted here on GoFISHn.com

I added my two cents to the discussion on GoFISHn.com here.

Bottom line. The report is a step forward and an opportunity to work with the new National Ocean Commission to make sure national ocean policy recognizes the important contribution recreational fishing makes both socially and economically.

Tenkara in the Ozarks

Tom Sadler — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:27:18 +0000

As a tenkara fan, I keep my eye’s peeled for posts, tweets, updates etc on anything related to tenkara style fly-fishing. Brian Wise‘s post at Fly Fishing the Ozarks quickly caught my eye. It is a great post on the “feel” you get when you use a tenkara rod for nymphing. He also points out how using a tenkara rod is a lot less tiring.

Take it away Brian > Tenkara meets Southern Missouri….and France?

AFFTA Board election draws a crowd

Tom Sadler — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:26:57 +0000

This is really impressive. Twenty-eight people have thrown their fishing hats into the proverbial ring for the nine seats available on the American Fly Fishing Trade Associations board.

As a board member this is a really exciting time. After some of the kicking around that AFFTA has gotten, deserved or not, the fact that so many people wanted to be part of the solution is wonderful. With so many folks stepping up to not just be a member but be a part of the leadership of AFFTA shows that folks care about having a strong trade association.

If you are not a member of AFFTA you can’t vote so now might be a good time to join. AFFTA is changing and you should be a part of it.

You can find Membership benefits info here.

Join today!

The candidates are listed below with links to the information they sent in to AFFTA.

Eric Anderson, Owner - Bighorn River Fly Fisher

Larry Barrett, Director Operations and Technology - Farbank

Crispin Battles, Editor/Art Director - Fly Fish America

Andrew Bennett, President - Deneki Outdoors

John Bleh, Owner - Strategic Outdoor Marketing

Dustin Carlson, Owner - Fishwest

Bruce Chard, Owner & CEO - Captain Bruce Chard Fishing Charters

Riley Cotter, International Sales Manager - Umpqua Feather Merchants

Jerry Darkes, Owner – Angling Consulting Services, Inc

Charles Dohs, President & Co-Founder - Fishhound.com

Jon Fisher, Managing Member - Urban Angler

Katheryn Fox, National Program Director - Casting for Recovery

Mike Gawtry, Product Line Manager Fishing/Hunting - LL Bean

Ali Gentry, Owner & CEO - El Pescador Lodge

Scott Harkins, Owner - San Miguel Mnt. & River Products

Chris Hart, Owner – Sundown River Products, Inc.

David S. Heller, President & Co-Owner - Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors

Jim Murphy, President - Hardy North America

Al Noraker, Designer, Senior Merchandise Manager - Wright McGill

David Olson, Managing Partner - The Fly Shop of Miami

Clint Packo, Owner - Freestone Aquatics

Pat Pendergast, Director of International Travel - The Fly Shop Inc.

John Pinto, Owner - B&C Manufacturing & Import

Curt Schlesinger, President - Trout & Grouse

Kevin Sousa, CEO - March Brown Limited

Guy Tillotson, Owner – Grand Slam Group

Jeff Wieringa, Business Development Manager - Scientific Anglers

Dusty Wissmath, Director - Dusty Wissmath’s Fly Fish School/Guide Service

Rick Bach, Tenkara and the EBTJV

Tom Sadler — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:50:53 +0000

When I got a note from Rick Bach asking about trout fishing in Maryland I wrote back saying I was not much on Maryland but would be happy to take him to the mountains in Virginia to fish for brook trout with a tenkara rod. Rick being an adventurous young man, after all he is fishing his way across the country and blogging about it for OutdoorLife.com this summer, took me up on it. We had a ball, Rick picked up tenkara style fishing right away. He moved through the casting and fishing options with ease going to a two fly rig and sling shot cast and landing a nice fat brookie in a tricky spot at the end of the day.

You can see his gallery and commentary from his adventures in DC, the Chesapeake Bay and the Rapidan. I really appreciate Rick giving a shout out to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture!

Photos from our trip on the Rapidan start at number 15

ASA releases Comprehensive Angler Access Study

Tom Sadler — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:35:58 +0000

The simple fact is that if anglers can’t access the water they will be driven from the sport.

There are a lot factors that drive a person’s decision to go fishing. The study for ASA by Responsive Management looked at those decisions with an eye toward helping guide programs to improve angler access.

Durable decisions on access must be based on facts, not conjecture. This study is an important step toward understanding the attitudes of anglers, landowners and land management professionals.

For Immediate Release

Mary Jane Williamson, Communications Director, mjwilliamson@asafishing.org

703-519-9691, x227, www.asafishing.org

Comprehensive Angler Access Study Has Surprising Results

Industry leaders will address a wide-range of sportfishing issues

Alexandria, VA – July 7, 2010 – Results of a recent comprehensive angler access study by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and Responsive Management – 2010 Angler Access in the U.S. Report – reveal some surprising views by anglers, private landowners and professional fish and wildlife managers who make decisions regarding angler access. Interviews were completed with more than 4,000 landowners and more than 4,100 recreational anglers. This is the first study of its kind to include landowners that have water on, adjacent to or running through their property to document their assessment of angler access. The most important finding is that two-thirds of anglers access most of their fishing from public lands with about half of those anglers primarily fishing from private boats, this includes both fresh and saltwater.

The five major findings in the study are:

•   Public lands are important to anglers as a means to access places to fish.

•   Angler access is tied to boating access.

•   Fish and wildlife professionals are concerned about angler access.

•   While liability is an important issue for landowners, a landowners’ privacy is the most important reason why they don’t open their land to more people.

•   Landowners are generally unaware of the many programs that agencies and organizations have to help them create access on their property.

“The most important finding in this study is the predominant role that public lands and access to public lands plays in anglers being able to enjoy their sport,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “That is crucial information for our state and federal fish and wildlife and land managers and must be taken into account for budgeting and planning purposes.”

Robertson further said, “Access is consistently identified as the top issue of concern among anglers and the study reveals that if anglers can’t access areas to recreationally fish, they may desert the sport.”

Mark Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, emphasized, “This is a thorough and definitive study of angler access in the United States. Agencies and organizations interested in angler access will find this and invaluable resource.”

Other highlights of the study include:

•   92 percent of landowners approved of legal recreational fishing and believe it is important for the public to have the opportunity to do so.

•   About one-half of landowners fish on their own property and two-thirds allow access to those people they know.

•   Approximately one-tenth of landowners allow completely open access to their lands.

•   Approximately 1 percent of private landowners charge an access fee to anglers.

•   64 percent of recreational anglers access their primary fishing areas from public lands while 16 percent use private lands.

•   54 percent of recreational anglers seek areas with boating access.

•   54 percent of anglers surveyed cited that as their primary source of information about where to fish is word of mouth.

•   The survey found that 89 percent of landowners say they have not experienced problems with recreational anglers in the last five years.

“Anglers have long been viewed as conservationists and generally as good citizens,” said Robertson. “It is encouraging to understand from the survey that almost 90 percent of landowners have not experienced problems with recreational anglers over the past five years.”

The study was conducted under a multi-state conservation grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and administered by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

###

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.

Responsive Management is an internationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues and has been conducting research on anglers and fishing-related issues for 20 years. Its mission is to help natural resource agencies and organizations better understand and work with their constituents, customers, and the public. Utilizing its in-house, full-service mail and telephone survey center with 50 professional interviewers, Responsive Management has conducted more than 500 telephone surveys, mail surveys and focus groups. It has extensive experience in conducting scientific surveys on fishing participation, fishing motivations, anglers’ preferences, and opinions on fishing regulations and other fisheries management issues. For all studies, Responsive Management follows the highest standards in conducting mail surveys, telephone surveys, focus groups, and personal interviews to ensure accurate, unbiased results.