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I will also try and log in a few posts from the show as well.

Stay tuned!

Desmond and Schwaab discuss many the pressing issues of concern to saltwater recreational anglers. It is a comprehensive look at the work NOAA is doing and what it means for recreational fishing.

Here is a list of the topics they discuss:

• Fishery closures
• Stock assessment data and budgets
• Better management practices
• Re-authorization of Magnuson-Stevens Act
• Possible revisions to the act
• Economic impact of closures
• Why did NMFS fall behind in stock assessments?
• More on budgets for stock assessments
• Meeting with Senator Schumer and angler constituents in New York
• NOAA enforcement review and the Inspector General’s Reports
• Oceans Policy Taskforce
• NOAA’s legacy

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

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

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

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

For those unfamiliar with tenkara, it is a traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing. It reduces fly-fishing to three basic elements, a rod, a line and a fly. It has been used for centuries in Japan’s high mountain streams. Tenkara is all about simplicity. You focus on the fishing rather than the gear.

For brook trout fishing in the mountains I use the Tenkara USA Iwana in the 11′ length and 6:4 action. I use a 10′ 6″ traditional tenkara line attached to the tip  of the rod with a simple girth hitch. I tie about 9″ of 4x tippet to the end of the line, then about 12-18″ of 5x or 6x tippet to that depending on the conditions.

Because it flexes so much in the upper section especially at the tip, it readily protect a light tippet. While the rod appears delicate, it has held up exceptionally well under the rigors of fishing, traveling, bush whacking and teaching.

As you will quickly discover, tenkara style fishing gives you incredible drag free drifts. Often three and four times as long as you might get with a conventional outfit. And those drag-free drifts are one of the most important elements for fishing success.

It is a great teaching tool. It makes teaching the basics very easy, getting the student on the water and fishing sooner. It allows the teacher and student to focus more on fishing technique and not have to work so much on line management and casting skills.

Tenkara doesn’t replace conventional fly fishing, however. There are fishing situations where long casts and heavier lines are required.

Here are some links with more information about tenkara.

• My column for the News Virginian (Waynesboro)
• A post and video by Ned Desmond on GoFishn.com
• A radio interview I did in Australia with Scott Levi, host of The BigFish program on ABC at the Fishers for Fish Habitat Forum.

Tenkara USA’s website, has a wealth of information. There you can find information on the origins and history of tenkara, video’s and diagrams of casting techniques.

In the spirit of full disclosure because I am a professional guide and instructor I get a professional discount from Tenkara USA. They did not compensate me for writing or posting this.

The announcement was made on Gary and Ellen Lohr’s Valley Pike Farm overlooking the Valley in Broadway as part of the implementation of the Obama administration’s “Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed” released last May.

Ann Mills, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, made the announcement.

“Making these announcements from a local farm is more than a symbolic gesture,” Mills said. “Nearly 75 percent of the land in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is in private farms and forests. The showcase watersheds strengthen USDA’s commitment to funding priority conservation practices in places that will do the most good for water quality in the Bay and its tributaries.”

In May 2009, President Obama signed The Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration Executive Order declaring the Chesapeake Bay a national treasure and requiring a coordinated strategy for restoration and protection.

The executive order directed federal agencies to “define environmental goals for the Chesapeake Bay and describe milestones for making progress toward attainment of these goals.” The strategy focuses on achieving four essential priorities for a healthy Chesapeake ecosystem — restore clean water, recover habitat, sustain fish and wildlife and conserve land and increase public access.

One of the goals in the strategy that caught my attention and led to my attending the announcement on the Lohr’s farm was to, “Sustain healthy populations of fish and wildlife, which contribute to a resilient ecosystem and vibrant economy”.

One of the outcomes for that goal was “restoring naturally reproducing brook trout populations in headwater streams … by 2025.” Because of my involvement with the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture I was thrilled to see brook trout recovery efforts as a key outcome for Cheasapeake Bay Watershed efforts.

Eighteen months ago I wrote about the efforts of the EBTJV and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, noted the work at Smith Creek and what it means to the Valley. At the time I wrote “Working cooperatively with ten diverse partners, the project is helping restore riparian habitat at the headwaters of Smith Creek. This project connects to Mountain Run in the George Washington National Forest as well, providing additional spawning habitat for those Brook Trout.”

Smith Creek also gained national attention in 2007 as one the first of the NFHAP “10 Waters to Watch”.

Now Smith Creek will be getting additional attention and funding and can serve as a model for other efforts across the state and country. Of course having Smith Creek as a Showcase Watershed adds additional incentive for implementing the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

The NFHAP can build upon the successes of Smith Creek and the two other Showcase Watersheds, the 23,000-acre Upper Chester River Watershed in Maryland and the 34,000-acre Conewago Creek Watershed in Pennsylvania and leverage those models into additional aquatic habitat conservation across the country.

Now is the time for Federal agencies with responsibility managing aquatic habitat to increase their efforts to implement the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Coordination among those agencies will promote stewardship and improve the health of our Nation’s aquatic habitat.

Perhaps it is time for an Executive Order to implement the NFHAP.

If the administration leads the way then maybe Congress will get the message and pass the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act.

It should come as no surprise and serve as a point of pride that conservation efforts here in the Valley get national recognition. There is a long and treasured tradition of stewardship and respect for the land and the natural resource bounty it provides.

That tradition and the connection to the land were never more evident than on the Lohr’s farm last week.

You can read more of my columns at the News Virginian.com.