Walter & Group...
Peter Minnick introduces us to two other books on conservation:
Hi Gordy...As long as we're broaching the subject of conservation I can suggest 3 other important books not for their gloom and doom scenario but to raise the level of awareness and bring about change simply because it's the right thing to do and we're all in this together....If we don't.. we all lose.
Unfortunately, our fish populations in fresh water and the salt have been politicized and bandied about for votes and the dollar and we need to look at these issues for what they really are...A case in point would be Striper Wars written by Dick Russell. You would be shocked to learn how politically powerful in terms of dollars and votes the striped bass of the NE coast has become..
Another important work is Ted William's[ no relation to that one} Something Fishy which also takes a look at our distressed fisheries and offers suggestions. Lastly, H. Bruce Franklin's The Most Important Fish in the Sea is a remarkable testimony to the interconnectedness of a seemingly insignificant fish and how it impacts the entire ecosystem in the sea and oceans.....This one is a real eye opener !
Peter
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Peter... Before reading Franklin's book, I wonder how many of our Group could figure out what species that might be ?! (The only reason I know the answer is that Peter and I had discussed this book while tarpon fishing a couple of weeks ago.) G.
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From Jerry Puckett on disturbing fishing practices :
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Gordy,
Thanks for this e-mail, I witness the same destruction while diving
in the Red Sea north and south of Jeddah. The Philippines would use
Clorox on the coral to capture fish. The coral for miles was dead,
void of life, a sight that still makes me grieve what we do to our
planet.
I will read this book, so again thanks.
Jerry Puckett
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COMMENT: In my opinion, Carl
Safina's SONG FOR THE BLUE OCEAN should be read by all who share
concern for World wide fish populations as well as conservation in general
! I'll soon read the two suggested by
Peter. G.
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From Bob Tabbert:
Hi Gordy, Last fall while rigging up for fly fishing
for salmon/steelhead on the Sheboygan river that flows into Lake
Michigan, I observed 4 young husky lads get out of their car and hurried
down to the river, not to my favorite deep hole, rather to a narrow
shallow connecting stretch of riffles between two deep pools.
You could see the backs of salmon scurrying up through the
riffles. The 4 lads separated and positioned
themselves on alternate sides of the riffles about 5 yards apart, covering
the entire riffle. Intrigued I watched their actions. They
each had a glove on their left hand and carried what looked like a
heavy stick in their right hand....as the salmon came by they would
swing at the salmon, when a salmon was stunned they would reach in
with their gloved hand grab the salmon and throw the fish up on the
bank. I eased in closer and identified their fishing 'stick'...they
were using golf clubs, perhaps a # 5 iron, swinging away at the
salmon. They didn't stay long, leaving with several nice salmon....we
exchanged greetings as they walked pass, smiling sheepishly they
wished me luck with my fly rod. Sooner or later you will see every
possible way of taking fish, legal or illegal, but golf
fishing! Bob
Robert L. Tabbert Conservation, Fly Fishing, Exploration Winter: 211 Ursuline St, Lafayette, LA 70506 Summer: N14925,W Turner Lk Rd Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538 cell# 337 781 3650 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bob.... That behavior
is not unique to these lads ....
On one of my trips, we drifted the
Alagnak in the Bristol Bay area . As we got way down river, we
passed a well known fish lodge. Six men were on the bank right in
front of the lodge with coolers into which they were loading salmon which
they were snatching with weighted quad snatch hooks cast with heavy duty
spinning rods.
Our guide radiod a message to Alaska Fish
& Game .....I was told they were arrested. I never inquired
as to what happened to the lodge owner.
I remember reading about what was thought
to be the first returned Atlantic Salmon to the Penobscot River in Maine
in many years after cleaning up the waters and breaching the old Bangor
dam. The article said the fish was followed with periodic
sightings way up river until a man killed it with a
club.
On a salmon trip to fish the Leardal in
Norway, the crusty old river keeper would ask us each day how many salmon
we KILLED. Release was not even considered. There were some
beautiful sea run browns which they called "sea trout". The keeper
informed us in no uncertain terms that they ate salmon eggs and so if we
caught one we should be certain to stomp on the fish's head before
throwing it up in the bushes to be sure that it didn't survive
!!
Gordy
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"Mousing"
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On "mousing" by Jerry Puckett :
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Gordy,
The best fishing I have had on the Green River, Section A, below
Flaming Gorge Dam, Utah, was on a totally overcast night and no
moon. Pitch dark on one man pontoon boats
absolutely no sight during the float blindly going through rapids
occasionally hitting a rock and doing a 360 turn and spilling in the
awaiting pool below. We would rest quietly for a couple of minutes
and then throw in a mouse pattern with a slow retrieve to mimic their
swimming.
The nocturnal big browns went crazy, we landed many of which four
were between 20 to 25 inches as measure on our marked rods.
Not for the faint of heart only crazy fly fishers! So when
you are ready let me know!
Jerry Puckett
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