|
Walter & Group...
[GH] Once in a while, we'll launch a message on fly fishing and conservation.
Chuck Easterling introduces us to a budding fly sport fishery in the Cook Islands. Formerly a food resource, bonefishing in this tiny Pacific Island group is likely to become of greater economic value to the native community as a sport fishing venture.
Back in the 60's, several of us...fly fishers from Florida, spent time in the Bahamas teaching the Bahamian net fishers to spin fish and fly fish and, eventually, teaching many of them to become sport fishing guides.
Years ago, I witnessed whole native communities spreading "haul-seine" nets hundreds of yards long out on the flats to net bonefish to be used for food, trap baits and fertilizer. As the net was drawn up on the sand, the thrashing of thousands of dying bonefish made a thunderous noise heard for miles. Waste was astounding as the natives would take what they could in their wooden skiffs and leave the remainder of the dead bonefish for the crabs, gulls and flats sharks. It was sickening to behold.
All this changed when the Bahamian Government realized that a less destructive and more profitable use of the resource in the form of tourism and sport fishing was needed. They passed laws forbidding the netting and/or trapping of bonefish. Many excellent flats sport fisheries developed. Competent lodge and fishing club owners and guides now exist throughout the Islands.
The video introduced by Chuck is not the customary fish-catching advertisement for a fishing destination!
It shows the seeds of a newly developing sport fishery including significant bits on teaching fly casting and fly fishing techniques to former commercial native netters. It even includes brief segments on the teaching of fly casting to their children.
In my opinion, it is worth viewing if not owning for far more than a simple look at some great fishing.
A refreshing departure from our daily newscasts depicting man's ever advancing expertise at systematically destroying our planet.
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>From Chuck Easterling:
Gordy,
This is not about casting but something I think of interest.
Carl McNeil has made another wonderful film, " Itu's Bones".
First, like Carl's "Once in a Blue Moon" it has a compelling story, is absolutely beautifully filmed and captures the often unthought of relationship between the fish, the guide, the community and conservation.
IMHO this is a must have DVD.
Chuck
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] Chuck,
Agree !
Some additional info., below:
Gordy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[GH] A wee bit more on fishing.
Many of us who do big game fly fishing in the salt, use gelspun backing for its advantages. Having used various iterations of these lines for more than 10 years as they were developed and improved, I became all too familiar with their disadvantages as well.
I've just finished studying what I think may well be the best book ever written on these lines for fly fishers as well as those contemplating the use of them for spin, plug, deep jigging, bait fishing and trolling.
Rod Harrison ("Harro"), author, World renown and experienced fly fisherman (and expert at all sorts of other kinds of fishing) has spent many years studying these lines. He has interviewed scientists and folks involved in the development of these man made fibers, and has personally tested almost all of them.
Rod has been my fishing guest more than once. His fly casting expertise is fantastic .... a fascination to behold as he demonstrates both accuracy and distance using a much modified low elbow/ almost horizontal rod plane style which he originally learned from Lefty Kreh. His expertise in fighting a large fish is second to none; well demonstrated as he fought his first giant tarpon from my skiff several years ago.
On page 100, he offers a little quiz as, "Frequently asked questions". All of them are answered in text. Examples:
"Are Spectra and Dyneema the same?"
"What is the difference between braids and gel spuns produced through other processes?"
"Why do some gel spuns cost more and others less?"
"What's carrier?"
"What's a pik count?"
"What's denier?"
"Is it possible for braids not to break at the knot?"
"Which knots are best?"
"Do braids stretch?"
"What about claims that special resins make braids stronger?"
"Why are some braids sticky?"
"Do braids break rods?"
"Do braids cut?"
His book: *
* Rod Harrison's BRAID & GELSPUN SUPERLINES, by Rod Harrison, 2011, ISBN :
AUS: 9781 8651 3201 3 USA: 9781 8651 3207 5 Publisher: Australian Fishing Network.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be removed from this mailing list, please click here to unsubscribe
|