Conservation

Back in late December, we posted a gorgeous trailer for an upcoming film about fly fishing and conservation in the mountains of Patagonia. Then we posted a second trailer for the same cause. Above, you’ll find a third, this one focusing on some of the amazing stillwater fly-fishing for. . .

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Last week, the EPA announced that it will hold a public hearing this Thursday in Seattle on its recent Bristol Bay watershed assessment. This will be the ONLY hearing in the Lower 48, so it’s your best shot to be heard on the issues facing the conservation of this fragile ecosystem.

A strong showing from anglers and conservationists will. . .

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Imagine what a bonefish is worth to the sport-fishing and tourist industries, and then check out the price in the market: a paltry $2.99 per pound. photo courtesy Terry Duffield

Aloha Orvis Nation,

As many of you know, we have monster bonefish here in Hawaii. I’ve worked for years to get respectability bestowed by us in the fly-fishing world, and thanks to great anglers like yourselves, we’ve made it! People are becoming more and more aware of our giant bonefish and our extensive flats that surround the eastern, southern, and northern sides of. . .

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A new report casts doubt on the “safe” operation of the proposed Pebble Mine. photo via msnbc.com

Opponents of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, now have more ammunition in the battle: a new draft study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)has found that such a massive project would endanger the spawning grounds of. . .

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By now, most fly fishers have seen the trailer for Red Gold, the film about Pebble Mine by Felt Soul Media. But how many of you have seen the entire documentary? Well, lucky for you, Outside magazine is streaming Mountainfilm Festival entries every Thursday in May. This week, you can. . .

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The pro-Pebble Mine forces would have you believe that all “real” Alaskans are in favor of the project, and that the agitators are transplants, hippies, or from “outside.” This video shoots a big, fat hole in that argument. Rick Halford is about as Alaskan as they come: bush pilot, avid outdoorsman, and longtime Republican political leader. He retired from public life in 2003 as. . .

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Here’s a cool video from the Maryland Division of Natural Resources Fisheries Service. It seems that they wanted to tag some brook trout on the Savage River, but the traditional methods of collecting fish weren’t working. The solution? Fly-fishing for science! It’s cool to see how they anesthetize, tag, and revive the trout, while using technical terms, such as “a bit loopy.”

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An aerial view of the plume of sediment at the mouth of the Elwha shows just how much material had collected behind the two dams over a century. photo via seattletimes.nwsource.com

Leland Miyawaki, fishing manager of Orvis Bellevue, sent me links to two great stories from The Seattle Times showing how things are going on the Elwha River as the removal of two large dams progresses. The above photo is kind of scary, showing how much. . .

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Friends of the Upper Delaware fights to maintain minimum water flows for trout habitat throughout the Delaware system. photo courtesy FUDR

In a little over a week, Friends of the Upper Delaware will kick off its fifth annual One Bug event in Hancock, New York. This is a competitive fundraiser that celebrates the sport and camaraderie of fly fishing and promotes “CPR”: Catch, Photograph, and Release. Under the rules, each two-person team. . .

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Here’s an excellent trailer for a documentary called “Watershed,” executive-produced and narrated by Robert Redford, that explores the threats to the once-mighty Colorado River. A few weeks ago, we posted about water users demonstrating to stop water diversions from the Upper Colorado, and Redford’s film explores the entire watershed. It’s thought-provoking stuff. You’ll be able to stream the entire documentary in May as part of the Whole Foods Market Do Something Reel Film Festival.

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