Welcome to our weekly roundup of news from across the world of fly fishing, featuring interesting stories, new records, important conservation news, and anything else we think you should know about.
We’ve all experienced the “game of telephone,” in which a story gets altered a little bit every time it gets repeated until the final version bears little resemblance to the original. Well the game was on display in the press recently when an Associated Press story about the salmon fishing in downtown Anchorage’s Ship Creek ran under the headline “Best fishing in Alaska? Check downtown Anchorage“ in the St. Cloud Times and several other national news outlets. I’ve been to Ship Creek, and I can attest that it’s often full of hatchery raised kings and silvers. BUT, it’s also square in the middle of an industrial zone and features wall-to-wall anglers chucking huge hunks of metal and giant balls of bait. The Alaska Dispatch‘s response to the national exposure of its least scenic fishery is quite humorous in its indignation. Watch the video above to judge for yourself.
An article in today’s New York Times on new attempts to rid Yellowstone Lake of lake trout focuses on the sneaky use of “Judas fish” to find where the invaders spawn. Fascinating stuff.
In the annals of high-profile heists, I doubt this one will be placed alongside the Great Train Robbery or the Lufthansa Heist, but over the weekend, someone seems to have stolen 1,000 trophy-size trout from a hatchery in Fresno, California. Pssssst. Hey buddy. Wanna buy a rainbow? This is, in fact, a serious bummer for game managers who spent time and money rearing these trout and for anglers who won’t get the chance to battle a three-pounder at the end of the line.
Is it worth getting a guide when you travel to a new destination? According to Glen Wunderlich, writing in the Owosso, Michigan Argus-Press, the answer is yes. Wunderlich traveled to the Green River in Flaming Gorge in eastern Utah, where he learned just how valuable a seasoned guide can be.
Finally, on wvgazette.com, John McCoy writes about a couple of local businessmen who traveled to Japan to inspect machinery and couldn’t resist getting in a little fly-fishing, as well: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Sattler said. “It’s something I’ll cherish and never forget. We were in a different country, in a different culture, but we were having an experience that reminded us of home – clean water and pretty little fish.”
