Start your week off right with some serious Great Lakes flats fishing for big smallmouths in this film from photographer Luke Kavajecz. It doesn’t hurt that the soundtrack is by the insanely talented Andrew Bird. (If you like the song in the video but have never heard of Bird, check out this live performance.)
East Coast striper populations have taken some big hits in recent months, as commercial fishing vessels have been caught dumping dead fish in the ocean and many illegal netting operations have been seized. But recreational fishermen are not about flouting the law, either, and last week federal authorities seized electronics and records from several charter boats suspected of poaching striped bass beyond the 3-mile limit off the coast of Virginia. The investigation is being handled by NOAA and the Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Unit, the team that last year successfully prosecuted the massive Potomac River striped bass poaching operation.
In an attempt to stop out-of-control development, fly-fishing guides on the island of South Abacoa in The Bahamas have asked the government to declare about 1,800 acres of coastline and wetlands a no-build zone. Studies of the area have documented more than 50 species of fish in the creek and proven the link between mangrove and oceanic habitats, which support local fishing industries and the lucrative catch-and-release sport led by local fly-fishing guides.
Mikey Weir seems to be living the dream in ways that might make you want to hate him out of sheer envy. He travels the world fishing for huge trout and other exotic species, makes great films, and appears to really enjoy himself. And as this profile in his hometown newspaper makes clear, he does good works, too, allowing Trout Unlimited to use his new film “Soulfish2” (see the trailer above) on a nationwide tour to raise money for conservation.
