Interview starts at 51:28
This week’s podcast is a spirited discussion with Dr. Andy Danylchuk, Professor of Fish Conservation at UMass Amherst, Science Advisor for Keepemwet Fishing and Research Fellow for Bonefish Tarpon Trust. My question to Andy was about the effectiveness of catch-and-release as a conservation tool, and as always when talking with a scientist, it depends on your definitions: Like “What is conservation?” and predictably that varies with a person’s values and experiences. I thought it was a thought-provoking conversation and hope you do was well.
In the Fly Box this week, we have these questions and tips:
- How do you put the hackle on a Stimulator?
- What’s the best way to be ready for smaller cutthroats or big bull trout at the same time?
- How can I maximize my success when fishing with my 4-year-old?
- How can I plan trip to fish the Rocky Mountains?
- Why do I keep losing fish?
- Where do natural fly tying materials come from?
- What is the best way to cast big streamers or nymph rigs?
- What rod do you recommend for fishing Chesapeake Bay?
- A tip for a great, inexpensive seine for trout streams
- Where do you draw the line between ethical and unethical use of electronics when fishing?
- What do you think of ultra-light fly fishing?
- Should I get a saddle or cape for tying flies?
- Do you recommend upgrading to a premium fly-tying vise?
- Can you explain the difference between tailwaters, headwaters, and freestone rivers?
If you don’t see the “Play” button above, click here to listen.
Great pod on C&R with Dr. Danylchuk. He covered more aspects of it than I realized even existed. Thanks for putting it together. But I also fish to eat them. We like fish & I’d rather eat fish that I catch than have a store bought meal. Can you get a podcast together that covers best practices of harvest, i.e., what’s the best size, what do I keep vs. let go, how does harvesting affect population and population growth?
Not going to happen on this podcast, get a clue
On the Flybox question about the ethics of drones in fishing, I think the issue is not about the proprieties of the technologies humans use for interacting with fish but rather about how drones affect the ways humans interact with each other on the water.
Even when the pilots are well-behaved and competent, drones’noise and movement can distract other people from the experiences they seek outdoors. It’s rare for those other users even to be notified of overflights, much less for their consent to be asked.
Add irresponsible and/or inattentive pilots — think of the people who have buzzed rock climbers or flown their craft into thermal features in Yellowstone — and the intrusion risks escalating to confrontation and threats.
There’s abundant evidence of such conflicts arising between anglers who apply simpler technology to get a competitive advantage — drift boats — versus those who don’t.
Eventually, regulations like no-fly zones may, if respected, minimize bad impacts from angler drones. But beneath that we’d be better off if all of us anglers were less obsessed about getting that “better” fish or monopolizing that “better” spot irrespective of the other people with whom we share limited access to a limited resource.