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Post by trent on Dec 11, 2008 12:28:27 GMT -5
Clearly my brain has excess waves or something. Anyway, I was sort of thinking about various topics that I wanted to hear about and was also just looking at the club homepage.
Lots of mention of conservation, preservation of resources, stewardship, etc., etc.
So, let's hear what that may mean to you on a personal level, how that figures into the club and club mission, and what would be some actions/activities that are decidedly conservation focused. Obviously the NICHES endowment that you all approved in November is great.
Just thought it would be great to get some conservation conversation (say that 10 times fast!) going.
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Post by reelteacher on Dec 11, 2008 21:34:37 GMT -5
In previous years, we have had park clean-ups, and participated in Hoosier Riverwatch training. We were going to participate in the Tippecanoe River clean-up but I think that way rained out or something. Not sure. There are a number of activities that we can be involved in, and members can and should take an active role in participating in these local clean-ups. We have not sponsored any clean-ups in a couple of years, and maybe that should be something we should try to include in our spring, summer or fall schedule. It's great to have people get involved in these things. If anyone hears of a local group having a clean-up on a local section of river or creek then this website is a great way to let our membership know. If any of you have an idea about a clean-up that should take place or that we should sponsor, again this is a great place to voice your ideas and concern.
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Post by phishphinder on Dec 11, 2008 21:54:39 GMT -5
There has been several e-mails sent to the members on the clean-ups on the Big Pine. The club tries to keep everyone posted on different time and events so each member might have a chance to make one or more. Keep being a member and watching your e-mails and the club calendar.
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Post by trent on Dec 12, 2008 8:41:33 GMT -5
I'm all about creek clean ups, etc. but does conservation extend beyond that?
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Post by reelteacher on Dec 12, 2008 22:41:46 GMT -5
Sure! Conservation can include anything like stream improvement measures, erosion prevention, raising awareness for more catch and release practices, and anything else that might help preserve and protect our local fisheries for now and for future generations. Is there anything you are particularly interested in?
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Post by trent on Dec 15, 2008 9:11:28 GMT -5
Dustin:
I'm not sure what I'm getting at necessarily. Obviously, we can each have a conservation ethic in how we treat the resource, but whether fish are safe to eat out of our streams (as an example) stretches well beyond me pulling somebody's junk tires out of the creek.
Maybe what I am driving at is that individual responsibility is a must, but only a small piece of the picture. Does that make sense?
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Post by flyfishingpastor on Dec 15, 2008 11:39:55 GMT -5
This is certainly a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I, like most of you, are invested in environmental issues whether we think much about it or not. And, it seems to me that we have a reasonably easy way to get the message that we can all make a difference out to the public. How? By being intentional about teaching the conservation aspect whenever we teach people how to cast a fly rod.
The "how-to" aspect of teaching people about the equipment and the mechanics of casting a fly rod are an important first step, but they are only the first step IMHO. We teach people how to cast a fly rod, which fly (hopefully) catches which fish and how/why you fish a streamer differently than a nymph, a soft-hackle or a dry - this gets them started fishing - but it doesn't encourage them to be responsible users of our water resources unless we teach that as well.
So, hopefully, we make sure we teach that we each have a vital role to play in taking care of our eco-systems. This taking care of nature could run the gamut from clean-up projects on a large scale to just carrying out trash (ours and that we find) when we fish to noting and reporting fish-kills on a smaller, personal scale - and everything in between. I have some friends on other boards who routinely take water samples for the DNR's in their states to test water qualities. They are not scientists, just fishermen concerned about the environment.
So, I hope we, as individuals understand that when we have the opportunity to teach friends, family and others how to fish, we should be talking about conservation as well as how to hit the water with a fly.
Pat
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Post by trent on Dec 15, 2008 12:22:40 GMT -5
Pat:
I agree that putting a fly rod in someone's hand and putting them waist deep in water with just a fly to wage battle with the fish will certainly raise his or her awareness of where they fit in the grand ecological scheme of things.
I guess another complaint I have for myself is not truly understanding the intricate workings of the resource. I honestly can't say that I know all the various factors that play into the health of the Wildcat, for example, both as a fishery and aquatic habitat for other living beings and I suppose as a freshwater source as well.
Agriculture, industry, development, human activity, et al. all have a part to play. On one hand, we theoretically have people that closely monitor the water quality of our state streams. In reality, I don't know how well they are funded, what their agendas are, what political horse trading goes on behind the scenes, etc. Shame on me I suppose.
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Post by reelteacher on Dec 15, 2008 19:59:53 GMT -5
Trent, I see what you are getting at... The factors that affect water quality positively and negatively are as vast as the number of minnow species in a particular stream. Not only are there many factors, but the way those factors work together are equally enourmous. It's like drug interactions in your body. One drug alone by itself, isn't harmful to our bodies and we can survive without side effects. However multiple drugs can interact and cause major side effects and even death. All of the factors that you've listed above are major contributors to the health of a particular watershed. And it is often impossible to point fingers at anyone source of pollution as a main cause. There was a perfect case in point last summer with smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna river in Pennsylvania. A particular section of the this stream had a major fish kill while the other section was seemingly untouched. So when researchers began to look at the dead fish to see if they could find the cause, they found a whole plethora of different abnormalities. Many of them were dying from fungal or bacterial infections and had legions on their skin. The basses immune systems were not functioning as they should. These infections were not some super strain of bacteria or fungus, rather it was very common and most fish are able to fight these infections off. Sort of like our common cold, but something in the water was contributing to the downfall of their immunity. After taking many different water samples and trying to figure out what was happening. They noticed that many of the bass were trans-gender. Male fish had eggs like females and female fish were producing sperm. The cause: Women's oral contreceptives! Estrogenic compounds (hormones) in the water were (are still) radically changing these fish in very negative ways. Not only were these fish changing sex, but they had lost their ability to fight of infections because of all of the hormones that are dumped into the stream everyday. After looking at Agriculture, industry an all previous sources of pollution, now it appears that human development and waste can be just as serious. Talk about complex issues facing our streams. The least we can do is pick up our trash and tell others to do the same. I can bet that the pharmaceutical industries do not want these kind of stories getting much plublic attention.
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Post by troutcharmer on Dec 15, 2008 21:28:17 GMT -5
Maybe as we talk about classes (like the steelhead class discussed in the other thread) we can make sure that a point or two about conservation is included in the class. A tip or two on what an individual can do and the impact such an act might have, to even some basic knowledge about conservation efforts in our local and regional area, I think could be really informative and worthwhile.
Monica
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Post by trent on Dec 16, 2008 20:38:46 GMT -5
I'm thinking it would be pretty easy to do a handout or something at each meeting raising awareness about a particular conservation topic with some easy things people can do on an individual level and then depending on how in depth you want to get, it could outline what is going on more generally with that particular topic.
An example might be not to release bait fish into the local waters or introduce exotic and invasive species or being conscientious about trying not to carry things on your boots/waders/boat, etc. from water source to water source. Those are easy enough things that maybe people just don't think about.
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Post by reelteacher on Dec 16, 2008 21:45:22 GMT -5
That is a terrific Idea! Way to go! Do you want to introduce the first topic? If not, what should I talk about at our first meeting in the new year? Suggestions... I think your exotic and invasive species awareness idea is a perfect example of what we could bring up at our meetings! This website is sooo coool, when we put our heads together, great ideas like yours are allowed to surface.
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Post by rstaight on Dec 17, 2008 6:22:34 GMT -5
I have been looking at some of the post the last few days to see where they are headed.
Lots of good ideas popping up. I agree with reelteacher. Invasive species would be a good topic. This problem has gotten to point that some companies are going to stop selling wading boots with felt soles!
Would you be interested in putting together a flier to hand out after the first of the year?
Inregards to dumping bait fish (minnows) into the water. I believe this against the law and is in the rules and regulations booklet that the DNR prints each year.
Enforcement is difficult and education is key.
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Post by flyfishingpastor on Dec 25, 2008 21:40:53 GMT -5
Speaking of things of conservation/environmental interest; I'm guessing that most of us have at least heard about the fight brewing over the proposed Pebble Mine (gold/copper open pit mine hard on the last big concentration of wild salmon in the world in/around Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed)?
Well, one of the presents my wife got me this year for Christmas (at a hint from Trent) was a dvd called "RED GOLD: an environmental documentary." It discusses this very controversial Mine project. This film is supported by Patagonia, Orvis, Redington, Sage, Rio and other co's in the FF industry. Tom Bie of the Drake Magazine says this about this dvd: "[Red Gold] may ultimately prove to be one of the most influential environmental films of our time."
I just watched it and thought it was pretty good. I also thought if there was any interest it might well make for good viewing at some upcoming TFF dinner meeting. It runs about 50 minutes and does a good job of presenting the fears of the indigenous peoples/commercial fishers/sports fishers over against the commercial issues presented by the Pebble Mine and the state of Alaska's desire for more tax money and to provide jobs for Alaskans.
If there's interest, I'm betting Trent and I could come up with the means to show this (projector/speakers/computer) at MCL's or wherever.
Pat
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Post by troutcharmer on Dec 26, 2008 9:23:06 GMT -5
I don't know much about the Pebble Mine fight, but I am intrested in learing more about the environmental issues facing our waters. So, I'd love to watch the documentary.
Monica
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