Conservation

Conservation — 6 Comments
13
Feb 11

Flatswalker and Catch and Release

Flatswalker muses on C&R.  Truth seems to be that most folks aren’t doing it right.  Look around the web and see the number of grip and grin photos.  I have some from my first trip before I knew any better and now I try really hard to make sure the fish I catch have a fighting chance.

For the longest time I’ve lauded fly fishing for it’s low-impact on the species we chase in our silly little obsession. On the face of it there’s something to such a notion: fly fishing is often catch-and-release, the mechanics of it usually prevent gut-hooking fish, and (frankly) we often catch far less fish than other techniques, which limits the impact further.

Read the Flatswalker story here Flatswalker.

Um… you are doing it wrong…

Before I knew better

You are doing it right…

Good on ya.

What info do you need?  Bonefish & Tarpon Trust has it all.  Check out their C&R page.

Conservation / Locations — 3 Comments
11
Feb 11

The Freeport News – Gill nets concern West End fishermen

If it isn’t guides getting fired, it is gill nets wiping out fish populations… Grand Bahama seems to have a number of things working against it these days.  Thomas Rolle is quoted below.

“I know that one time ago there were maybe one or two guys netting but now it’s out of control now. We have about 15, 16 or 17 boats – they’re netting the same areas every day and we’re in trouble now but before long there isn’t going to be anything there,” he lamented.

via The Freeport News – Gill nets concern West End fishermen.

Nets are bad for bonefish, and, oddly enough, bad for fisherman since they wipe out damn near everything they come into contact with.

Conservation — No Comments
08
Feb 11

This post is not about Sara Palin

No, really… it isn’t.  Bonefishing isn’t a political thing and conservation isn’t a political thing.  I hope you all send a little bit of that little bit of money you have floating around at the end of the month to help the folks who are working to make sure there are bonefish left for us to play with.

These days, for the 2/3 of readers who are from the US, conservation is a political hot button issue… which, I’m going to say, is stupid.  The fish aren’t red or blue (ya know, unless they are actually red or blue).  The Endangers Species Act and the Clean Water Act were signed by… get ready for it… Richard Nixon.  Yeah… that Richard Nixon.  Tricky Dick could see the value of conservation.  So, be a Dick and embrace conservation.

The best way you can do that, if you want to protect Bonefish, is to give to the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

There are other groups… the Turneffe Atoll Trust is new and promising.  Down there in Belize is also Green Reef.

yeah... what he said.

Conservation / Fish Tails — 2 Comments
31
Jan 11

Chi Wulff Checks out the BTT Journal

Just saw this over at Chi Wulff and it was timely, as I just got the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Journal and have been reading it as well.  Good stuff… I mean, really, really good.  It’s glossy, but I think that gloss is ad-supported.

While perhaps overly laden with advertising, BTT’s Bonefish and Tarpon Journal 2011 is worth a look today, if just to read Chico’s Looking for Bonefish:  A Beginner’s Guide.

via Chi Wulff — Lying About Fly Fishing Since 2007.

Something they pointed out that I didn’t know is that the journal is available on-line!  Go to their post to get the link.

I’m kind of sad it is available for free… you should support BTT to get to see this thing.  It is pure bonefishy goodness.

I’ll be headed to Andros South here in, oh about 2 months and I BTT is going to send me with a dozen copies of the Jornal to hopefully entice future guests into becoming members.

If you love bonefish, you should join BTT.

Conservation / Locations — 8 Comments
29
Jan 11

Slipstream Angling Tagging in Cuba

How cool… tagging bonefish for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust in CUBA!  That sounds kind of awesome.

In mid November I had the opportunity to tag bonefish in Southern Cuba for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.

via Slipstreamangling :: Extraordinary Waters Worldwide.

Rich French, from Slipstream Angling is the lucky SOB who got to do the trip… see… he’s Canadian, so he gets health care, sensible gun control AND gets to go to Cuba.  I hope they have as many Canada Geese as we have… that would at least be a mark in the negative box.

Canada doesn’t have any of their own bonefish… I guess that’s a pretty good negative too.  So, maybe it all balances out.

Good on ya Rich

—

Support BTT

Conservation / Locations — 2 Comments
28
Jan 11

South Pacific

It is all a mixture of good and bad news, isn’t it? It is pretty easy to focus on the bad, but don’t forget to look around in the other column ever once in a while.

Butch Leone, who guides and lives in far-flung Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, recently purchased (with his own money) supplies to start tagging bonefish on the small, South Pacific Atoll.  Butch has been guiding for a long time down there and seems to be facing a bit of an up-hill battle with the locals who may, or may-not still be netting bonefish (depending on who you talk to).

I wish I could make it to Aitutaki… it looks to be a magnificent place and the fish seem to be of unusual size.

You’ll likely hear more about Aitutaki in the months to come.

Butch

Conservation — 2 Comments
27
Jan 11

Turneffe Atoll Trust – Looking for your help

“The present social and political climate in Belize offers a very promising window of opportunity. For the first time, all relevant stakeholder groups are at the table and have expressed interest in facilitating a Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve. Equally as important, permitting agencies in Belize have unofficially indicated their support” said Craig Hayes, owner of Turneffe Flats Resort and founder of TAT.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?  A Marine Reserve for Turneffe… I like it.  It’s a great idea. Ideas are the currency of the activist world, but money is oxygen. This stuff just doesn’t happen because you sign an on-line petition. No one reads on-line petitions… ever.  To have folks in the meetings and plotting a course toward success, it takes people who think about it all the time… it takes organization and it takes money.

The Turneffe Atoll Trust is asking for your support. Do it.

Conservation / Locations — 4 Comments
22
Jan 11

Good Job Puerto Rico

Got an email from Chris Goldmark over/down in Puerto Rico about recent good news for bonefish and bonefish lovers.

Great news!  Puerto Rico has officially passed into law protection for Bonefish, Tarpon, Permit and Palometa. It is now a minimum of a $100 per fish penalty and possible seizure of boat and nets or other gear if found guilty of violation of this new law. Lots of credit should be given to Fernando Monnlor and Capt Pochy Rosario as well as our “guiding light”, Craig Lillistrom for all their hard work in getting protection for these valuable marine resources. I myself have been involved in this fight from the beginning and hope now with legal protection we can begin to rebuild the stocks of these fish that have been abused for so many years. Good things do happen!

That sounds like good news to me, alright. Good job guys!

Chris down in Culebra, Puerto Rico

The trick, of course… will be enforcement.  A fine is all well and good and the intention is great, but if there is never a fine given and no nets ever confiscated or checked, well… like I said… enforcement is the key.

Conservation / Gear — 2 Comments
06
Jan 11

Rise Fishing Co’s Contest – Oppose Pebble Mine (no brainer)

Winner will win a Rise fly rod of their choice and get to choose ANY fly fishing guide that they want to fish with for a day. We will pick up the charter fee for a full day fishing.( not exceeding 650.00).

via Rise Fishing Co.: Stop Pebble Mine Petition.

dozer

OK, you shouldn’t need the lure of a new rod from Rise Fishing (a new rod company launching, well, any second now, read Michael Gracie’s interview with Amanda Switzer) to oppose Pebble Mine, which is just a piss poor idea conceived of by people with broken souls.  However… you can now both oppose Pebble Mine AND get put in the drawing for one of these rods AND a guided fishing trip with any guide you want.

Basically, you can get the goods while doing good and that is kind of a “have your cake and eat it too” scenario.

Do it.  If you don’t, well, you just fractionally increase my odds of winning.

Conservation / Locations — No Comments
05
Jan 11

Turneffe Atoll Trust – Worth Supporting

If you love Belize, show some love to this org.

With 450 cayes and two lagoons spanning 250 square miles, Turneffe Atoll is one of the most productive marine ecosystems on earth and the best preserved portion of the Mesoamerican Reef.

via Turneffe Atoll Trust.

The Turneffe Atoll Trust is doing some good work.  They are trying to figure out a way to preserve the flats and the mangroves in the Turneffe Atoll, a place they see as the next probable target of over-development when the world economy recovers.  They are trying to get all the stakeholders together… the commercial fisherman, the community leaders, the government leaders, the anglers and other interested parties.  Everyone has to be on the same page if this place is going to be spared and that’s exactly what they are trying to do.  Check it out.

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