News You Can Take Fishing

The Maryland DNR is working on a new interactive fishing page. They say it’s still evolving but I think it’s a winner already. I was lucky enough to hear about it from the team creating it at a recent MD SFAC meeting in Annapolis.

The map is clickable and you can select different options to sort what show up on your screen. I think it’ll be great for trout fishermen and even those who are in search of a charter boat. Give it a try HERE 

Or cut and paste the full address:

http://gisapps.dnr.state.md.us/PublicFishingAccess/index.html

Lets go fishing!

Micah

The Big Show is Here!

The Fly Fishing Show is coming to Somerset, NJ January 24th, 25th and 26th. It’s the biggest thing in fly fishing and you need to go!

Not only will you have a chance to see the latest in fly fishing gear, you’ll get to sit in on free seminars and lectures by fly fishing’s greatest minds. Oh and don’t forget, rows and rows of the worlds best fly tiers showing you how it’s done and telling some of the biggest “fish stories” if you’re willing to listen. If you need a new rod, this is the place to cast them (go see our friend’s at Mystic) and if you need tying materials, this is the place to find it all (maybe you need a new vise from Peak?).

We’ll be there (maybe just me) and I can’t wait to see you all and hear how your season’s wrapped up and your plans for 2014. Be sure and stop by to say Hello.  If you’ve never been,  you should score a hotel room nearby and load up a car full of fishing buddies to make the trip with you. You won’t regret it; depending on your carpool buddies.

See you at The Show!

Micah

More Fracking in the News

The Roanoake Times reports on some proposed changes to regulations related to fracking in the GW and Jefferson National Forests. It sounds like there may be some holes in there that open up some prime logging country but it sounds like it’s not broad. The plan apparently allows for vertical drilling but not hydrolic fracturing. This would help protect some valuable groud-water and trout streams.

I spent a few years living in near the Jefferson forest and It’s a GREAT place. While you can see the scars of some past logging, there are stands of very old trees and a lot of history. I chased brook trout in the forest a few days a week for a long time and hope the people in power keep their eye on what matters. For me it was a wonderful escape from the “every-day” and there are still places where you can get lost following small streams and run into bears and porcupines and old mountain foks hunting Ginseng…

It’s a story to keep an eye on. The article listed above lists some folks you can send a quick e-mail to and give them your thoughts. I think it’s worth a few minutes.

In The News…and my 2 cents

After Maryland’s big push to get anglers to buy new boots and ditch their felt soles (link here!)  in the name of preventing the spread of “Rock Snot” It seems they’ve not done their homework when it comes to their fish suppliers. From the Maryland DNR’s own site, they report on the issue briefly and discuss plans to expand their own hatchery operations. Article here.

All of this brings up the idea that they could save a few headaches and money, something all government agencies are worried about lately, by creating more catch and release water in the state. As a teenager in NJ I got to see, first hand, as a large section of a local stream was converted to catch and release. Attention from caring anglers and other wildlife lovers increased and efforts to sure-up streambanks and trash clean-ups were instituted. The river today still has it’s problems but less trash and more fish still has me dreaming of the town I left almost 10 years ago. Simply, it was a beautiful stream filled with wild fish!

 I’m sure I’ll make some enemies by saying that I support conservation efforts that lean towards catch and release streams as our region becomes more heavily populated and pressure on our resources increases.  This isn’t news to people who know me. I spent my weekend at my part-time gig teaching the “Fly Fishing 101” class at my local Orvis store and the idea of “catching fish to eat” inevitably came up. It’s a common thought with anglers new to fly fishing and I find myself defending catch and release regularly. To my excellent student I said “if we all kept them, there wouldn’t be any fish left” and the discussion seemed to end at a pleasant stalemate.I hear a lot of anglers say “I went fishing a few times but I didn’t catch anything…” when asked about their previous experiences. Some of that may have to do with the trout out-smarting the fishermen but I have to think that in some circumstances a healthier population of fish could have helped. With all the streams in the immediate metro area and beyond, I can’t help but imagine rivers where the focus is on total-stream-health and not putting fish on someones plate. I understand that it takes generations to change a population’s mode of thinking but at some point we all need to change. Introducing problems like Dydimo and Whirling Disease happens by many different means. It’s not JUST felt soles of fishermen. As we can see, even the agencies that are supposed to be looking out for us can screw up and transport these sort of aquatic illnesses.

Have you ever eaten one of those Purina fed stocked trout? They taste horrible!

In The News…DC’s show!

This weekend is the 36th Anual Angling Show assembled by NCC-TU.  It’s a neat show with a good handful of folks presenting on topics like small stream trout, bass/smallies and the like. It’s only $10 to get in and, like any of the shows, it’s a good chance to catch up with old friends and familiar faces.

Get yourself signed up for a casting clinic and maybe bring your kids by the tying tables and get them tying flies for you and for their own boxes. I’m on the list to help out for a few hours so it will surely be fun!

In the News – Here On The Hill

I found this one here on The Hill. It’s a short article with a few quotes from Utah’s Rob Bishop.

Article here

Thoughts of “pockets” and “hands” come to mind. Fracking is coming to a neighborhood near you. If you’re a DC/MD/VA resident with Comcast cable and have HBO on demand you can catch the Oscar-Nominated“Gasland” from the comfort of your own sofa. Maybe save this movie for AFTER Valentine’s Day.

 Don’t forget that your water comes from somewhere upstream.

While You Were Sleeping…

While I was at The Fly Fishing Show catching up with old friends and learning about all the typos I’m so fond of posting here in the Internet, Virginia’s legislators were hard at work stomping out wetlands.

http://cbf.typepad.com/bay_daily/2011/01/virginia-wetlands-again-in-jeopardy.html

If you’re a Virginia Voter, get on that one – it won’t kill you to send an e-mail. I came across this one through the Potomac Riverkeeper’s facebook page. If you’re on there become a fan! They need your help and they’re good with the news.

If you missed the Fly Fishing Show in NJ, there’s still a chance coming up in the spring to catch up with your favorite fishing guru at the Valley Forge show this spring! The NJ show is a great time and I’m expecting the Philly show to be just as fun.