Conservation Forum

For those of you interested in fishery conservation, I'd just like to invite you to join a forum dedicated to the discussion of fishery cleanups, habitat improvement, fishery management, pest and disease control, insect and baitfish resources, and anything else you can think of. Over at Fly Fishers Republic (where I'm the editor), angler and writer Theo Pike who contributes articles on river restoration, is one of the forum moderators and is ready to debate hot topics and answer queries you may have. I'll be following up on posts also. If anyone feels strongly enough that they'd like to participate as a moderator post a comment here or email me through www.flyfishersrepublic.com.

Great Lakes Virus

Potentially devastating news from ERIC SHARP at the Detroit Free Press:

"Viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been confirmed in Lake Huron whitefish, walleyes and Chinook salmon, the Department of Natural Resources said Friday, raising concerns the disease soon will reach lakes Michigan and Superior.

Previously known only in saltwater fish in North America, VHS was first recognized in Lake Ontario two years ago. Last summer it spread to lakes Erie and St. Clair. The strain of VHS was very similar to one found in the Canadian Maritime provinces, and many biologists believe it reached the Great Lakes in the ballast water of oceangoing ships..."

Sound familiar? That good old ballast water, does it again!

Species Invasion

Recently, I was reading flyfishmagazine and a linked article. I was moved to post a comment back on the blog, questioning the wisdom of genetic manipulation of fish stocks. Then this morning on my way to the office, I read a short piece in Metro, mentioning how Columbus crabs (Planes minutus) had been found in Sennen Cove, Cornwall. They'd floated all the way from Florida!

This started me thinking again, this time about alien species and the vehicles for their introduction. It seems those Columbus crabs arrived through pollution - see for yourself in The Wildlife Trusts reports. On this occasion a piece of polystyrene was the vessel of transportation. The hulls of boats and ships, the holds of transporter planes, the cargo these vessels carry; all transport living organisms to new environments. The Chinese Mitten Crab arrived on the River Thames by these means (in the ballast water of cargo ships). In the name of environmental improvement people introduce foreign species directly into the environment, the Zebra Mussel is a case in point. Farming has introduced alien species, and it has also been indirectly responsible for the introduction of foreign species, either through accidental or assisted escapes: In the UK, mink (Mustela vison), and signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) are two examples.

Then we have to look closer to home. Mud snails have been inadvertently introduced by anglers carrying them on their wading boots. Parasites like Myxobolus cerebralis, gill flukes, and eye flukes are likely to have been accidentally introduced through fishery stocking programs. Let's face it, the vectors for species invasions are numerous and their effects, sometimes positive but frequently devastating. By devastating, I mean they result in the displacement and sometimes virtual extinction of native species; they can cause persistent distress and disease; and perhaps most visibly they can lead to physical environmental damage. Chinese Mitten Crab, Japanese Knotweed, and Himalayan Balsam are three destructive invaders to UK shores.

So what are we to do about all this? Well, I guess exercise caution and conduct ourselves responsibly and thoughtfully. While pollution may be a minor vector for species invasions it's not hard careful waste disposal and recycling we can reduce pollution. Between trips we can also follow basic biological control by decontaminating our clothes and equipment. In organised groups like conservation organisations, for example Wild Trout Trust, Trout Unlimited, and the ACA, we can undertake physical programmes of work, or lobby government and industry.

Bushwhacking

Most anglers know there's more to fishing than catching fish, right? I mean, it's not just about how many and how big, is it? Reading the blogs of other fly fishers like Eric tell me this is the case. Solitude, perspective, peace and quiet, fish, adrenalin, comradeship, and conversation - these are all things to be had when out fishing. What you get just depends upon the how, why, when, and where.

I enjoy all of those things on one trip or another, but one other thing I seek is an intimate view of wildlife. At home or out fishing you'll find all kinds of wildlife flying and crawling around. It's not hard to spot, and some of it is really quite fascinating. However, if you stick to well-populated locations, urban or rural, you'll mostly see the same old things. Robins, starlings, pigeons, maybe a woodpecker if you’re lucky, add to that a few foxes, or raccoons if you're west of the Atlantic, that's the standard fare and it's hard not to take these things for granted.

So, that's where a spot of bushwhacking comes in. Though it's not great for the longevity of your nice new Gortex waders, once you've got over that (after all what's the problem with a patch here or there!?) the rewards are more than worth it. Solitude and time away from the crowd is to be treasured, while improved fishing opportunities alone make it worth the effort. But chance of seeing something new or rarely seen is reward indeed.

The rather poor photo that leads this post shows red-kite (Milvus milvus) over a ploughed field adjacent to the river - just too far for a good shot, but close enough for an ID. Of course it may not be a rare site in some parts of the world, in mainland Europe they're supposed to be common, but in thirty years of fishing the river I was standing in, I never saw one before.

I was told later by a work colleague, that the bird is probably one of a spreading population, re-introduced several years ago. Perhaps one day they'll be common here in the Midlands, but for now they are not. I'm pretty sure if was not for my bushwhacking I'd never have spotted that majestic bird.

Fly Fishing Podcasts

The best internet radio and podcast site on the web for fly-fishing has gotta be www.askaboutflyfishing.com. Two fine fellows, Roger Maves and Don Bishop, have managed to interview many great fly anglers from round the States. During their live broadcasts you get the chance to call in and participate in a live discussion. You can also post questions they'll put to the interviewee on your behalf. Most times they have a prize draw that's well worth a shot. And when the whole things done, everyone gets the chance to listen to the broadcast in the mp3 format - which is great for me because I'm living with at least a six hour time difference.

In one episode A.K. Best's name was mentioned for a future show but unfortunately A.K was unable to make it. For the likes of me here in the UK that was a disappointment, after all, there's not much chance of bumping into A.K. this side of the Atlantic!? Maybe he's got something in the press instead..........updates gratefully recieved!

Anyway, one of my favourite broadcasts has Bill Edrington talking about Fishing Caddis Fly for Trout, and another has Kelly Galloup talking about Fishing Streamers for Trophy Trout. Go listen see what you think...