Yeah, yeah, we know it’s probably already been said a thousand times that fly fishing and fishing in general “invented social distancing” or whatever, but it’s hard to deny the drastic increase in interest and spending fly fishing is experiencing right now. From the industry’s and new angler standpoints, this outbreak is being compared to (and exceeding) the flood of new entrants into the pastime after “A River Runs Through It” premiered in 1992. The current surge of increase in the sport has given the fly industry hope after many businesses and retailers felt the initial impact of the COVID outbreak earlier this year. More and more states are reporting record-breaking license sales and some retailers have seen increased business, for instance, according to Angling Trade, “David Leinweber of Angler’s Covey said he spent April wondering if he’d even have a business in the summer, but when he opened in May he sold 1,000 flies in a single day.”
Anglers everywhere are taking the opportunity of working from home and the excuse of social distancing to pick up a fly rod and learn themselves, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them into the fly fishing fold.
Kirk Deeter and the team at Angling Trade put together a series of fantastic op-eds on the subject, and those will serve as mile markers for our progression through this pandemic as a pastime and as an industry.
But the fly fishing industry isn’t the only group abuzz about our pastime, national news outlets and publications have taken to their studios and keyboards to expound upon why fly fishing is having a moment right now, with new pieces being released nearly monthly promoting angling as the perfect way to social distance in the outdoors.
Have you ever struggled with the process of deciding the type of knot to tie that will lead to the most security? Whether it be attaching your fly to your leader, attaching backing to your fly reel, or attaching your fly line to your backing, having tight and secure knots are crucial for your success. If you find yourself chucking streamers with 6 weight+ fly rods or you are an avid saltwater fly angler, then the bimini twist should definitely be in your arsenal. Commonly, this is used as a loop connection between fly line and backing when targeting larger fresh or saltwater species. Although challenging, the bimini twist is unique in that it does not weaken the material in which it is being tied with or attached to. In this tips and tricks tutorial, Anglers All demonstrates how to create the famous bimini twist.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Fold your line/backing 1-2 feet over itself.
Pinch the line off with your left hand and create a loop with your right hand.
With your right hand, begin twisting the loop 20-25 times in a circular motion creating your twists.
If possible, find something to loop your line/backing over to create tension on the line.
Tighten your twists so that there are 8-12 inches between the loop and tag end.
Pinch off the tag end with your left hand.
Inset your right index finger in the loop and pull back as far as your can to create tension.
With your right thumb and middle finger, pinch off the tag end and begin wrapping the line over the twist.
Pull your index finger out and grab your tag end, insert it into the loop that has been created and create a half hitch knot.
Insert your finger into the underside of the loop, grab the tag end, and wrap the standing end 5 times.
On the last turn, bring the tag end up through the bottom of the loop, and pull your slack line upward.
Pull your tag end tight, snip it off, and hit the water! Tight lines!
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their Final Environmental Impact Statement for Pebble Mine (FEIS) yesterday. Unsurprisingly, the rushed FEIS identifies permanent habitat destruction and fails to address to concerns of stakeholders, tribes, cooperating agencies, and experts. This document will guide the Army Corps’ decision on whether or not Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) receives a federal permit. That decision will happen in the next 30-90 days. However, there are two remaining avenues to block the mine: the EPA can exercise veto authority on the project, and President Trump can still intercede to deny the permit.
If you’ve followed Pebble Mine over the years, you’re aware of Pebble’s lengthy backstory and the context of this document. In 2014, the Obama Administration blocked the Mine, “to protect the world’s largest salmon fishery from what would certainly be one of the world’s largest open pit mine developments ever conceived of.” But, almost immediately after President Trump’s victory, his regulatory agenda jolted life back into the project.
Since then, stakeholders, advocates, and everyday people who cherish wild places have tirelessly tried to block the mine at every stage possible. More than likely, you’ve seen a “No Pebble Mine” sticker or signed on to a letter advocating for the protection of Bristol Bay. Today, unfortunately, the mine is as close as it has ever been to being built.
Here is a brief background:
Pebble Mine would be located in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, which produces the world’s largest Sockeye Salmon fishery and one of the last prolific Chinook Salmon runs.
The massive gold and copper mine would generate 70 million tons of unearthed material each year of its 20 year operating life and poses a major threat to the delicate balance of the Bristol Bay environment, Alaska’s $1.5 billion fishing economy, and Native People’s ways of life.
One of the biggest concerns of Bristol Bay stakeholders and experts is what happens after an initial permit approval and construction of Pebble Mine is completed. Currently, PLP plans to mine roughly 14 percent of the deposit’s ore. So, after all the initial infrastructure is built for Pebble Mine, the worry is that will facilitate numerous more mines, substantially increasing the risk for the long-term health and vitality of Bristol Bay.
In February 2019, the Army Corps of Engineers released a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for Pebble Mine. An immediate uproar to the document ensued, and for good reason. The DEIS, plainly speaking, was flawed: it did not adequately review potential impacts, left out essential analyses, made unreasonable conclusions, and under-predicted the potential impacts on natural resources. All of these flaws and more were repeatedly highlighted during the public comment and review period, which for a project of this magnitude was shockingly rushed.
In the months that followed, more than 685,000 Americans expressed their formal opposition to the mine. Over 250 outdoor recreation businesses sent President Trump a letter indicating their opposition to Pebble Mine. 62 percent of Alaskan voters oppose the construction of Pebble Mine. The United Tribes of Bristol Bay opposed the mine. Experts highlighted the fact that Pebble Mine–in its current form–would be financially infeasible. Today’s FEIS release, highlights the grim reality that Pebble Mine’s approval is all but imminent.
Inside the Final Environmental Impact Statement
The FEIS contains glaring issues, both procedurally and physically for Alaska’s people and natural resources. A preliminary FEIS, released several months ago, revealed that many of the criticisms of the Draft document were unresolved, and the mining plan had changed. For example, further analysis of the financial feasibility of the current sized mine and studies on the mine’s impacts to Alaska’s natural resources including salmon and water are absent. Additionally, the Corps scrapped the original plan to transport materials and equipment by ferry, replacing it with an 82 mile road to which PLP does not have property rights.
The Natural Resources Defense Council issued a scalding review of the FEIS. NRDC’s Taryn Kiekow Heimer wrote, “Wetlands, rivers, and streams that will be impacted by the proposed mine still have not been mapped. Fish, water quality, hydrologic studies, and wildlife surveys remain missing or incomplete. Most egregious, the Army Corps continues to limit tribal consultation.” The FEIS remains incomplete and inadequate for a project this size.
Alternative 3, PLP’s preferred alternative, has a mine site footprint of 8,390 acres–an acre is roughly the size of a football field. The final size of the open mine pit is 609 acres, which would be a larger area than Washington, D.C.’s national mall and tidal basin. If approved and built, Pebble would be the largest mine in North America.
Guido Rahr, CEO of Wild Salmon Center said, “The science is clear: this mine is indefensible. It cannot be safely built without harming the fishery in Bristol Bay. And a catastrophic tailings dam failure would release toxic waste that would affect the long-term productivity of salmon fisheries. It’s just too big a risk to take. And it’s time for the EPA to step in and stop this mine.”
With such a massive footprint in previously undisturbed environments, significant habitat loss is inevitable. The preferred alternative would include direct and indirect impacts to 4614 acres of wetlands and 191.1 miles of streams, of which 2,231 acres of wetlands and 105.4 miles of streams would be permanently destroyed (FEIS, Executive Summary, 98). The preferred alternative differs from other alternatives in that it relies on an 82 mile access road on the North side of Lake Ilamania. Trout Unlimited Alaska’s Neil Williams believes the habitat loss highlighted in the FEIS is underestimated:
“Worse, because of Pebble’s changing plans and lack of scientific studies, experts anticipate those impacts are underestimated. We can’t accept “concept level” plans when all the details are required to make an informed decision on a key permit. We need to have full tailings dam studies that Pebble promised, we need studies of the northern route.”
“All water is connected”
Water Impacts
Streams and wetlands are scattered throughout Pebble Mine’s footprint. An extensive background in hydrology is not needed to understand the disastrous impact of a 8,390 acre mine operation. In general, all water is connected. So, when you destroy one stream, you’re impacting the entire watershed–no matter how minimally. Pebble’s impacts include direct and permanent destruction of wetlands and streams, 205 waterbody crossings, increased stream sedimentation, and changes to stream temperature and chemistry.
Lake Iliamna is home to world-class Rainbow Trout fishing, @paulnicoletti
Salmon and Fish Impacts
Negative impacts by Pebble Mine on wild fish species are unavoidable. Permanent loss of habitat for anadromous and resident fish would occur including 54 fish stream crossings. There would be direct mortality at the mine site and decreased stream productivity. These direct impacts would happen under perfect operations. The impacts to salmon and other fish species in an accident scenario are far greater.
Bristol Bay is home to prolific Chinook Salmon (King Salmon) runs
For example, under a tailings spill scenario, a myriad of negative impacts would be experienced. Unrecovered tailings could produce acid mine drainage for decades. Tailing dam failures are a reality, which have serious implications for ecosystems and have even killed people. The manner in which tailings are stored is arguably one of the most important aspects of the project. Yet, according to the FEIS section on spill risk, “the current level of embankment design for the project is at a very early phase, considered a conceptual phase. Site investigation and engineering plans are still ongoing.” But sure, let’s go ahead and approve the project’s permit…
Land Ownership Issues
One of the many faults of the FEIS is it identifies a plan for which PLP has not secured all the land. In May, the Army Corps changed its recommended plan to replace a ferry system with an 82 mile transportation corridor. PLP, however, does not currently have rights to the necessary land. Further, some of the landowners have indicated that they would not grant PLP access. The Bristol Bay Native Corporation wrote:
“The new route would transverse BBNC surface and subsurface lands, including at its eastern terminus that sits on property jointly owned by subsidiaries of BBNC and Igiugig Village Council. Both entities expressed to the Corps and PLP that these lands are not and will not be available to accommodate Pebble mine. In addition, the permitting process revealed that the northern route is the only one feasible to accommodate the 78-year mine plan that would mine a significantly larger portion of the Pebble deposit, with a significantly larger footprint.”
Next Steps
The Army Corps now must make their final decision on whether to grant PLP a federal permit. That decision is expected to come in the next 30-90 days. However, Pebble can still be stopped. The EPA, through the Clean Water Act, has the authority to veto the project. The direct and possible impacts to water resources from pebble warrant a veto. To let the EPA know that you oppose Pebble Mine, the Bristol Bay Defense fund created this action-link: TELL THE EPA TO VETO THE PEBBLE MINE!
Additionally, President Trump can still stop the mine. With it being an election year, politicians are generally acutely aware of voters’ preferences and definitely don’t want to anger hundreds of thousands of voters. This is why it is so essential to let President Trump know that you don’t support Pebble Mine. SaveBristolBay created this action form for just that purpose: Tell President Trump to Veto Pebble Mine.
Should the federal permit be approved, legal action would ensue, further stalling the project. Further, PLP would still need to secure the state and local permits, which could take up to four years. And there is the possibility of an Administration in the White House next year that is friendlier to Bristol Bay. So, there is still hope for ensuring the long-term health of Bristol Bay.
I’ll leave you with a quote from Brian Kraft, President of Katmai Service Providers, “If this administration wants to uphold rural American jobs, then the only option is to deny this permit.”
“Hey Meris, odds are you book a one-way ticket to Florida and drive my car back to Colorado with me”
This short conversation between my friend, Meris McHaney, and I would end up sparking a 2-week adventure North; consisting of fly fishing, couch surfing, and a healthy splash of highway hypnosis. Over the 3000 miles spent northward, we were also able to take a trip inward to rediscover the child-like sense of adventure this sport offers to those who dare to explore its many meanings.
Three days after our call, I was headed to pick Meris up from the airport to join me as I took my car from my hometown of Florida to my new home of Colorado with a plan to stop in Meris’s town of Texas along the way. Where we would stay, and what we would do was still a mystery to the two of us, however, we were both eager to embrace the thrill of what seemed to be the limitless open road.
Although we ventured to different places and experienced new and unique fisheries every day, one theme remained constant – we were chasing storms. It seemed as though every day, one of us was wondering in one way or another, “Am I chasing storms, are storms chasing me, or am I the storm?” Regardless, pelting rain and lightning that ripped through the summer sky couldn’t stop us from having the time of our lives and keeping our fly lines tight.
Although I grew up in South Florida, I haven’t lived there in almost seven years. As they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder”, and while it’s an overused cliche, there was certainly a truth held in those words. As the wheels under me crawled over the cracked pavement of my hometown, I grew more and more excited to re-connect with old friends, make a few new ones, and enjoy some of the most diverse fisheries in the US.
On our first day in Florida, we fished Flamingo, a small town located on a peninsula on the southern tip of Florida. There, we caught, what seemed to be, an endless amount of snook and redfish, eager to obliterate any form of fur and feathers dropped in front of their face. From there, we cruised down to KW to fish a few hours in the evening with our friend and guide Brandon Cyr.
At only 26 years old, Brandon is a 4th generation Key West conch on both his mom and dad’s side. When you’re on the water with him, it almost seems as if his very genetic makeup was constructed from the same salty pools that he fishes. His intuitive nature and primitive instincts work in perfect synchronicity with the water that his family has called home for well over 100 years.
With rods poised at the ready and guts filled with steel, we walked along the flats, carefully scanning the gloomy waters for any sign of life. As the threatening storm clouds began to dissipate and the sun began to dip into the horizon, we each managed to hook into a healthy bonefish that sent our reels screaming and our line into it’s backing. The iridescent blue in their tails glowed underneath the summer sun, and as I stood there looking off into the vastness of the open sea, my fingers burned raw from the salty fly line, I felt home in a place that had once seemed so foreign. The following day, Mahi Mahi and tuna were on the board for dinner.
Long Drink was perfect for hot days on the water, especially when the fishing was slow.
On our final day in Florida, the sun finally decided to grace us with its presence. It was the first time I had a chance to look through the water rather than at the water. The day was filled with so much calm, that for the first time on the trip, we felt nervous approaching fish out of fear of spooking them with one wrong move. I didn’t have any shoes (common theme – oops). So I borrowed my friend Ryan Phinneys size 12 sneakers and looked like an absolute clown when I jumped in the water to wade after these fish. As I approached this school of FLOATING permit I looked back to see Meris casting at another set of Permit. We both had follows but no commitments.
It was one of the greatest adrenaline rushes I could ask for to end our time in the Florida Keys before we hit the road to Texas. Ahead of us, a new set of adventures awaited.
Shoutout to The Long Drink for helping fuel this adventure. The Long Drink is an iconic alcoholic beverage that is a top taste of Finland, it’s now available in the USA. Click here to learn more and find your closest retailer.
Bowfin are some of the coolest native species we have here in the Great Lakes. Locally we do not see very many in our river systems so when you find one it usually entails some sight and stalk presentation.
Mike Schultz and I have had a few run-ins with them this season but up until Monday, the fish were able to sneak away quickly and avoid contact. They are very fast and stealthy.
This fish presented itself midstream but quickly slid into a large logjam as we approached. We patiently waited for a shot to open as the fish moved onto a small gravel bar against the bank, and after a short “pop” cast I managed to convince the fish to eat.
After a battle between log jams, we finally netted my largest bowfin taken on a fly. Having the privilege to target and sometimes hold these prehistoric marvels is something we cherish. I will remember this particular bowfin forever.
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”, sure, Ben Franklin may not have been talking about your next fly fishing trip, but a little preparation sure goes a long way. Having a fishing trip checklist that you can rely on time and time again will help cut down the amount of time you spend preparing. Last minute or late night packing has cost me on more than one fishing trip. This complete Fishing Trip Checklist will help ensure you don’t forget any of the essentials as you prepare to hit the water on your next fly fishing trip.
Why is it so important to prepare for a fishing trip?
About a year ago I was on a camping and fishing trip with my partner Nikki in Southwest Colorado. Our plan for one particular day was to hike to a high alpine lake and fish for wild cutthroat trout. Sounds great, right? Everything was going smoothly until we arrived at our destination after a grueling hike when I discovered that I had forgotten my reel. As a result, I got to spend my afternoon watching fish snatch dry fly after dry fly off the surface with my hands in my pockets. Not the worst thing in the world, but it sure would have been more fun to land a few.
Moral of the story, taking time to consider all of your equipment needs from the fishing basics (i.e. rod and reel) to clothing is crucial for maximizing your time on the water. Having a reliable fishing trip checklist will help ensure that you don’t forget any of your fishing essentials before hitting the road. If I have space in my car, I’ll try to take some of the stuff that “I’ll never need” like spare hats, sunglasses, extra layers, shoelaces, old wading boots, and more, however, the following fishing trip checklist covers all the necessities so hopefully, you don’t need the spares!
Key Considerations for any Fishing Trip
There are a few key things to keep in mind while planning your next fishing trip. The first and arguably most important would be the weather. Having spare layers is crucial in winter months but being prepared with a rain jacket can save the day in the shoulder months. I’ve left home more than once without checking the weather and ended up cutting my day short due to cold ears and fingers. Checking forecasts and knowing seasonal weather patterns for the area that you plan to fish can make or break your day.
Another key consideration would be the species that you plan to target. If you are planning a multi-species trip, a variety of rods, reels, and fly boxes may be required. Researching the location you plan to fish and types of water (streams, rivers, lakes) can help ensure you don’t leave that perfect fly box at home. On a multi-day trip, taking your vice and fly tying materials along with you is a surefire way to ensure you can match the hatch or even restock your magic patterns streamside.
Other activities you may be doing such as camping, hiking, and the length of your fishing trip will obviously change the amount of gear that you need but our fishing trip checklist will help ensure your bases are covered.
The Fishing Trip Checklist
This comprehensive Fishing Trip Checklist will help make sure you have all the essentials for a day on the water chasing your favorite species.
Article by Evan Garda, he is on the Content Team here at Fly Lords. He can be found chasing trout throughout the west with his trusty fly rod. Check out his adventures at @evangarda.
Sunrise lights the willow stands and the meandering bends of a mountain meadow. Anglers are already scattered along the stream, eager to test the area’s most popular fishing spot. But I keep driving. While fish at this location are plentiful, I’m on the hunt for something elusive.
A canyon cutthroat stream in the Bighorns
I turn onto a gravel road, then a rough two-track. The gentle heights of the Bighorns spill away in every direction, into seemingly bottomless canyons. I have heard of a stream that has true native cutthroat. I park on a ridge and head down. I’m startled by a blue grouse flushing into the shadowy fir trees. I descend over a thousand feet, mostly on loose scree. The bottom feels like a different world. The stream is a wild jumble of car-sized boulders and fallen trees. I tightrope from one log to the next, coming to a nice run with an open casting lane. I let my foam beetle sail into the riffle. Out of the deep pool appears a golden apparition. The fish flexes into my 4wt, and after a few attempted escapes, lays gasping in my hand. I feel as though I am touching the veil between past and present.
Bighorn gold
Thousands of years ago, prehistoric families camped in the canyon mouth of Medicine Creek, dining on cutthroat and whitefish, leaving their remains for archaeologists to discover. During the fateful summer of 1876, General Crook’s troops caught hundreds of big cutthroats along Goose Creek while Custer met his end. The Bighorns are the farthest northeastern extent of cutthroat trout. Sometime during the Pleistocene, they worked their way down the Yellowstone River, then up many of its tributaries. The Little Horn, Tongue River, Shell Creek, most streams on both sides of the Bighorns were once teeming with them.
Historic distribution of cutthroats in the Bighorns
It’s the same story all over the American West. Europeans came, soon followed by milk cans full of brook trout, browns, and rainbows. They were dumped into any stream or lake possible. This invasion continued through the early days of fisheries management until cutthroats were all but eliminated. Today, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is tasked with bringing them back. Unfortunately, there’s not many places left to put them. Below the mountains, streams rapidly become too warm due to irrigation diversions. High in the mountains, the water is too cold.
Sampling a small cutthroat stream on the east side of the Bighorns.
Sometimes biologists can expand existing populations by simply moving fish above a waterfall or into a nearby drainage. It’s often necessary to kill off invasive fish first with the chemical rotenone. In the Bighorns, Yellowstone cutthroats are reared at the Ten Sleep Hatchery, then released into some streams.
Hiking down a Bighorn stream in search of cutthroats.
Oftentimes, these streams were historically fishless. They’re chosen because a large waterfall, cave system, or a landslide prevents other fish species from returning. While these populations are important for preserving cutthroats on the landscape, they do lack something.
There’s magic in pulling a descendant of those Ice Age pioneers from a clear canyon cascade–to hold a life in your hand that has been one with its environment for millennia. Relict populations often look different than hatchery fish too, developing their own epigenetic characteristics after centuries of isolation.
A relict cutthroat from the west slope of the Bighorns.
Bighorn cutthroats occupy only a minuscule portion of their historic range. Some will say that preserving them is a waste of time and money. After all, there are plenty of other fish to catch. The value of Yellowstone cutthroat lies not in their utility, but in their place on the land. Like elk, bison, and bighorn sheep, they simply belong. They were here before any human. We should not be the cause of their demise.
Angling thin water on an east slope cutthroat stream.
On the east side of the mountains, Wyoming Game and Fish, in partnership with a benevolent landowner, Trout Unlimited, and others are currently completing a restoration project on West Pass Creek. Non-native trout were removed and a spillway was installed, forming a permanent barrier to other salmonids. The current cutthroat population will be able to expand into the largest connected system in the Bighorns.
Despite conservation efforts, some relict populations are just too small, too hard to access, or too overrun by invasives. To me, these fish are like stopping to watch a fall sunset. They are too beautiful to not see before they are gone.
The Gates of Mordor
I pour over maps, pester fisheries biologists, and listen for rumors. I find myself in places with no signs of human passing. On such a morning, I trudge in wet boots into the mouth of a canyon that looks like the gates of Mordor. Crouching in thick brush, I fire a bow and arrow cast into the dark recesses below a small waterfall. I smile as my line comes tight to a vigorous fighter. I bring the cutthroat to my hand. Its tail is sparsely decorated with large spots, and its bronze flanks are tinged with delicate pink. A brilliant crimson slash shines in the dim canyon light. I quickly return the fish to its pool. It will have its hands full competing with the invading brook trout. I call the morning a success at one fish and head back to the truck. I got the magic I came for.
A Yellowstone cutthroat from the southern Bighorns.
Josh Tatman is an adventurer from northern Wyoming. Follow him @slim_tatman on Instagram.
Want to help? Donate to: Little Big Horn Chapter of Trout Unlimited PO Box 886, Sheridan, Wyoming 82801.
Courtesy of California Department of Fish & Wildlife
For the past few months some of the trout hatcheries in California have been experiencing a bacteria outbreak that is negatively affecting their fish populations. The bacteria (Lactococcus garvieae) has been detected in freshwater and saltwater aquaculture facilities around the world, but this is the first time it has been observed in California. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), fish infected with Lactococcus garvieae “can show symptoms including bulging eyes, lethargic or erratic swimming and increased mortality, or be asymptomatic and show no signs of infection depending on a several factors including water temperature and stress.”
Courtesy of HIPRA
Hatcheries including the Mojave River Hatchery, the Black Rock Hatchery, and the Fish Springs Hatchery have spent the past few months working with fish pathology experts and experimenting with different treatments in order to get their trout back to good health. After months of trial and error, the CDFW has made the difficult decision to euthanize all the trout at the affected facilities in order to stop the spread of the outbreak.
Courtesy of California Department of Fish & Wildlife
Jay Rowan, environmental program manager for CDFW hatcheries, stated, “Euthanizing our hatchery stocks was not a decision we came to lightly, but it had to be done.This bacterium is resistant to all the treatment options we have available for fish. The fish losses were getting worse despite our treatments. The best option we have available that will get us back to planting fish from these hatcheries in the shortest timeline is to clear the raceways, thoroughly disinfect the facilities, and start over.”
Courtesy of California Department of Fish & Wildlife
While depopulating these hatcheries is the best decision, this action comes with major issues. It is not certain when these hatcheries will be able to stock natural streams once again. It may be well into next year before these facilities can get back on track. Until then, CDFW is in the process of modifying their stocking plan to reallocate fish from central and northern California hatcheries to a small number of easily accessible waters in parts of the eastern Sierra and Southern California.
Courtesy of California Department of Fish & Wildlife
On Tuesday, August 4th, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will vote on a measure to change the way they currently manage menhaden. If ASMFC approves the measure, menhaden will be managed using Ecological Reference Points, which takes into account the ecological importance of this baitfish.
Menhaden play an integral role in the Atlantic Ocean’s food chain. They are a principal prey species of Striped Bass, Bluefish, Bluefin Tuna, sharks, dolphins, whales, sea birds, Ospreys, and other species. With so many marine species relying on menhaden as their food sources, it is clearly prudent to take into account their larger role in marine ecosystems.
To further demonstrate the vital role of menhaden and the support for managing menhaden with ERPs, the American Saltwater Guides Association produced this video.
Oceanside, NY (July 23, 2020) – The American Saltwater Guides Association (“ASGA”), a coalition of forward-thinking guides, small business owners and like-minded anglers who understand the value of keeping fish in the water, today released a video containing commentary from numerous individuals representing different interests and backgrounds collectively urging the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (the “ASMFC”) to adopt the use of Ecological Reference Points (“ERPs”) in the management of menhaden at its upcoming meeting scheduled for August 3-6, 2020.
The video, which can be viewed in its entirety here , includes testimony from the following
individuals and organizations:
Tony Friedrich, Vice President & Policy Director, ASGA
Peter Jenkins, Owner of The Saltwater Edge and ASGA Board Chairman
Jason Jarvis, Commercial Fisherman and Board President of the Northwest Atlantic
Marine Alliance (“NAMA”)
Tykee James, Audubon Society
Kyle Schaefer, Owner of Soul Fly Outfitters, ASGA Maine Board Member
Kerry Heffernan, Chef, Grand Banks
Mike Avery, President, Virginia Saltwater Sportfishing Association
Zack Clyver, Naturalist, Eco-Tourism Expert
Ellen Pikitch – Scientist and Professor, Stony Brook University
Paul Sieswerda, President, Gotham Whale
Cory Crochetiere, All Seasons Marine & USGA Captain, One More Cast Charters
Richard Brame, Atlantic States Fisheries Director, Coastal Conservation Association
The collaboration of such a wide range of interests, including recreational anglers, recreational for-hire captains, commercial fishermen, bird and whale watching groups, tackle shop owners, chefs, and scientists provides testament to the critical importance of menhaden to the marine ecosystem on the East Coast.
Further highlighting the value of menhaden to both the recreational angling community and
commercial harvesters, the ASGA has partnered with NAMA to develop a public comment letter to the ASMFC supporting the adoption of ERPs. The two organizations are currently collecting signatures for the letter, and encourage anyone interested in signing onto it to send an email to ASGA Executive Director Willy Goldsmith (willy@saltwaterguidesassociation.org) by 12:00pm ET on Monday, July 27. Please include:
If signing on behalf of an organization, name of organization, logo, and personal title
“The implementation of ERPs in the management of Atlantic menhaden would represent a
momentous development in fisheries management and finally take into consideration the true importance that a keystone forage species has on the broader marine ecosystem,” said
Friedrich. “It is clear that a healthy population of menhaden can support an astonishing amount of life up and down the East Coast, and accounting for the impact that removing that species from the environment could have on other species is essential in developing effective, responsible management practices. The ASMFC has an opportunity to advance the management of menhaden and forage fish in a way that benefits not only the species that rely on them, but also the millions of individuals, organizations and other constituents that count on a healthy marine ecosystem for their livelihoods and recreation. We urge the ASMFC to do the right thing and vote ‘YES’ to ERPs for menhaden.”
For more information on menhaden management and how important the species is for anglers everywhere, please visit the ASGA’s website for their recent post on the subject.
In the months that followed, more than 685,000 Americans expressed their formal opposition to the mine. Over 
Streams and wetlands are scattered throughout Pebble Mine’s footprint. An extensive background in hydrology is not needed to understand the disastrous impact of a 8,390 acre mine operation. In general, all water is connected. So, when you destroy one stream, you’re impacting the entire watershed–no matter how minimally. Pebble’s impacts include direct and permanent destruction of wetlands and streams, 205 waterbody crossings, increased stream sedimentation, and changes to stream temperature and chemistry.
