January2014
While analyzing Google Analytics for the month of January 2014, some rather interesting data was revealed.
Of the total visits to the Unaccomplished Angler in January, 72 were from Seattle; 43 from Denver. Common practice is to divide those figures by one-half and round down as necessary and appropriate to arrive at the final Super Bowl score: 36-21 in favor of Seattle.
It’s just science.
Public stream access rights in Utah. What does that have to do with you if you don’t live in Utah? Why should you care?
Valid questions. However, stream access rights can be taken away with one swipe of the legislature’s pen and before you know it, waterways are no longer public domain. Imagine not being able to set foot on the stream bed, or even slow your boat using oars. It happened in Utah; it could happen in your state.
On Show #3 of The Open Fly Podcast we interview the folks at the Utah Stream Access Coalition and hear about their fight to pass a bill giving back rights to fish and recreate on waterways. They also need your help as fighting the good fight does not come without costs. To encourage your support, The Open Fly Podcast is offering up a chance for you to win some sweet raffle goods. If you donate $5 or more to the USAC, email your receipt to theopenflypodcast (at) gmail (dot) com. You will be entered into our next product giveaway. Donate by clicking HERE.
Also featured in our Guide Stories segment of the 3rd show is Michigan’s own Brian Kozminski. Koz talks about True North Trout and what it means to be a fly fishing guide near the ring finger of the Mitten State, plus more.
Listen to the podcast HERE. And thanks for your support.
The second installment of The Open Fly Podcast is now live. Unofficially we’re calling this one the Sophomore Slump Buster, not because we’re already in a slump but because we have every intention of avoiding that undesirable status. And in our heroic efforts to keep the momentum going (at the time of this writing we have close to 1000 downloads for Episode 1), our second episode features a conservation segment showcasing the work of the Native Fish Society and one of it’s members, Jason Small: just an ordinary guy out there doing good things for the fish.
Our Guide Stories segment this week features Canadian Dave Henry, who tells of fishing with light Spey rods and rugy players jumping out of jet sleds. In this episode I also learn that the Fraser River in British Columbia is not pronounced “Frazier”. Cultural barriers often make for challenging communication, but I think you’ll understand just enough to enjoy what Dave has to say. Check out Dave’s website, 2HandedTrout.com , for more information.
And thanks again for tuning in to The Open Fly Podcast.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve heard about the Pebble Mine issue facing the Bristol Bay region in Alaska. For those rock dwellers, it’s a fairly simple issue: Pebble Mine is the common name of a mineral exploration project that is investigating a very large porphyry copper, gold, and molybdenum mineral deposit in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska that happens to also be the pristine headwaters of the world’s greatest salmon fishery. Conventional wisdom would suggest that such an operation is an outrageously bad thing, with risks for environmental disaster that far outweigh the economic and environmental value of the fishery and region as a whole.
The EPA has been studying the matter and just released their report findings. The report is science-based, without emotion or other subjective reasoning taken into consideration. Science—nothing more. And that science has declared that the Pebble Mine would devastate a pristine area that is the spawning grounds for arguably the best salmon fishery in the world.
Trout Unlimited has been a big opponent of the Pebble Mine and considers the matter their top priority. TU issued a press release noting the EPA findings on their website: Press Release can be found HERE.
Some quick points of the EPA report show that the proposed mining operations would:
- Cause the direct loss of up to 94 miles of salmon-supporting streams.
- Destroy up to 5,350 acres of wetlands, ponds, and lakes in the Bristol Bay region.
- Alter streamflows of up to 33 miles of salmon-supporting streams, likely affecting ecosystem structure and function.
- Create a transportation corridor to Cook Inlet crossing wetlands and approximately 64 streams and rivers in the Kvichak River watershed, 55 of which are known or likely to support salmon. Culvert failures, runoff, and spills of chemicals would put salmon spawning areas at risk.
- Require the collection, storage, treatment and management of extensive quantities of mine waste, leachates, and wastewater during mining and “long after mining concludes.”
What does this EPA report mean in the fight against the Pebble Mine? Well, it’s a big step toward keeping the mining operation out of Bristol Bay. Now it’s up to the Obama administration to drive a nail into the Pebble Mine coffin. We can only hope that conventional wisdom is present in Washington DC. You can help by taking action. It takes little of your time. Click HERE.
Stay tuned and visit Save Bristol Bay for more and ongoing information.
As a related point of interest, the Open Fly Podcast will feature Dwayne Meadows, Trout Unlimited’s Bristol Bay National Outreach Director, on a future podcast. The episode is set to record on February 6th, for release shortly thereafter. Needless to say this will be a very interesting show.