The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

tenkara, conservation, communications, politics

Key grip and trout wrangler at the Middle River Group, LLC. Playing Doc Holliday to the Wyatt Earps of the fish and wildlife conservation world. Deputy Director, Marine Fish Conservation Network. Guide and instructor, Mossy Creek Fly Fishing. Freelance outdoor writer.

home in the valley

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After 2 days in DC and what turned into a very big bummer with one of my closest friends in the hospital needing major surgery i fled like a coward for the comfort of home and hearth in the valley.

This morning I need to cleanse my palate, mind and soul. Time to reflect on what was fun during this trip.

Hearing “one night in bangkok” again. thanks to @michaelturk for that one. took me back to some truly fine memories.

Reading a tweet by @SGPolitics calling Franken a “tool”. Had not heard anyone called a tool for so long almost spit coffee on the screen. That used to be one of my favorites pejoratives. Going back in the lexicon. 2day.

Just those 2 tweets made being on twitter worth it.

As ever and always my buffalo friend @curlybill, you are my eyes and ears of the native prairie and no better wisdom and great comfort.

Seeing some old friends at the Trust for Public Land’s Federal Affairs office. Very little talk of work lots of getting caught up on people’s lives…of course sharing breakfast with my god-daughter is alway entertaining.

First holiday party of the season.

In between replays of “one night” and calls to my beautiful and talented wife, the ride home last night was better bcuz of @hubspot tv podcasts. if only learning had been this entertaining in college. is hubs on twitter? gotta check with them about that.

The diverse group i follow and learn from on twitter are a comfort and joy. thanks.

but the best thing is home. Getting to see the sun rise hit the middle river each morning is a daily treat. and more so when i return.

Sportsmen have a lot at stake.

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Welcome to the transition.

Here is a quote from Change.gov, President-elect Barack Obama’s transition website:

“Barack Obama and Joe Biden recognize that we must forge a broad coalition if we are to address the great conservation challenges we face. America’s hunters and anglers are a key constituency that must take an active role and have a powerful voice in this coalition.”

Why is this important.

Hunters and anglers have an opportunity to be heard by President-elect Barack Obama’s team as they begin to sort through and prioritize the issues and challenges facing the country. Read this week’s column in the News Virginian to learn more.

the wisdom of a buffalo

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My favorite time to work and write is in the early morning. as the sunrises on the back porch, the coffee brews, and Ashby runs a lap or two along the fence line,  I get to collect my thoughts and plan my day. this morning, a holiday, I caught up on the little bit of work I blew off yesterday then caught up on some correspondence to friends.

One friend is a buffalo. Curly Bill. He lives out in South Dakota with a hero of mine, Dan O’Brien.
Bill has a blog and twitter account. Very modern buffalo.
I caught up on his blog posts this morning. Very glad i did.
Bill’s Thanksgiving post about gratitude is gifted writing. It speaks to those things beyond ourselves we should give thanks for. Wonderful stuff.
I worked back down his posts.
Earlier this week, Bill captured, quite eloquently, a simple concept. Respect.  Remarkable reading.
He knows he is probably preaching to the choir. Maybe I am too.
Respect has waned of late. we need to get it back. In fact we need to pay it forward.
This is how it starts.

On the river with Adaptive Anglers

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These days it is all too easy to feel sorry for ourselves and feel like we got the nasty end of the stick. Last Saturday i saw some very talented anglers enjoy fall fishing on the Moormans. What was truly remarkable about this group of anglers was that they all had a physical or developmental disability, a chronic illness or other special health needs.
You can read my latest column in the News Virginian here.

Putting trout in the classroom

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More and more, our connection to the natural world is eroded by an increasingly complex world. Having a program in our schools that offers kids a chance to participate in, and learn from, the natural world in a safe and structured way seems like an opportunity too good to pass up.
You can read my latest column in the News Virginian here:

Take this job and…..

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Rich Galen writes today in his Mullings column about the questionnaire the Obama Transition Project is using to vet candidates for cabinet and other top level positions.  I think he nails it when he writes,

“The problem with all of this intrusion is it will cause otherwise highly-qualified people to throw their hands up in frustration, disgust or both and say, “You know what? I have not been in a monastery since puberty and I don’t want some 23-year-old volunteer reading – and probably sharing with her new colleagues in the back bar at the Old Ebbit – my deepest and darkest secrets. I’ll just stay here at the law firm in Nashville” or wherever.”

Just as an example, one question asks about cohabitants for the last ten years. Yikes! Good luck with that one. Oh my good gracious, i can’t imagine “what fresh hell” would be visited upon me if i had to answer that one. (oops i better send paper towels to my friends, i bet they just spit coffee all over their computers.)
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for doing everything that can be done to keep corruption out of government. But i don’t think this will do it. And the possibility that information could wind up on the street is to ugly to imagine.
I wish the new administration well. In fact i will even say i trust them to keep this information confidential.
But the next stop is on the magical mystery tour is Senate confirmation.
Two words: Sieve City.
PS to the Transition folks this would be in response to your questions #10 and 13. (as if i would be on anyone list of candidates….)