Middle River Dispatches

A gumbo of fly-fishing, conservation, politics and days afield, for what it is worth....

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.

Fly Fish Virginia – Ramseys Draft | March 11, 2021

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Date: 11 March 2021
Time: 1:00-6:30 p.m.
Weather: 65 degrees. Mostly sunny
Water: 46 degrees, clear and full (3.09 at Ramseys Draft gage)

Had another chance to play a bit of hooky with a friend. We took advantage of a warm March afternoon to run up to Ramsays Draft. Water levels were excellent with a few risers here and there. We all but one on nymphs, with hare’s ear being the preferred offering.

Below are a few images.

For details on this and other watersheds check out VA DWR’s Where to Go Trout Fishing (Interactive Map).

Mojo | The Week That Is: A ‘Dark Ages’ Of Wildlife Management Descends On The West

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Each week, I have the pleasure of joining Mountain Journal founder Todd Wilkinson in our “The Week That Is,” column where we discuss topical events relating to the nation’s capital city and the public land West.

As Todd wrote in the intro, “some topics are treated either as taboo or approached with the certainty that any discussion about them will erupt on social media into an uncivil exchange of name-calling. Hunting is one of those. We find dualism most unfortunate because it leaves little room to have a reasonable conversation about hunting as a tradition, its role in advancing wildlife conservation and examining such topics as predator control. By fostering a dialog about trophy hunting and hunting ethics, Mountain Journal is not staking out a position as being “anti-hunting,” nor when giving hunters a voice, is it failing to the recognize the valid positions of animal rights and holding reverence for non-human animals as sentient beings.”

 The second of the two-part conversation. Read part one by clicking here.

Read it here > A ‘Dark Ages’ Of Wildlife Management Descends On The West

Mojo | The Week That Is: Are Hunters Still Leading Wildlife Conservation in America?

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Each week, I have the pleasure of joining Mountain Journal founder Todd Wilkinson in our “The Week That Is,” column where we discuss topical events relating to the nation’s capital city and the public land West.

As Todd writes in the intro this week “some topics are treated either as taboo or approached with the certainty that any discussion about them will erupt on social media into an uncivil exchange of name-calling. Hunting is one of those. We find dualism most unfortunate because it leaves little room to have a reasonable conversation about hunting as a tradition, its role in advancing wildlife conservation and examining such topics as predator control. By fostering a dialog about trophy hunting and hunting ethics, Mountain Journal is not staking out a position as being “anti-hunting,” nor when giving hunters a voice, is it failing to the recognize the valid positions of animal rights and holding reverence for non-human animals as sentient beings.”

This is the first of a two-part conversation.

Read it here > Are Hunters Still Leading Wildlife Conservation in America?

Offering My Opinion On Fishing Responsibly

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“Anglers, both recreational and commercial, need to take a long view if they want to keep fishing,” Sadler says. “Nobody wants to catch the last fish, but nobody wants to stop fishing either. Something has to give … there is a personal responsibility aspect to it that requires action by everyone.” He adds that “we are at the tipping point where our collective impact on the planet is causing a cascading series of events that are robbing future generations. We need to get a grip on that and start thinking about our grandchildren’s grandchildren — not just our present-day needs.”

Read the InsideHook article, How to Fish the Chesapeake Responsibly, Before It’s Ruined for Everyone.

Fly Fish Virginia – North River | First Trip of 2021

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Date: 03 March 2021
Time: 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Weather: 52 degrees. Sunny
Water: 42 degrees, clear and very high (180 CFS at Stokesville gauge)

First trip of 2021, and it sure felt good. Had a chance to play a bit of hooky with a friend. We took advantage of a beautiful March afternoon to run up to North River. It was high water conditions so we needed to picked our spots carefully. We managed to bring a few to hand, mostly on a jig head pheasant tail nymph. We saw a few risers and had a couple of takers on a parachute Adams.

Below are a few images.

You can get the direction to the North River here.

Field Notes:
VDGIF stocks this water. You will need a valid trout license from October 1 to June 15 in addition to the other fishing license if you are fishing in these designated stocked trout waters. License information: https://gooutdoorsvirginia.com

For details on this and other watersheds check out VDGIF’s Where to Go Trout Fishing (Interactive Map).

Mojo | The Week That Is: Will Deb Haaland Make History Or Be Stonewalled?

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Each week, I have the pleasure of joining Mountain Journal founder Todd Wilkinson in our “The Week That Is,” column where we discuss topical events relating to the nation’s capital city and the public land West. On Monday’s you can read the previous week’s column here.

In this edition, the conversation turns to Interior Secretaries past and future, including the controversial tenure of sagebrush rebel James Watt of Wyoming.

Read it here > Will Deb Haaland Make History Or Be Stonewalled?