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.

AFFTA Board election draws a crowd

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This is really impressive. Twenty-eight people have thrown their fishing hats into the proverbial ring for the nine seats available on the American Fly Fishing Trade Associations board.

As a board member this is a really exciting time. After some of the kicking around that AFFTA has gotten, deserved or not, the fact that so many people wanted to be part of the solution is wonderful. With so many folks stepping up to not just be a member but be a part of the leadership of AFFTA shows that folks care about having a strong trade association.

If you are not a member of AFFTA you can’t vote so now might be a good time to join. AFFTA is changing and you should be a part of it.

You can find Membership benefits info here.

Join today!

The candidates are listed below with links to the information they sent in to AFFTA.

Eric Anderson, Owner – Bighorn River Fly Fisher

Larry Barrett, Director Operations and Technology – Farbank

Crispin Battles, Editor/Art Director – Fly Fish America

Andrew Bennett, President – Deneki Outdoors

John Bleh, Owner – Strategic Outdoor Marketing

Dustin Carlson, Owner – Fishwest

Bruce Chard, Owner & CEO – Captain Bruce Chard Fishing Charters

Riley Cotter, International Sales Manager – Umpqua Feather Merchants

Jerry Darkes, Owner – Angling Consulting Services, Inc

Charles Dohs, President & Co-Founder – Fishhound.com

Jon Fisher, Managing Member – Urban Angler

Katheryn Fox, National Program Director – Casting for Recovery

Mike Gawtry, Product Line Manager Fishing/Hunting – LL Bean

Ali Gentry, Owner & CEO – El Pescador Lodge

Scott Harkins, Owner – San Miguel Mnt. & River Products

Chris Hart, Owner – Sundown River Products, Inc.

David S. Heller, President & Co-Owner – Ross Reels USA/Ross Worldwide Outdoors

Jim Murphy, President – Hardy North America

Al Noraker, Designer, Senior Merchandise Manager – Wright McGill

David Olson, Managing Partner – The Fly Shop of Miami

Clint Packo, Owner – Freestone Aquatics

Pat Pendergast, Director of International Travel – The Fly Shop Inc.

John Pinto, Owner – B&C  Manufacturing & Import

Curt Schlesinger, President – Trout & Grouse

Kevin Sousa, CEO – March Brown Limited

Guy Tillotson, Owner – Grand Slam Group

Jeff Wieringa, Business Development Manager – Scientific Anglers

Dusty Wissmath, Director – Dusty Wissmath’s Fly Fish School/Guide Service

Rick Bach, Tenkara and the EBTJV

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When I got a note from Rick Bach asking about trout fishing in Maryland I wrote back saying I was not much on Maryland but would be happy to take him to the mountains in Virginia to fish for brook trout with a tenkara rod. Rick being an adventurous young man, after all he is fishing his way across the country and blogging about it for OutdoorLife.com this summer, took me up on it. We had a ball, Rick picked up tenkara style fishing right away. He moved through the casting and fishing options with ease going to a two fly rig and sling shot cast and landing a nice fat brookie in a tricky spot at the end of the day.

You can see his gallery and commentary from his adventures in DC, the Chesapeake Bay and the Rapidan. I really appreciate Rick giving a shout out to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture!

Photos from our trip on the Rapidan start at number 15

ASA releases Comprehensive Angler Access Study

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The simple fact is that if anglers can’t access the water they will be driven from the sport.

There are a lot factors that drive a person’s decision to go fishing. The study for ASA by Responsive Management looked at those decisions with an eye toward helping guide programs to improve angler access.

Durable decisions on access must be based on facts, not conjecture. This study is an important step toward understanding the attitudes of anglers, landowners and land management professionals.

For Immediate Release

Mary Jane Williamson, Communications Director, mjwilliamson@asafishing.org

703-519-9691, x227, www.asafishing.org

Comprehensive Angler Access Study Has Surprising Results

Industry leaders will address a wide-range of sportfishing issues

Alexandria, VA – July 7, 2010 – Results of a recent comprehensive angler access study by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and Responsive Management – 2010 Angler Access in the U.S. Report – reveal some surprising views by anglers, private landowners and professional fish and wildlife managers who make decisions regarding angler access. Interviews were completed with more than 4,000 landowners and more than 4,100 recreational anglers. This is the first study of its kind to include landowners that have water on, adjacent to or running through their property to document their assessment of angler access. The most important finding is that two-thirds of anglers access most of their fishing from public lands with about half of those anglers primarily fishing from private boats, this includes both fresh and saltwater.

The five major findings in the study are:

•    Public lands are important to anglers as a means to access places to fish.

•    Angler access is tied to boating access.

•    Fish and wildlife professionals are concerned about angler access.

•    While liability is an important issue for landowners, a landowners’ privacy is the most important reason why they don’t open their land to more people.

•    Landowners are generally unaware of the many programs that agencies and organizations have to help them create access on their property.

“The most important finding in this study is the predominant role that public lands and access to public lands plays in anglers being able to enjoy their sport,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “That is crucial information for our state and federal fish and wildlife and land managers and must be taken into account for budgeting and planning purposes.”

Robertson further said, “Access is consistently identified as the top issue of concern among anglers and the study reveals that if anglers can’t access areas to recreationally fish, they may desert the sport.”

Mark Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, emphasized, “This is a thorough and definitive study of angler access in the United States. Agencies and organizations interested in angler access will find this and invaluable resource.”

Other highlights of the study include:

•    92 percent of landowners approved of legal recreational fishing and believe it is important for the public to have the opportunity to do so.

•    About one-half of landowners fish on their own property and two-thirds allow access to those people they know.

•    Approximately one-tenth of landowners allow completely open access to their lands.

•    Approximately 1 percent of private landowners charge an access fee to anglers.

•    64 percent of recreational anglers access their primary fishing areas from public lands while 16 percent use private lands.

•    54 percent of recreational anglers seek areas with boating access.

•    54 percent of anglers surveyed cited that as their primary source of information about where to fish is word of mouth.

•    The survey found that 89 percent of landowners say they have not experienced problems with recreational anglers in the last five years.

“Anglers have long been viewed as conservationists and generally as good citizens,” said Robertson. “It is encouraging to understand from the survey that almost 90 percent of landowners have not experienced problems with recreational anglers over the past five years.”

The study was conducted under a multi-state conservation grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and administered by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

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The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. We give the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. We invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America’s 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for over one million people.

Responsive Management is an internationally recognized public opinion and attitude survey research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues and has been conducting research on anglers and fishing-related issues for 20 years. Its mission is to help natural resource agencies and organizations better understand and work with their constituents, customers, and the public. Utilizing its in-house, full-service mail and telephone survey center with 50 professional interviewers, Responsive Management has conducted more than 500 telephone surveys, mail surveys and focus groups. It has extensive experience in conducting scientific surveys on fishing participation, fishing motivations, anglers’ preferences, and opinions on fishing regulations and other fisheries management issues. For all studies, Responsive Management follows the highest standards in conducting mail surveys, telephone surveys, focus groups, and personal interviews to ensure accurate, unbiased results.

Clancy of The Overflow

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Recently I received a letter from a good friend in Australia thanking me for coming over and speaking at the Fishers for Fish Habitat forum. One of the gifts he included with his letter was a poem by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson. He noted the poem “talks in a language we all understand.”

Little did he know that the poem was one that was very near and dear to my heart. It had hung in my cubicle in Senator Rudman’s office when i worked on Capitol Hill during my early days in Washington.  All to often looked at the poem and the words of Banjo Paterson and longed to go “a-droving”, “for the drover’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.”

The poem talked in a language well understood then and after 30 years it continues to talk in the same language.

These days I am fortunte and can emulate Clancy by substituting fishing for droving with similar results, “the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,”

Here is the poem for you to enjoy.

Clancy of The Overflow

I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just `on spec’, addressed as follows, `Clancy, of The Overflow’.

And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written with a thumb-nail dipped in tar)
‘Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
`Clancy’s gone to Queensland droving, and we don’t know where he are.’

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving `down the Cooper’ where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars.

I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all

And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the ‘buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.

And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.

And I somehow rather fancy that I’d like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cash-book and the journal —
But I doubt he’d suit the office, Clancy, of `The Overflow’.

–A.B. “Banjo” Paterson

Tenkara 411

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Because I get questions about fishing tenkara style, I pulled together some information. I also posted it on the Gone Fishing page so it is easy find to refer to.

For those unfamiliar with tenkara, it is a traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing. It reduces fly-fishing to three basic elements, a rod, a line and a fly. It has been used for centuries in Japan’s high mountain streams. Tenkara is all about simplicity. You focus on the fishing rather than the gear.

For brook trout fishing in the mountains I use the Tenkara USA Iwana in the 11′ length and 6:4 action. I use a 10′ 6″ traditional tenkara line attached to the tip  of the rod with a simple girth hitch. I tie about 9″ of 4x tippet to the end of the line, then about 12-18″ of 5x or 6x tippet to that depending on the conditions.

Because it flexes so much in the upper section especially at the tip, it readily protect a light tippet. While the rod appears delicate, it has held up exceptionally well under the rigors of fishing, traveling, bush whacking and teaching.

As you will quickly discover, tenkara style fishing gives you incredible drag free drifts. Often three and four times as long as you might get with a conventional outfit. And those drag-free drifts are one of the most important elements for fishing success.

It is a great teaching tool. It makes teaching the basics very easy, getting the student on the water and fishing sooner. It allows the teacher and student to focus more on fishing technique and not have to work so much on line management and casting skills.

Tenkara doesn’t replace conventional fly fishing, however. There are fishing situations where long casts and heavier lines are required.

Here are some links with more information about tenkara.

Tenkara USA’s website, has a wealth of information. There you can find information on the origins and history of tenkara, video’s and diagrams of casting techniques.

In the spirit of full disclosure because I am a professional guide and instructor I get a professional discount from Tenkara USA. They did not compensate me for writing or posting this.

Mountain Khakis Granite Creek Pants

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As the proud owner of more than a half a dozen pairs of Mountain Khakis, I have nothing but good things to say about them.

Here in the mountain brook trout streams in and around the Shenandoah Valley we “wet wade” a whole lot more then we wear waders. Naturally when I saw Mountain Khaki’s, had fishing pants I had to try a pair.

It didn’t take long before I was giving them a workout all over the Valley both on the streams and off. What I didn’t anticipate at the time was the prospect of having to spend 20 hours in an airplane.

I had been invited by the government of New South Wales to give a presentation on fish habitat conservation activity in the United States. Naturedly I was honored by the invitation and thrilled by the prospect of seeing Australia.

What I was not thrilled about was the idea of a nearly six-hour flight to Los Angeles and then a 15-hour flight to Sydney in coach. I have traveled enough to know that airline travel has pretty much descended to the realm of a barely tolerable necessity. How the heck was I going to stay comfortable and presentable at the same time?

Cue the light bulb…Hey those MK Granite Creek Pants might just be the ticket!

So after a six-hour leg from Dulles to LAX and a 17 and a half-hour leg from LAX to Sydney and a return performance two weeks later I can attest to their comfort. For you guys let me just say that means you are not suffering from that constant “adjustment” imperative that comes from sitting (or in this case trying to sleep) for long periods of time, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

We arrived in Sydney in the early morning the next day. The pants were  presentable, even if I wasn’t, as we made are way through immigration, baggage claim and customs. We then drove down the south coast sight seeing as we went along.

There are a lot of features that make the Granite Creeks really great for travel, especially foreign travel. Things like quick drying, wicking fabric, plenty of pockets, three with zippers for extra security, all neatly arranged for use not fashion and my favorite, the little extra loop in the belt loop the is perfect for carabineer key ring.

It is really nice to know that when I have to travel then my favorite fishing pants can do double duty in style. You can go to the MK website and check all the features out.
Of course now I am back to standing in a mountain stream in my Granite Creeks without wallet, passport, keys, cell phone or plane ticket anywhere near by. This week they got back to back workouts on the Rapidan.

Because I think things that work well deserve to be promoted, I contacted MK about their ambassador program. I was delighted when they accepted me. They didn’t ask me or pay me to write this, but did send me a nice pair of Alpine Utility Shorts to try out.

I quickly embarrassed myself by going to get the mail with the sticker still on my butt. Pretty smooth huh?