Middle River Dispatches

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

Pebble Mine Update: What the Army Corps Did and Didn’t Do

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If you are following the saga of the proposed Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska, you would be forgiven if you thought recent action by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was the death knell for the proposed mine.

On August 24, the USACE released a letter to the Pebble Limited Partnership. The U.S. Army’s press office proclaimed, “Therefore, the Corps finds that the project, as currently proposed, cannot be permitted under section 404 of the Clean Water Act.”

In reality, the USACE essentially kicked the can down the road. The letter to the Pebble Limited Partnership informed them, “As part of the [Record of Decision] the [Alaska District of the USACE] made Clean Water Act Section 404(b) (1) factual determinations that discharges at the mine site would cause unavoidable adverse impacts to aquatic resources and, preliminarily, that those adverse impacts would result in significant degradation to those aquatic resources.” The Alaska District of the USACE determined that Pebble Limited Partnership would need mitigation measures within the Koktuli River Watershed, where the mine potentially will be located, for all direct and indirect impacts on aquatic resources caused by the mine’s discharges.

The letter went on to outline the ways those damages could be mitigated:

There are three approved mechanisms for providing compensatory mitigation, which include mitigation banks, in-lieu fee programs, and permittee-responsible mitigation with preference, in that order. Your mitigation plan may include a combination of means and mechanisms but must comply with all required components of Rule and be found sufficient to offset the unavoidable adverse impacts to the aquatic resources identified above.

Some reactions critics of the project from both sides of Capitol Hill were less than laudatory of the action. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) stated :

A mitigation plan to make up for unavoidable damage from the Pebble Mine is not enough. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for Pebble Mine did not assure me the pristine Bristol Bay region of Alaska, which is home to the world’s most productive salmon fishery, supports 14,000 jobs and generates $1.5 billion of revenue annually, would be sufficiently protected. I again urge the Administration to completely veto a Clean Water Act permit for this project.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) said :

Delaying the permit for the Pebble Mine is welcome news, but let’s be clear: the only reason this environmental atrocity came this close to happening is because the Trump administration is a favor factory for polluting industries. The previously rejected permit was revived and fast-tracked by this administration, and the only reason they finally hit the pause button is because – thankfully – some individuals close to President Trump made a personal appeal. We can welcome the outcome, but let’s not confuse any of this with environmental stewardship or good government.

This letter did not come as a surprise to the Pebble Limited Partnership. The company responded:

The letter we received today is a normal letter in the permitting process and we are well into an effort to present a mitigation plan to the USACE that complies with the requirements of their letter. A clear reading of the letter shows it is entirely unrelated to recent tweets about Pebble and one-sided news shows. The White House had nothing to do with the letter nor is it the show-stopper described by several in the news media over the weekend.

Now that dust has settled, let’s take a look at the facts included in the Corps’s letter, which should send chills down the spine of anyone who still thinks it is a good idea to permit this mine.

The letter tells us what is at stake:

Therefore, the District has determined that in-kind compensatory mitigation within the Koktuli River Watershed will be required to compensate for all direct and indirect impacts caused by discharges into aquatic resources at the mine site. Direct and indirect impacts at the mine site total 2,825 acres of wetlands, 132.5 acres of open waters, and 129.5 miles of streams.

The District has also determined that compensatory mitigation is required for unavoidable adverse impacts to aquatic resources from discharges associated with the transportation corridor and the port site. Direct and indirect impacts associated with the transportation corridor and port site total 460 acres of wetlands, 231.7 acres of open waters, and 55.5 miles of streams.

Let me help you with the math. Here are the totals for what’s at risk:

  • 3,285 acres of wetlands
  • 364 acres of open waters
  • 185 miles of streams

So somewhere, somehow, the Pebble Limited Partnership is going to mitigate all that damage. As they said, “We will share more details of our initial plan as they become more defined.”

They have until November 20 to do that, although they seem to think it may happen sooner. “Based on our understanding of the substance of the letter, our discussions with the state, our substantial work in the field and our discussions with the USACE we believe our final Comprehensive Management Plan submission will be submitted within weeks and will satisfy all of the requirements of the letter.”

We shall see.

Here’s the rub. Bristol Bay is unique. How will that uniqueness be mitigated? How do you mitigate the loss of the world’s best salmon run?

On August 31, a letter from Representatives Huffman and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and signed by 31 of their colleagues to EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler, made the point, “There is no level of compensatory mitigation that would be sufficient to address the mine’s irreversible harm to the pristine environment that exists in Bristol Bay.”

The letter went on to ask “that the EPA exercise its authority under the Clean Water Act and oppose the flawed Environmental Impact Statement.”

Let’s hope the administration comes to realize that, as the late Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska said, “This is the wrong mine in the wrong place,” and vetoes the Clean Water Act permit. If the USACE and Environmental Protection Agency don’t see the light, hopeful Congress will make them feel the heat.

Note: This article originally appeared on the Marine Fish Conservation Network’s From the Waterfront blog.

The rod of my dreams

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In 2019, I decided to treat myself to a bamboo fly rod to mark my 65th birth year. I’ve inherited three bamboo rods from my grandfather and father. Now I contemplated having a rod of my own as I approached this milestone in life.

My first call was to Jerry Kustich at Sweetgrass Rods. I knew Jerry as one of the renowned “boo boys” and a dedicated conservationist. When it came time to buy a handcrafted, custom made rod, the choice was obvious.

On the phone, Jerry walked me through the process, and we talked about what kind of rod he could build. My home waters are the spring creeks and mountain streams in and around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. While I knew I might be hoping for the impossible, having a rod suitable for both was my dream. The more I talked with Jerry, the more hopeful I became. We met up at the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival in January of this year, where I had a chance to cast some different rods.

After casting a few rods, I began to zero in on a model that appealed to me. Like a bespoke suit, the fit and feel were subjective. I wanted a rod that worked with me and fit my casting style. As I tried the rods, I began to understand why people speak of bamboo rods as if they are alive. It’s uncanny. The feel is like nothing else I’ve experienced.

Over the years, my preference for slower rods has increased. Much of that comes from fishing longer, more flexible tenkara rods for the last 10 years. My casting style reflects it as well. Because I wanted a rod for our spring creeks, where the fish are bigger, I needed a rod with some muscle but still soft enough to load quickly for short cast in mountain streams.

With Jerry’s excellent guidance, we settled on a Sweetgrass 7’9″ Pent (five strip) for a four or five weight line. As Jerry noted, “a 4-weight with a bit of backbone.” Jerry would build the rod, and Glenn would add the finishing touches, including an inscription with my name and my 65th birthday date. 

In late June, when the word came from Butte that the rod was headed my way, I could barely contain my excitement. When it arrived, I was struck by the beauty of the craftsmanship, the cane’s warm colors, the richness of the cocobolo reel seat, and the sparkle of the nickel silver Bellinger components. This was an elegant tool; I couldn’t wait to fish with it.

Fortune shines

As the Fourth of July holiday approached, I checked with Colby at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, where I guide. As luck would have it, a beat on our spring creek water was open the morning of July 4. After more than 90 days without a chance to fish, this would genuinely be an Independence Day celebration. As a bonus, my stepson Matt was free that morning and joined me. We arrived at Mossy and rigged up. As I cast the rod, I re-experienced that magical feel of a bamboo rod. I felt the rod load not only in my arm; it felt alive in my hand. Words don’t do justice to the experience.

Because of my foray into the tenkara world, how well a rod tracks has become a touchstone. Tenkara rods track exceptionally well because the lines are so light. I have become very accustomed to that accuracy. With this rod, “laser-like” doesn’t overstate it. I noticed it right off the bat and was surprised how spot on it was. Because of my tenkara adapted casting stroke, the smoothly loading rod made me feel right at home, even with my sometimes rusty casting skills.

There were a few rises, so I started out fishing a parachute BWO with a midge dropper. After finding no takers on the midge, I switched to a bead-head pheasant tail and quickly connected.

With success on the dry-dropper rig established, I switched to a streamer. I was casting into overhanging cover, and the rod delivered the fly smoothly to the target. Two casts and a rainbow came to hand. I continued to put the rod to work. As the morning wore on, I switched to a beetle. We were now sight fishing, and the fish were getting increasingly spooky as the sun moved higher.

As my familiarity with it improved, my confidence increased, and I settled into a very satisfying working relationship. The reward came late in the morning as good-sized brown lazily sipped in a well-placed black beetle in his feeding lane.

When it comes to lines, it pays to talk to the guy who built the rod.

Because I was anxious to get on the water with my new rod, I grabbed the reel and line I had been using with my graphite rods. For the first outing, I used a Rio Technical Trout WF 5 and it worked very well. When I had a chance, I called Jerry and talked with him about lines. He explained that this rod would cast very well with a double taper line. He recommended the Cortland 444 SLYK DT.

After some back and forth about the line tapers and weights, I settled on the Cortland DT5F and the Rio Light Line DT4F.

Jerry helped me understand that while it might be counterintuitive, the five-weight line would work better for making short casts like when I was fishing for brook trout. The four weight would be better for making a longer cast, like when I fish our spring creeks.

I put both of the lines to the test, and all I can say is it pays to talk to the guy who built the rod. The results were remarkable and let me get the most out of this already impressive rod.

More adventures lie ahead, and this rod is now my first choice for my home waters.

Note: this article originally appeared in the August edition of Sweetgrass Rods monthly newsletter.

Casting Tip: Drift vs Creep

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I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Lori-Ann Murphy for many years. She is a terrific guide and all around fun person to know. She recently posted a casting tip that stuck with me. Her explanation of one of the mistakes many students and even good casters make is splendid advice.

Casting …..by Lori-Ann Murphy
Drift away!
The other day in my casting and fishing I became acutely aware that I was rushing my cast. This becomes evident when you don’t see what you want to on the delivery side of things. And this usually happens when we haven’t been fishing enough. We want to see a nice tapered leader turnover a balanced tippet holding the fly. Creep. That’s the word. We tend to “creep” our forward cast in anticipation of getting our fly to the fish. I imagine those of you float fishing to hatches with feeding trout might recognize the situation.

Al Kyte was a very important teacher in my fly fishing. Al was a basketball coach at UC Berkeley and also keen on fly fishing – especially understanding the cast. He studied Steve Rajeff and Lefty Krey. He came up with that on their short cast they had the same casting style. Which was very interesting because grown ups were having big fights over casting style as FFF now FFI found its way. In any case, Al taught me about “drift.”

“Just think about your rod tip moving back just an inch after your stop.” Moving the rod tip back as the fly line unfolds behind you after your stop is the exact opposite of creep. If we move our rod forward just a fraction of an inch sometime too soon – ugly cast. So go ahead and practice drifting with dry flies at first. Make sure you keep your tip in the same plane – don’t let it drop. Time slows down in this move. If you are hauling line – let that line fly behind you and then grab the line up by the first guide and pull hard with your line hand and keep your rod hand nice and relaxed with a proper grip to your snappy stop. When you are ready, move on to streamers and look out. By the time fall hits you’ll be deadly.

Connections

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When I read Todd Tanner’s Fly Fishing is Ultimately About Connections, especially the part about guiding, it resonated strongly with me. Rather than a quick reply or share on Facebook, it merited a bit more commentary.

If you’ve spent much time around fly-fishing guides, or if you’ve worn the yoke yourself on occasion, you know that guides can be a close-knit bunch. Rivalries and egos aside, the vast majority of guides share a common love for the sport.”

Todd Tanner

A number of this struck me about Tanner’s column.

First, he notes that guides are a close-knit bunch. The crew at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, where I have the privilege to guide (although this season, COVID-19 disease has robbed me of some of that), are like brothers. It is a fraternal bond that is seated in a common purpose; to provide our guests the best possible experience. We willing help each other to see that happen. And while we horse around and mercilessly tease each other, I know each would do all in their power to help me as I would them. That is a connection that I treasure, and a big part of the physic income I derive from guiding.

Second, Tanner notes our love of the sport. I have yet to meet a guide that doesn’t fit that description. Frankly, the love of sport is unavoidable. The willingness to share that love is, for me and I suspect my fellow guides as well, what gets us out on the water. We flat out dig the sport and we love to share it. I take great joy in seeing my guests succeed and come away from their time on the water with a desire to return and enjoy the experience again. You need only look at the smiles on the faces of guides when their guests succeed to know this is true.

Tanner points out, “If there’s a palpable difference between guides and the general fly-fishing community, it’s likely in the degree of sheer, unbridled passion.” Sure it can be a hassle to guide and put in the long hours of pre-game preparation and post-game resets. But it is that passion that makes me sign up to guide another trip and is fed by that physic reward I mentioned.

Finally, and Tanner touches on this as he wraps up, there is the connection to the natural world. For the better part of 25 years I have been directly engaged in advocating on resource conservation policy at the federal level. As a lobbyist and a journalist I have to connect complex public policy to meaningful, real world impacts. Guiding has made me better at doing that.

Tanner’s column goes beyond the points I note here. He explores his own connections to the sport and where they have led him. It is worth you time.

Source: Fly Fishing is Ultimately About Connections – Sporting Classics Daily

Scott Fly Rods – G Series

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This medium action rod, hand crafted in Montrose Colorado, is tailor made for spring creeks in the Valley

Rising browns and rainbows on a spring creek can really get your heart rate up. Add the pressure of laying in a delicate cast with a small dry fly and things get technical real quick. At times like these having a rod in your hand, designed to deliver, can make the day one to remember.

What rod do you reach for?

The G Series

Here is how Scott describes the G Series rod:

“These rods advance medium action fly rods with two innovations. We’ve reinvented the hollow internal ferrule to make it more flexible, stronger, and more than 20% lighter. We’ve also combined our cutting edge fiber and resin systems in the most advanced multi-modulus layups we’ve ever created. New multi-slope tapers were designed to take full advantage of the new materials layups.

The results are rods that help solve one of the toughest challenges in medium action fly rod design – how to create a rod that both bends deeply and remains stable. New G Series rods balance lighter in hand, have much more stability through the middle of the rod for better tracking, and generate higher line speeds. They do all this while retaining the classic flex of your favorite medium action rods. We’re bringing together presentation and power, so now you can pull hard on 7X tippet AND fish in the wind. The all new G Series. Like no other.”

If you don’t have a smooth casting, medium action rod in your arsenal; it may be time to try one out. You will be rewarded with a rod that moves with you, adjusting to your rhythm and style as you step onto the fishing dance floor and start the show.

If you love the feel and grace of a well cast line, the in your hand feedback as the rod loads, then the G Series rod is just the ticket.

Specs and technical stuff from Scott

Scott G Series fly rods feature breakthrough technology seamlessly integrated with the finest components and workmanship. All this to make sure your fishing is better.

  • ReAct technology combines our X-Core design with a new complex material and taper system to create a breakthrough in rod design. Distance, control and compromised by waves that vibrate in the rod, even after the cast has been made. Simply making the rod stiffer to stop these vibrations kills feel. ReAct counteracts energy sapping vibrations by speeding the recovery of the blank without the need to stiffen the rod with more material.
  • Advanced Reinforced Carbon for reducing torque and increasing strength. Scott is the leader in carbon blank reinforcements. Our latest ARC technology adds hoop strength to our blanks without adding weight, and counteracts torque that can reduce casting accuracy and line control. ARC helps us create low-mass thin-walled blank designs by providing the most advanced reinforcement. And that’s just good ol’ science meets engineering meets design.
  • X-Core delivers blanks that transmit feel and maintain stability better than any other design approach. We use fast taper mandrels with low-mass thin-walled blanks to create rods that have feel, stability and sensitivity.
  • Scott pioneered multi-modulus lay-ups in blank design. We’re able to precisely control stiffness along the length of the rod to build rods that load and unload more smoothly.
  • Every single Scott rod has been handcrafted in the USA… beginning to end. That’s very important to us. We like to get our hands dirty, and we can control exactly how your rod is built and who builds it. That commitment continues today, in the heart of Trout Country, Colorado by anglers who understand fly rods. Isn’t it better to know who built your rod?
  • Creating a natural finish blank requires exacting tolerances, more care, and shows off the beauty of graphite. The Scott natural finish is all about making your rod lighter, more durable and better performing.
  • X-core deliver blanks that transmit feel and maintain stability better than any other design approach. We use fast taper mandrels with low-mass, thin-walled blanks to create rods that have feel, stability and sensitivity.

The Scott G series is available for line weights 2 through 6. Order from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing’s online store HERE.