The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

Reflections

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

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

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?

Another reason I love Wyoming

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Wyoming adopts ‘cowboy ethics’ as State code. Gov. Freudenthal signed the legislation on March 3.

The code of the west, derived from the book, Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West, by James P. Owen, will be the official state code of Wyoming effective July 1, 2010.

The code:

(i) Live each day with courage;

(ii) Take pride in your work;

(iii) Always finish what you start;

(iv) Do what has to be done;

(v) Be tough, but fair;

(vi) When you make a promise, keep it;

(vii) Ride for the brand;

(viii) Talk less, say more;

(ix) Remember that some things are not for sale;

(x) Know where to draw the line.

For more information about the Jim Owen, the Ten Principals and the Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership click here

TRCP Honors Conservation Giants at Annual Awards Dinner

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On Wednesday night, September 30, I had the honor to be part of this event. It was a great chance to share more Jim Range stories with many of his good friends. He may be gone but events like this remind us that he is far from forgotten.

This TRCP press release captures the evening quite well.

TRCP Honors Conservation Giants at Annual Awards Dinner

At second annual Capital Conservation Honors, the TRCP pays tribute to Rep. John D. Dingell,
Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris and TRCP co-founder Jim Range,
launching Jim Range Conservation Fund in his honor

WASHINGTON – At its second annual Capital Conservation Honors, held last night near the group’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership recognized the achievements of some of the sportsmen-conservation world’s brightest stars and launched a fundraising effort honoring the legacy of former TRCP chairman and co-founder Jim Range. The two-year campaign for the TRCP Jim Range Conservation Fund begins with $150,000 in contributions already in hand and has a fundraising goal of $2 million.

The gala event featured a keynote address by Douglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and best-selling author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America. Congressman John D. Dingell of Michigan was awarded the TRCP’s Sportsman’s Champion Award for his leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives on legislation to protect our nation’s waters and wetlands and to provide funding for fish and wildlife adaptation strategies in climate change legislation. Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops and a lifelong conservationist who has donated millions of dollars to conservation and education groups, was presented with the TRCP’s Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award. Lead sponsors of the Sept. 30 event included Bass Pro Shops, Beretta, Frontiers Travel and Orvis.

“The TRCP’s Capital Conservation Honors recognizes the best of the past, present and future of conservation in America,” said George Cooper, TRCP president and CEO. “Reflecting on the lives of giants such as Theodore Roosevelt, John Dingell, Johnny Morris and Jim Range showcases the great achievements that sportsmen have made in the name of conservation – yet also lights a path forward by illustrating how much remains to be done to assure the future of our shared natural resources and our great sporting traditions.”

Throughout his success, Johnny Morris has remained an ardent conservationist and is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Sport Fishing Institute’s Fisherman of the Year award, the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies President’s Award, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Conservationist of the Year award, the Master Conservation award from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Hunting Heritage Award. He was inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s Hall of Fame in 2005 and has been named one of the 25 most influential people in hunting and fishing by Outdoor Life magazine.

“Conservation of our outdoor resources remains a cornerstone of our company,” said Morris. “I am humbled by this honor and pledge to continue carrying on the legacy of sportsmen-conservationists like Teddy Roosevelt and Jim Range.”

Jim Range, who passed away in January, was memorialized with the official launch of the Jim Range Conservation Fund. A hero of modern conservation, Range was instrumental in the crafting and passage of a string of landmark natural resource laws, including the Clean Water Act. Range served on the boards of directors for Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservancy, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Park Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust. An original board member and chair of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Range also was a White House appointee to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council and the Valles Caldera Trust.

“When Jim Range co-founded the TRCP, I thought ‘no one better,’” said Theodore Roosevelt IV, a member of the JRCF Leadership Council. “He never removed conservation into ideology. For Jim, as for TR, conservation was about people as much as about place. He was a ‘real guy’ who could talk to absolutely anyone and keep them at the table: hunters, steamfitters, CEOs.”

Range’s dedication to the conservation of fish and wildlife in support of the nation’s sporting traditions remains entrenched in sportsmen’s lives through the TRCP. The TRCP’s establishment of the Jim Range Conservation Fund assures that Range’s conservation legacy as directed through the mission of the TRCP endures and will be perpetuated through the group’s ongoing efforts on behalf of American hunters and anglers.

“Range understood the great art of politics but never became so involved in ‘winning’ that he lost sight of the goal: service,” continued Roosevelt. “It is the hope of all of us that this fund will be the beginning of permanent financing to protect our hunting and fishing traditions.”

“The Jim Range Conservation Fund will assure that Jim Range’s voice continues to influence the way we as a nation use and enjoy our shared resources and fish and wildlife habitat,” said TRCP Board Chair Jim Martin, conservation director of the Berkley Conservation Institute, “and by recognizing and honoring the achievements of other great sportsmen-conservationists, the TRCP intends to perpetuate that benefaction. This is the foundation of the TRCP’s Capital Conservation Honors, and this is the legacy of our great friend Jim Range.”

The JRCF Leadership Council is led by Co-chairmen Hon. Howard H. Baker Jr. and Ted Turner. Council members are James A. Baker IV, Charles “Chip” H. Collins, Matthew B. Connolly Jr., George Cooper V, David Perkins, Charles S. Potter Jr., Theodore Roosevelt IV, John M. Seidl and R. Beau Turner. Additional support for the second annual Capital Conservation Honors was provided by the Range family, Dusan Smetana Photography and The Thomas Group.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions
of hunting and fishing.

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A time to reflect, learn new tricks

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When you hit certain milestones in your life, in my case turning 55 years old in July, you get a chance to reflect on the things you have accomplished and the things you might still want to accomplish in the future.

As I write this I am enjoying a family vacation in Exeter, R.I. We are at a cabin on Yagoo pond. It is a typical New England lakeside scene — if you saw the movie On Golden Pond then you get the picture. The place hasn’t changed all that much in the 55 years I have been coming here. I like that.

There is some wonderful fishing here. Over the years I have caught my fair share of bass, pickerel and sunfish. For more than 40 years, I have fished here with a fly-rod. Since I am reflecting on future accomplishments I decided to learn to how to use a bait casting rig on this vacation.

For the last 10 years or so I have taught fly-fishing professionally. I enjoy teaching, especially watching my students discover those personal keys that help them become good at fly casting.

My last attempt to use a bait-casting rig was not pretty. With no instruction I just hung a plug on the end of the line and “let her rip”. Those of you who fish with a bait caster are now smiling and thinking “bet he had one heck of a backlash with that approach”. And I surely did. The net result was more time untangling then casting.

Now like most humans endowed with a Y chromosome, reading instruction manuals is not in my make up. However, I have learned a thing or two over the years and for this learning experience I read up on how to “adjust” the reel to help prevent backlashing.

There were two reels collecting dust in my gear closet both pretty old school. A Quantum Tour and an Abu-Garcia Ambassadeur. They had magnets and brakes and all sorts of “fine” adjustments to assist you in casting.

Reading carefully and setting the reels up as suggested, I ventured forth to test my skills.

My first cast was tentative and somewhat misdirected. But, no backlash. A few more casts improved my accuracy. As my timing improved so did the length of my casts.

Soon I realized the adjustments could be modified to allow for more independent control of the spool with the thumb. Clearly, this was how the big boys did it. I was ready to advance.

I quickly came to appreciate that point in the learning curve when you think you should be able to do something, but for some reason it just doesn’t work out that way. My mind raced back to all the time my students had that perplexed look and I thought, “come on it is not that hard”.

I eventually got to a point where the backlashes were not taking the fun out of fishing. The casts were going where I wanted and I started to enjoy a new skill.

I probably won’t trade my fly-rod in, but it is good to know this dog can still learn a new trick.

More importantly it reminded me what it is like to be a student again. That just because something is so routine for me doesn’t mean it will be for everyone. The real lesson for me was to remember to put myself in my student’s shoes. That was certainly a lesson worth relearning.

You can read more of my columns at News Virginian.com.