The Middle River Group, LLC

fly fishing, conservation and politics.

TNV columns

Remembering giants among men

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My tribute in this morning’s News Virginian:

There are some columns one would prefer never to write. This is one of them.

Please indulge me as I reflect on two people who are no longer with us. Not to mourn their loss so much as to celebrate their lives.

On Tuesday morning one of my very closest friends lost his battle with cancer.
He was like a brother to me. The best man in my wedding, a hunting and fishing partner of many years and the voice on the other end of the phone keeping me strong when trouble came. And oh, the whiskey we drank.

Many of you have never heard of James D. Range. But all of you have been touched by his work. He was a conservation hero. Embodying a conservation ethic on the scale of Roosevelt, Leopold, Muir and Pinchot.

One of my most cherished memories, from many years ago, is standing with him in my dining room one night. We got choked up looking out at the fields and woods where I lived.

He told me that not a lot of folks were willing to protect the things he, I and many of you love so much like fish, wildlife and the wild things of this earth. He said, “Tommy we have to protect the wild things. If we don’t do it, it won’t get done.”

Tears streamed down our faces. Big men do cry.

Range was a modern architect of natural resource conservation. A skilled bipartisan policy and political genius with an extraordinary network of friends and contacts.

Range had wonderful oratorical gifts, a way of always speaking from his heart, sometimes in language not fit for a family newspaper. You may not have liked what he said but you surely knew what he thought.

He was the personification of “if they don’t see the light, we can surely make them feel the heat.”

Range’s fingerprints are all over the nation’s conservation laws, including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. His championing of conservation tax incentives earned him a profile in Time magazine.

He ably chaired the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Board of Directors pouring his enormous energy into its resurrection.

He served with distinction and candor on the Board’s of Trout Unlimited, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, Ducks Unlimited, the American Bird Conservancy, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Valles Caldera Trust and the Yellowstone Park Foundation.

Range was an original board member of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, helping to chart the outstanding course it is on today. He also held presidential appointments to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin and the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council.

In 2003, Range received the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given to an individual at the national level by the Department.

He was also awarded the 2003 Outdoor Life Magazine Conservationist of the Year Award and the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Sportfishing Association.

Range’s greatest love was the outdoors. He fished and hunted all over the world. I suspect he was happiest however, at his place on the Missouri River near Craig, Mont.

Flyway Ranch was his sanctuary. A sanctuary, which, in typical Range fashion, he shared with friends and colleagues so they too could enjoy a respite from challenges both personal and professional.

Beside his multitude of friends and admirers, Range is survived by his father, Dr. James Range of Johnson City, Tenn., brothers John Neel, Harry and Peter, twin daughters Allison and Kimberly, and loyal bird dogs Plague, Tench and Sky.

Range may be gone but we will be telling stories about him for the rest of our lives.

The Valley lost another friend recently as well. She was one of Range’s favorite people and the mother of his girlfriend Anni.

Jean Marion Gregory Ince, died on Jan. 12 at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. She and her husband Eugene St. Clair Ince, Jr. and her beloved golden retriever “Meg” were residents of Madison.

Like Range, Jean Ince was a giver. She and Meg, a certified therapy dog, worked with patients at the Kluge Children’s Rehabilitation Center in Charlottesville and at the Augusta Medical Center in Fishersville.

Anni told me her mom, like Range, loved the outdoors and animals, particularly horses and dogs. She said that love was passed on to her children and grandchildren as well.

Jean and Bud enjoyed a special relationship. They wrote about it in the December 1978 issue of GOURMET Magazine. An Evening at the Waldorf chronicles the evening of their engagement.

It is a wonderfully engaging story of a young couple, a special hotel, and a time when doing for others was a common practice.

I hope you will take a moment to read it. It is a gift that will make any day a better one.

You can find a copy of An Evening at the Waldorf at http://www.usna.org/family/waldorf.html.

Jim Range and Jean Ince have made our world a better place. Their friends and families miss them but their memories will warm our hearts forever.

NOTE: A website, JimRange.com has been created in his honor. You can learn more about Jim and see pictures and stories from his friends.

Wildlife should benefit from stimulus

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We are all reading or hearing about the economic stimulus package that President-elect Barack Obama and Congress will be working on. Whether you think it is a good idea or not, the likelihood that some form of stimulus package will become law is pretty much a certainty.

Last month, 31 hunting, fishing, conservation and environmental organizations jointly sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, supporting additional funding for habitat conservation and green infrastructure projects.

What I found very interesting and frankly refreshing about who had signed the letter was that these 31 groups have not always been willing to work together.

Environmental groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense Fund, National Audubon Society and the Wilderness Society joined with the American Sportfishing Association, the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership in support of specific conservation funding.

The letter stated, “The attached recommendations represent a unique consensus among a wide range of organizations specifically aimed at habitat-oriented projects that benefit fish and wildlife while stimulating local economies, particularly through job creation.”

This is a remarkable turn of events. Hopefully one that will become a pattern and not an exception.

Like many, I am not sure the answer to our nation’s economic woes is more government spending. But, if taxpayer funds are going to be used to stimulate the economy then using that money for habitat conservation, public access and recreational opportunity makes sense.

Investments in our natural resources offer a variety of economic benefits. Hunting, fishing and other recreational activities are economic engines that provide tax revenue, conservation dollars and jobs for local economies.

These organizations point out that investments in conservation projects provide job-creation opportunities in engineering, landscaping, hydrology and other biological fields. These types of projects need specialized equipment operators, construction crews and many other skilled laborers.

The group noted, “Our estimates indicate that over 160,000 jobs would be created through this funding request. This figure represents direct job creation as a result of the proposed stimulus investments and does not include secondary job creation. Most of these programs and projects would be initiated and jobs created within 3-6 months, with the goal of completing obligations within one year.”

When you add it all up, these groups are recommending an investment of nearly $9 billion. Seems like a lot of money doesn’t it? Sure does to me.

But if you look at it as part of the whole and if the current $700 billion being discussed is close to the final amount, then these programs will only get a bit more than one and a quarter percent of the total.

I think our natural resources, fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities deserve that and more.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific recommendations.

For the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service, they recommend increased funding for Habitat Restoration Programs like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, the Fish Passage Program and the Coastal Program. Because of the project backlog in each of these programs increased funding would immediately lead to more jobs.

Another U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program that could use more money is the North American Wetland Conservation Act grants program. NAWCA has a great track record of success. Demand for these grants is growing and exceeds current funding levels.

New funding would mean engineering and construction related jobs. Given the importance of wetlands and the continued projected losses of this critical habitat, more NAWCA grants make sense.

The National Park Service is another important agency in desperate need of funding. Estimates of the operations and maintenance backlog are somewhere north of $8 billion, more than half of that amount is needed just for road and trail repair.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a number of important conservation programs at the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The groups making the recommendations point out that U.S. Forest Service could use funding assistance for sustainable forests. Funds would be used to improve water quality and wildlife habitat while ensuring a supply of wood and forest products.

Programs like Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation with a backlog of more than $400 million, would use the funding to improve recreational access and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.

Wildfire is a growing worry. More than 100 million acres of state, private and national forests are at risk across the nation. Funding for hazardous fuels reduction and post-fire restoration would help make our rural communities safer, provide jobs, support local economies and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.

Valley residents and visitors know what an asset our National Parks and National Forests are. Using new funding to improve these important recreational venues is a smart investment.

Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor recreations are important contributors to our national economy. Hunters and anglers spend $76 billion each year to enjoy their sports. They are an economic engine with a “ripple effect” of $192 billion.

That ripple effect means people have jobs and local economies thrive. Besides the direct hunting and fishing jobs, other businesses benefit – businesses like gas stations, retail, restaurants and hotels in every state and congressional district.

As taxpayers we have a right and duty to express our views on how the government spends our money. If we are going to spend the money, then these programs and projects are worthwhile investments.

Take the time to tell our elected officials that hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation are important to our economy and deserve financial support.

You can read more of my columns in the News Virginian.

Learning from the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture

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As a fisherman and hunter I have learned to appreciate the interconnectivity of the natural world.

Like many, I have come to see the wisdom in the quote often attributed to John Muir, “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”

By the way, what he really said was, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”

But the point remains.

One of the prime examples of this interconnectivity is the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture.

The Joint Venture began in 2002 when a small group of us got together to see if we could take advantage of the emerging interest in fish habitat conservation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Service had launched the National Fish Habitat Initiative and a few of us were interested in seeing if there might be some common interest to do something for the Brook Trout habitat.

The original group of fish heads included the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Larry Mohn and Steve Reeser, Hannibal Bolton from the USFWS, Dave Cross from the U.S. Forest Service, Steve Moyer from Trout Unlimited and Gordon Robertson from the American Sportfishing Association.

We all felt that the National Fish Habitat Initiative, later known as the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, was a good idea. Using regional partnerships modeled after the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, joint ventures made good sense to us.

What we worried about was the spectra of “process” getting in the way of progress. The folks managing the Action Plan wanted to build a program first. We wanted to put our time, money and energy into “on the ground” projects.

Over the next few months we reached out to the fish and game departments in the 17 states that encompassed the Eastern Brook Trout’s native range from Maine to Georgia.

Most of the states contacted agreed with our enthusiasm for protecting, restoring and enhancing Brook Trout habitat. Many agreed to participate in an initial planning meeting the following year.

At that meeting the participants formed a steering committee (I currently serve as the vice-chair) to manage the effort. The participating organizations then divided the work among five working committees; Conservation Strategy, Data, Outreach and Education, Science and Research and Grants and Development.

Over the next two years the EBTJV did a range-wide assessment of Brook Trout populations and threats to Brook Trout and Brook Trout habitat in the Eastern United States.

Each state drafted conservation strategies to improve water quality and restore Brook Trout habitat and populations using local, incentive-based, non-regulatory programs.

“Once the partnership recognized the threats facing Brook Trout within its historic eastern range, we developed regional and range-wide strategies to take swift and deliberate steps to conserve strong populations and restore weaker ones,” said Steve Perry, Inland Fisheries Division Chief for the NH Fish and Game Department and Chair of the Joint Venture. “We created a model for fish conservation — a large-scale habitat-focused conservation strategy for a species at risk. This strategy provides us with a roadmap to significantly improve Brook Trout populations by 2025.”

Last year, the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture was recognized as one of the first partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. The list of partners supporting the joint venture now includes fish and wildlife agencies from all 17 states, federal agencies, conservation organizations and academic institutions.

Brook Trout are state fish. They are the only trout native to the streams and rivers of the eastern United States.

Once abundant throughout their historical range, Brook Trout populations are declining as land use changes alter their habitat. “Brookies” need cold, clean water to survive. They also serve as excellent indicators of the health of the watersheds they inhabit.

Virginia has received funding for two projects, both of them here in the Shenandoah Valley, one on the North River and another on Smith Creek.

The North River Brook Trout Habitat Restoration project was one of the first to receive funds set aside by the USFWS for the EBTJV.

The North River project is restoring the original stream contour to a five-mile section above the Elkhorn Dam. VDGIF is working with the U.S. Forest Service to restore this historic Brook Trout habitat.

Larry Mohn at VDGIF told me that the project has tremendous potential for Brook Trout restoration. He also said because of the size of project it would take a while to get it completed.

Mohn is a pretty laid-back guy but he was visibly excited about the potential to restore this low in-stream flow habitat for Brook Trout.

The Smith Creek project is in Rockingham County. Working cooperatively with ten diverse partners, the project is helping restore riparian habitat at the headwaters of Smith Creek.

This project connects to Mountain Run in the George Washington National Forest as well, providing additional spawning habitat for those Brook Trout.

The connection the EBTJV has to our everyday life is not hard to see. Clean water is important in so many ways here in the Valley, in Virginia and across the country.

As part of the EBTJV we all benefit from the work to protect our watersheds and aquatic habitat. Whether you fish or not, when we tug at a single thing in nature, we indeed find it attached to the rest of the world.

You can read more of my columns in the News Virginian here.

Try fly tying this year

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In keeping with the tradition of New Year’s resolutions I will share one of mine with you.

I have been a somewhat inconsistent fly tyer, both in commitment and quality. This year I resolve to improve both.

What is nice about this resolution is having the chance to share the virtues of this wonderful pastime with you.

If you like to fly-fish and have not learned to tie flies, why not start now? It is a great winter activity. There is something magical about catching a fish on a fly you have tied yourself. Even if you only catch an easily fooled sunfish.

I got started when I was a teenager in the late 60’s. My maternal grandfather taught me.

Like grandfathers will, as soon as he saw I enjoyed it, he got me my own set-up.

It was pretty basic; a vice, some tools and materials. He also let me raid his stash of more exotic materials whenever I wanted.

He taught me the basics and then let me go. He was a good teacher, not insisting on perfection, just happy that I was enjoying myself.

That is the great thing about fly tying — you can do it with kids. The basic tools and materials are not particularly expensive. The basic techniques are easily mastered. Many of the most effective patterns are easily learned.

Can you imagine the smile on a child’s face, fishing with you and catching a fish on a fly they tied themselves? Yup, magical.

Even if you don’t fly-fish, you might like fly tying if you like working with your hands or doing crafts.

One of the fellows I teach fly-fishing with was tying flies for fun and selling them to his fly-fishing friends. After seeing how much fun folks had fishing with his flies he decided to learn how to fly-fish himself.

Here are some suggestions on getting started with fly tying.

First you will need a fly tying vice. The vic is used to securely hold the hook you will be tying the material to form the fly. It stands upright to give you room to work.

The basic beginner vice costs less than $25. Better models will run from $50 to $250 and the top of line models can go for more than $500.

The key thing in a vice is to hold the hook securely. Even the least expensive vices can do that. After that,it is a matter of what your budget is.

The one feature that makes tying easier is a vice that rotates as you tie the material on the hook. Rotary vices of course cost more.

For years I tied dozens of flies without using a rotary vice but I later invested in one. It was worth the money because I could tie flies more efficiently.

I kept my old non-rotary vice for traveling. I can pack the basic equipment I need with my fishing gear and tie up some flies on location.

Next you need some simple tools. While you could find many if not all of these tools around the house, it pays to get the right tools for the job.

As with all work, good tools make sense. You should use the best tools your budget will allow.

Small, sharp scissors designed for fine work are essential. Like vices, they can run from plain to fancy. I have two pairs. One is used only to cut soft materials like fur, feathers, yarn and thread. This one is the more expensive pair.

The second pair cuts wire, tinsel, or other materials that will dull them. A fine substitute for this second set of scissors is a pair of nail trimmers.

Because you will be using spools of thread as you tie your flies, a tool called a bobbin is must have. Having more than one will save you time if you have different spools of thread pre-loaded on their own bobbin.

To make loading the bobbins with thread easier, there is a bobbin threader. It is a “must have” just for the ease of loading bobbins.

You will be working with feathers. The tool, called hackle pliers, holds the feather as you wrap it around the hook. The simpler ones are best for beginners so you get a feel for wrapping feathers.

Other material you are apt to use a lot is hair. Elk, deer and moose are the common ones. A hair stacker comes in real handy to help get all the ends lined up for tying them on to the hook.

Another handy tool is a dubbing needle also called a bodkin. It is just a needle in a handle. For years I just stuck various size needles in wine corks. They are used to separate feathers, fluff up hair and clean out the hook eyes.

Hooks and materials for fly tying are so dependent on the type of fly you tie that it would take a whole column to cover them. The best advice is to get a good fly tying book, pick some patterns to try and then buy what you need.

My favorite fly tying books are “The Benchside Introduction to Fly Tying” by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer and “Inside Fly Tying” by Dick Talleur. Both are good for beginners and great reference for any fly tyer. My favorite DVD is “Fly Tying Yellowstone Hatches with Craig Mathews”.

Locally you can find tools, materials and good advice at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, Albemarle Angler in Charlottesville or Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg.

On the Web you can find tools and materials at Orvis, L.L. Bean, Cabelas and Bass Pro Shop. The Caddis Fly Angling Shop in Eugene, Ore., was especially helpful when I asked for ideas on Twitter.

My favorite place for materials and tools anywhere is Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, Mont. Craig and Jackie Mathews are good friends and consummate professionals. They are truly the one-stop shop for fly tying.

There is something relaxing about fly tying. The whole creative process is enjoyable. If you need a new “vice” for the New Year this one might be fun.

You can read more of my columns in the News Virginian here.

The gift of Christmas presence

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Merry Christmas! I hope that you are enjoying this special day.

This year our family did something a little different for Christmas. We focused more on “presence” rather than “presents”.

What that means is we focused on being with family, friends or the community, rather than buying a lot of stuff. Of course with the economic times being what they are the idea was pretty good for the rest of the family.

This week we spent some time doing for others in the community. Little things we might not otherwise have done because we were too busy.

We gave a little time and energy for others We went out of our way to be more involved with our friends. We called, wrote, texted, twittered and just said Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.

As a family, we will be cooking a big meal together. Everyone is either cooking with us or bringing a part of the meal.

Presence, it has been much better than presents already.

You can read more in my column in The New Virginian here.

Project Healing Waters

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One of the best parts of being involved in the outdoor industry is being able to sit on the boards of some wonderful organizations. One of the most rewarding ones is Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. You can read more in my column in The New Virginian here: http://tinyurl.com/phw1218