Fishing

Mojo | ‘Gunfight’ Is One Of The Most Important Books You May Ever Read About Guns In America

December 23, 2021 By Tom Sadler

Mountain Journal founder Todd Wilkinson and I join forces for our “The Week That Is,” column where we discuss topical events relating to the nation’s capital city and the public land West.

This time we have a discussion with Ryan Busse of Montana, author of Gunfight My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, a new book about guns and America. The book is raising eyebrows, opening eyes and changing the discussion about firearms and politics in this country.

Few topics are more “triggering” today in America, especially within red states, than discussions about guns. Perhaps no one, at this moment, understands this better than Busse, a self-described former “gunrunner” who has called out the firearm industry and the powerful National Rifle Association in his new book.

Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America is an insider’s account. Already called one of the most important books about guns in America ever written, it has placed Busse on a metaphorical firing line and is stirring up conversation nationally. No matter where one comes down on right to bear arms issues, Gunfight ought to be a part of your reading list.

Gunfight is not a tell all, it’s a mea culpa. And kudos to Busse for the courage to do it. Having witnessed first hand some of the episodes in Busse’s book, I know the truth when I read it.

More importantly, Busse sounds a graphic warning about the future facing our country. As if the increasing body count of innocent lives lost is not enough, he gives us a behind the scenes look at politics of authoritarianism in the gun industry and how that has become the playbook for the radical right and much of the Republican party. His revelations and observations will send chills down the spines of those of us who cherish our democracy.

Read Wilkinson’s and my conversation with Busse > ‘Gunfight’ Is One Of The Most Important Books You May Ever Read About Guns In America. I don’t think it will be our last.

You can order a copy of Gunfight My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, here.

Let’s ditch the “hero” shot for the “here” shot.

August 2, 2021 By Tom Sadler

I’m adding my voice to the increasing loud chorus of fly anglers who are tired of seeing “hero shots” of fish, especially trout. During this summer (or likely future) of high heat and water temps, the price of that ego stroke may very well be a dead fish. Ain’t nobody got time for that shit these days.

Todd and I wrote about this for MoJo awhile back > Fishing’s ‘Hero Pose’: How Do The Fish Feel?

Louis Cahill of Gink and Gasoline fame, wrote with a little more directness in Nobody Wants To See Your Rotting Corpse. Here is a taste that made my grumpy old man heart smile…

You want to prove you’re a better angler than everyone else? Just talk louder. That’s what every other beer swilling asshole at the local bar does! Just go down to the fly shop and blubber for an hour or two about how you only catch grass carp on 7X with dry flies and how everything else is bullshit. The end result will be the same. Everyone will know you’re an asshole and you don’t have to kill a fish and take out a Facebook ad to prove it!

Here’s a suggestion from TU’s Josh Duplechian Take photos of the scenery, not the fish while on the boat. This is why this is such a great suggestion.

Think about those fish photos you have. If you are like me you may have a hard time remembering where you caught it. Sure you may remember the river but what about the place where the fish ate the fly? For me that landscape shot, like the one below gets me thinking “yeah I remember that brookie eating right there…” Yup I’m reliving the moment all over again. The fish picture just won’t do that for me. Let’s ditch the hero shot for the scenery shot.

Respect the resource and lead by example. Keep the fish in the water and enjoy the moment for what it is. Now you’re a hero.

Mojo | The Week That Is: Fishing’s ‘Hero Pose’: How Do The Fish Feel?

March 25, 2021 By Tom Sadler

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.

This week’s conversation looks at fish photos, the why, how and whether there might be a better way to capture the moment.

Read it here > Fishing’s ‘Hero Pose’: How Do The Fish Feel?

MoJo | The Week That Is: What Does River Conservation Really Mean?

February 24, 2021 By Tom Sadler

In this edition, the conversation turns to the battle over protecting the character of the Upper Madison River in Montana from overuse by anglers and how, more broadly, it raises questions about the real meaning of river conservation.

Read it here > What Does River Conservation Really Mean?

Fish Water

August 20, 2013 By Tom Sadler

Imagine fishing without beer. That would almost be as bad as fishing without fish…

If you take your beer as seriously as your fishing then this post, “10 Brewing Companies That Protect Our Fish” from the boys at Gink & Gasoline is worth the read.

They take a look at brewers who give back to the resource and the list may surprise you.

Next time I tip one back I’ll be thinking about who is helping make the fishing just a little bit better.

And brewers, if you are doing something for the water resources in your area, let me know. Happy to post an addendum to the Gink and Gasoline list.

Our Public Lands (Part 3.1) – Sportsmen in Virginia.

February 27, 2013 By Tom Sadler

In Our Public Lands (Part 3) I wrote about how important our public lands are for the local economy, specifically in Virginia. Thanks to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation we can see what hunters and anglers in Virginia mean to the economy.

According to the CSF, in 2011 in Virginia, hunters and anglers accounted for:

$2.38 billion in direct consumer spending,
$1.17 billion in salaries and wages,
$242 million in state and local taxes and
39, 164 jobs.

Hunting and fishing are deep-seated traditions in the Commonwealth. Our elected officials love to talk about how they support those traditions and want to see them continue. But what are they doing to protect our public lands, the very venues that allow hunting and fishing to take place? If they don’t have a good answer then it is time to remind them that hunting and fishing are more than traditions, they are economic drivers in the state and to jeopardize those public land venues is to put that economic activity and the jobs at risk.

You can see what outdoor recreation means to your state’s economy and download the report on the CSF Reports page.

I said it before; the outdoor recreation economy is an economic powerhouse, now it needs to be a political powerhouse!