Although I am a fan of the cedar strip and canvas canoes of old. New-tech has made it practical and affordable to go hi-tech.
For Immediate Release
Mary Jane Williamson, Communications Director
mjwilliamson@asafishing.org, 703-519-9691, x227
www.asafishing.org
Sportfishing Industry Applauds Senate Passage of Historic Conservation Legislation
The RESTORE Act provides critical funding for Gulf Coast restoration and land and water conservation estimated to be the largest boost for conservation funding in American history
Alexandria, VA – March 8, 2012 – The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), along with the country’s leading conservation and sportsmen’s and women’s organizations, applauds the Senate for passing the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act (S. 1400) as an amendment to the Senate transportation bill. Introduced by Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), RESTORE represents extraordinary bipartisan consensus among lawmakers in the Gulf of Mexico region and beyond and is a crucial measure that ensures that 80 percent of the funds from the Clean Water Act and other penalties assessed in the wake of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill are used to pay for economic and environmental restoration projects in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Due to Senator Nelson’s leadership, of particular importance to the sportfishing industry, is funding provided in RESTORE to establish a research, science and technology program aimed at improving Gulf fisheries management and monitoring.
This amendment also includes a major, much needed increase in funding for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The fund provides money to federal, state and local governments for the acquisition of land and water to benefit conservation and recreation. The provision would double current funding levels for the fund to $700 million for each of the next two years and reauthorize it until 2022, for a total of $1.4 billion.
Taken together, if the transportation bill with the RESTORE amendment attached should win final passage, these two doses of conservation funding would represent, by some estimates, the largest boost in conservation funding in American history.
“The entire sportfishing community thanks Senators Landrieu, Nelson and Shelby not just for taking a huge step forward to help ensure the long-term health of the Gulf Coast ecosystem and coastal economies, but also for infusing significant, and essential, conservation dollars into the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “Sportsmen and women, and the businesses they support, rely on clean water to ensure an enjoyable and productive day on the water. Consequently, anglers have consistently advocated for the conservation of our nation’s waters and wetlands. America’s 60 million anglers should celebrate this truly historic vote.”
Robertson also recognized the efforts of Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for his leadership in ensuring that not only the Gulf, but the entire country benefits from RESTORE and the funds now available for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Saltwater recreational fishing contributes more than $8 billion in economic output in the Gulf Coast region annually and supports approximately 82,000 jobs. The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most popular areas for recreational fishing in the United States with 3.6 million saltwater anglers spending more than 42.5 million days on the water each year. Beyond recreational fishing, the Gulf is a strong engine of commerce. It produces roughly 40 percent of all the seafood in the lower 48 states. The region is home to 10 of the nation’s 15 largest ports, while over 25 percent of the nation’s waterborne exports pass through Louisiana ports alone.
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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 gives America’s 60 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways through KeepAmericaFishing™, our angler advocacy campaign. America’s anglers generate more than $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for more than one million people.
FEB 16
2012
Posted by Brent Reece
Sportfishing Industry Lauds EPA Dismissal of Second Lead Ban Petition
by Outdoor Hub on February 15, 2012
submitted by: American Sportfishing Association
Alexandria, VA –The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) commends the February 14, 2012, decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to reject a second sweeping petition to ban lead in all fishing tackle. The petition, which was submitted on November 16, 2011, by the Center for Biological Diversity and two other groups, requested that the EPA study and ultimately ban lead in fishing tackle on all U.S. waters under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
This most recent attempt to federally ban lead fishing tackle came on the heels of the EPA’s November 2010 decision to dismiss a similar petition submitted by the same groups. That decision is currently being challenged in court by the petitioners. Sweeping regulation of lead fishing tackle would have a significant, negative impact on recreational anglers and the sportfishing industry with minimal benefit to the environment.
In dismissing this most recent petition, the EPA stated that the petitioners did not “provide a basis for finding that the risk presented is an unreasonable risk for which federal action under section 6(a) of TSCA is necessary.” The EPA also cited state-specific actions and the increasing education and outreach activities being undertaken. The EPA’s decision falls in line with sound fish and wildlife management practices and several scientific studies which demonstrate that waterfowl populations are not negatively impacted by the use of lead fishing tackle.
“The sportfishing industry applauds the EPA’s dismissal of this most recent petition,” said ASA Vice President Gordon Robertson. “Such an extensive ban is not only unwarranted, but is wildly unpopular. Sweeping regulations on lead fishing tackle would have a tremendous impact on the sportfishing industry and change the face, and cost, of recreational fishing for the angling public. Thousands of anglers submitted comments in opposition to this petition and I am glad to see that their voices were heard. Unjustified bans will only serve to harm the economy and reduce participation in traditional outdoor sports.”
“The EPA’s decision reaffirms that lead fishing tackle is not harming waterfowl populations,” Robertson further noted. “America’s anglers are the original conservationists, committed to taking reasonable steps to protect the environment. Through fishing license fees and the federal excise tax on fishing equipment, anglers and the sportfishing industry provide the bulk of the funding to help ensure that there are healthy and abundant fisheries to enjoy. The EPA recognized this fact with its dismissal of this second petition.”
“Unfortunately, this does not mean the end for these unwarranted attempts to ban lead fishing tackle,” concluded Robertson. “With anti-fishing organizations trying to stop recreational fishing using whatever means they can, legislation is necessary to protect our sport from overregulation. Legislation currently pending before Congress, the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act, will put a stop to these onerous petitions and protect these cherished pastimes.”
The Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act (S. 838/H.R. 1558) seeks to prevent a federal ban on lead in recreational fishing tackle and ammunition and helps to ensure that any future regulations on fishing tackle are established based on scientific fact instead of unjustified petitions. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by the co-chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus.
The sportfishing community’s objection to the petitioned ban was based on:
- The data does not support a federal ban on lead in fishing equipment. In general, bird populations, including loons and other waterfowl species, are subject to many more substantial threats such as habitat loss through shoreline development, waste and other pollutants. Any lead restrictions on fishing tackle need to be based on sound science that supports the appropriate action for a particular water body or species.
- A federal ban on the use of lead in fishing tackle will have a significant negative impact on recreational anglers and fisheries resources, but a negligible impact on waterfowl populations – the most cited reason for the ban.
- Depending on the alternative metal and current prevailing raw material costs, non-lead fishing tackle products can cost from nine to twenty times more than lead products. Non-lead products may not be as available and most do not perform as well. Mandatory transitioning to non-lead fishing tackle would require significant and costly changes from both the industry and anglers.
- A federal ban of lead fishing tackle oversteps the EPA’s authority. Any impact of lead on waterbird populations is a localized issue which, when scientifically documented and determined to be a population threat, should be addressed by state fish and wildlife agencies through local fishing regulations.
- America’s 60 million anglers generate more than $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation’s economy, creating employment for more than one million people.
To learn more about this issue and to support Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act, visit www.KeepAmericaFishing.org.
In addition to tying flies for my use . I also tye for swaps and for sale.
I have a collection of select trout flies currently available on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/190640261119?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
These are all tyed by me…. tested by me and among my personal favorites for fishing in Northern Maine.
Included: Trout Candy/Devil Bug/ Madam X/ Maple Nymph/Partridge Tail Nymph/Hornberg
More to come……….
Icing Late Season Perch
In the minds of many of the most successful ice-anglers, the best fishing of the season is quickly approaching. The last few weeks of ice-fishing are here, and the fishing action is picking up. Several species of fish are particularly active under the ice right now, but perch are what many folks are fishing. Here’s how you can get in on the action.
There are several reasons to go ice-fishing late in the season. For one, the weather is generally milder. There will still be some cold days, but odds are good the fishing will be comfortable.
The days are longer so you get to fish more. For perch, mid-day can be really good, but if the sun is still up, you might as well stay a little longer.
Best of all, the fishing is good, and the fish are fattening up. You can catch some real jumbos this time of year.
So, now that we know that ice-fishing for perch is a good idea this time of year, how do we go about it? That’s the fun part: Lots of different bait styles will work. What we need to do is find the one that works best.
You can employ a very simple hook/splitshot, bobber rig, and it will work well. Put a small minnow on the hook, and if there’s a perch down there, it will probably eat the minnow. However, most hard-core perch anglers prefer a faster approach. This is when a Buck-Shot Rattle Spoon, a Forage Minnow Spoon, or a Puppet Minnow tipped with a Gulp! Alive Minnow Head or Maggots will really shine.
This is a time of year when you really want to be mobile. If you can find the perch, most of the time they’ll bite. The more area you cover, the more fish you’ll be showing your bait to. Don’t spend more than a couple of minutes at a hole if you’re not seeing fish. Load up a portable shelter, a Frabill Commando is about the best, put in an auger, depthfinder, some baits, and just take off walking. Move into an area that should hold perch, drill some holes, come back and fish them. If you see or catch some fish, hang around. If you don’t, keep moving. I like the Commando because it has room for the needed gear, it pulls easily, and it’s comfortable to fish from.
A few years ago we were on Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota. We were catching the perch really good in about twenty feet of water. We were using eighth ounce spoons, and the perch were hitting them as soon as they got to the bottom. We discovered that if we went to a larger spoon, the spoon would get to the bottom quicker, so we’d get bit faster than if we were using a slower falling spoon. When the bite is fast, you’ll catch more fish if your bait is in the fish zone more. Larger spoons that fall quickly will often catch more fish and bigger fish when the bite is hot.
There’s still lots of ice-fishing to do across ice-fishing country. Watch the ice, make sure it’s safe, then get out there. Some of the best ice-fishing of the year takes place at the end of the season.
–Bob Jensen
