We'll Contact You

MUM'S THE WORD

Why The Silence ?

stay tuned

.. According to a story in the RUTLAND HERALD Dick Cheney may or may not be the guest at the $175/plate fundraiser for the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
.. Catherine Comar, executive director of the museum was quoted in the story: "We're not discussing this. We'll contact you when we're ready to discuss the issue. The board (of directors) is having meetings. When we have any information to offer, we'll contact you."
.. We, like the Rutland Herald, are waiting for some information to confirm or deny the veracity of the story that the museum has decided to "Honor" itself with the presence of the former Representative from Wyoming.
.. We're reminded about the recent post in FLY RIVER about the many socio-cultural divisions in fly fishing and wonder just how much this plays into the Cheney flap. Is this story accelerated by the east coast elitists finding a western elitist to rub elbows with? Or is it just that the disparity of ideals and actions is ignored when it comes to gathering up money?

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FOR THE RECORD

.. Cheney's Record [LINK]
.. American Museum of Fly Fishing [LINK]
.. Staff and Directors of the AMFF [LINK]
.. Tickets: AMFF fund raiser at New York Anglers' Club [LINK]
.. New York Anglers' Club restaurant: violations record [LINK]
.. New York Anglers' Club restaurant: information [LINK]
.. Rutland Herald [LINK]

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.. Thanks to the Trout Underground for the tip.

DA DICK

MOLDY & BUSTER ALERT US

Williams Right On

check the Mike Mayer Response
photo courtesy illiterate electorate

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.. The desperate fund raising effort of the American Museum Of Fly Fishing is proceeding apace and their feeble attempt to justify their efforts ignore the damage done by the guest of . . . . . "Honor???"
.. An interesting and insightful response to the Ted Williams piece is excerpted below. "Trout Bums" beware.
.

This situation is a textbook reflection of a much larger and more insidious problem within the "sport" of fly-fishing, specifically that, while fly-fishing does hold within it a rich and honorable tradition of conservation and enlightenment, it also caters to some of the most childish, self-centered, pompous, small-minded, newly rich, rightwing one-generation-from-cracker wannabes (I think I covered it all, but forgive me if I missed any) on the planet. I'm no animal rights activist; I fly-fish and tie flies whenever I get the time; I eat meat and even eat fish, even trout, on occasion; and I even raise a small herd of those damned cattle to help protect my hold on an allotment, although under tight control and certainly never in anything close to riparian habitat.

But, it has always been my belief that, when you take something, you give back and set the stage to keep things whole. So, I have worked hard, used to work harder before the Butch/Sheeney Administration made it seem so futile, to get fly-fishers, trout anglers, to understand that it is only honorable to repay our disturbance of the waters by acting to preserve and conserve the resources, especially the remaining native trout species, from which we derive our pleasure.

A fraction of fly-fishers join me in embracing this obligation; but, more and more, the majority only seem selfishly interested in preserving the populations of feral rainbows and browns that have come to infest their pet streams. The thought of temporarily foregoing a fishing experience in order to remove non-native species and preserve a native trout that should be in the stream is just not a sacrifice that they are willing to even think about. Bob Jacklin's role in coalescing opposition to the renovation of Yellowstone waters is a relatively minor, but clear, example. Their attitude seemed to be "damn the natives; we just want to fish." To the extent that old Sheeney likes to fly-fish, which I am sure is exaggerated for publicity sake, his role in the worst despoiling regime in America's history both illustrates my point and mocks any tradition of honorable sportsmanship that the museum may still want to cling to. ...and I'm not alone in my sentiment.

One of the greatest of America's fly-fishing gurus, a guy who used to tour the conclaves with his buddies in the heyday of the late 80s and early 90s, recently confessed that his love of the sport is tainted today by the hypocrisy of those who profess the sport, but have no clue about the underlying ethics of conservation.

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So be it.

Boaters Attack Fly Water

MARYLAND CHAIN SAW MASSACRE

Fly Fishers Irked

boaters warned

.. It seems that in the interest of canoe and kayak paddlers everywhere, the Greater Baltimore Canoe Club (GBCC) has taken to the Gunpowder River with chain saws.
.. Off they went, chain saws in hand to Gunpowder Falls State Park. There they wantonly and illegally turned a lovely tailwater catch and release fishery into a super highway for paddlers. They removed deadfalls, snags, and what they call "strainers." Then they posted a picture of the results on their website.
.. They cut logs in and near the water and disrupted the flow during wild trout spawning season. And the fly guys are not happy.
.. These eco-terrorists are members of a club that was founded by Bill Robinson, a Sierra Club member in the 1970's. Robinson and the rest of the "Club" became a tax shelter in 1976. As noted on their web site:

"We were incorporated as a non-profit organization to promote responsible recreational canoeing and kayaking, to develop a water safety program, and a conservation program."

.. They are so arrogant that they planned the rape of the Gunpowder River on their web site and bragged about it.
.. Apparently the administrators of the Maryland State Park don't see much wrong with what the rabid destroyers did. The Maryland Natural Resources Police gave the offenders a gentle warning, attached no fines and sent them home with their chain saws intact. "Go now and sin some more!"
.. The supposed managers didn't even do the detective work to catch the vandals. It was provided by Theaux Le Gardeur who owns and operates The Backwater Angler.
.. You can read the full story in the Washington City Paper, the Baltimore Sun. and The Backwater Angler.
.. Here's the way it used to be, [snags, strainers, fly fishers, cane rods, and all,] (from blip TV.)

This is posted here as a warning to other fly fishers in the region.

As noted on the GBCC web site:

"We are especially active on Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia rivers, with frequent excursions from Maine to Florida, and occasional trips to Canada."

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