The power’s flickering on and off like a damn pinball game today, so you’re reading a draft of what could have been another brilliant post. Damn.

Felt-soled wading boots for fly fishermen may be the sport’s latest endangered species; bans on felt soles seem to be picking up steam. What will fly fishermen be wearing five years from now?

The latest ban has appeared in Alaska’s southeast region – a ban that could easily be extended to cover the entire state (from the Juneau Empire):

A new ban on felt-soled wading shoes is set to take place next year as Juneau fishermen take to freshwater streams with fly rods in hand.

The ban is meant to keep nasty fish diseases from creeping into waters on the waders of traveling fishermen.

A proposal to expand the ban from the Southeast region statewide will be considered by the state Board of Fisheries at its March meeting in Anchorage.

…

Whirling disease is just one communicable fish disease of concern. Didymo, an algae also called rock snot, mud snails and zebra mussels are others that can kill all the fish in a stream.

“The waters where fly fishermen tend to fish and wade have become a map of the spread of these problems,” Vinsel said.

Ouch. Fly fishermen seem to bearing the brunt of the criticism over the spread of invasives – as are felt soles.

The extent of the blame that can be laid on felt soles isn’t really all that clear, and one of the cruel ironies of a felt sole ban is that fly fishermen – thinking their rubber-soled wading boots and waders were now “safe” – might actually become less vigilant about cleaning.

These bans are aimed traveling fly fishermen, which only makes sense; the stuff already in the river isn’t the problem.

The stuff from someone else’s river is.

You’ll Be Practicing Safe Wading Sooner Rather Than Later

Regardless of the science for or against, felt soles probably will be banned in many locations, which is one of the reasons I fired up last year’s rubber-soled wading boot test (the biggest reason was my own desire for long-lived soles, which makes me cheap as well as green).

I’m generally happy with the grip provided by rubber soles, but a lot of commentors on the Underground weren’t – and several wrote to say they were sticking with felt.

Your choice, and it’s possible you’ll enjoy the felt option for years to come. And it’s also possible you won’t.

Anglers who are fly fishing in Alaska – a popular destination – may find themselves scrambling for a felt replacement sooner than they think.

Fortunately, I’m only a pair of fishing trips away from wrapping up wading boot test, though few surprises seem to loom.

I really like the sticky rubber Patagonia Riverwalkers on small streams – and even on the Upper Sacramento River (where others have been less than enthralled).

Overall, the Simms, Korker and Patagonia rubber soles offer advantages, but seem unsuited from anything tougher than the Rouge or Upper Sac – and they’re real deathtraps on the McCloud or Pit.

My unanswered questions remain around the rubber soles with studs screwed in, which represent the unfinished part of the test.

I screwed a dozen studs into one sole of the Simms Headwater wading boots, and yes – it gripped better than the plain sole.

Better enough? More testing is needed.

Plus, Orvis has hinted at the arrival of a fabulous new pair of studded rubber soles, and we’ll take a look at those as soon as we see them.

For now, those who tend toward indecision might want to consider a pair of the Korkers Guide Boots, which offer interchangeable soles in everything from studded felt to studded rubber, and plain varieties too.

They might be just the ticket for the traveling fly fisherman – who’s in a restricted area on day, a drift boat the next, and hiking into the backcountry the next.

Baby needs a new pair of boots, Tom Chandler

Technorati Tags: felt sole ban, felt soled wading boot, Fly Fishing, invasive species, rubber soled wading boot, wading boot, wading boot ban

Sure, it’s a Montana State Record Pygmy Whitefish, but damn – I’d work on the hero pic. You know – do what all the guides do (use a wide angle lens, and have the client hold the fish at arm’s length so they’ll believe it’s actually the 18″ the guide’s telling them it is).

Weakest Hero Pic Ever?

Let’s hope he didn’t get this one mounted (state record or not).

(Found via Alert Underground Reader [name redacted] in the Flathead Beacon]

Technorati Tags: hero pic, montana state record pygmy whitefish, pygmy whitefish

The Underground has never been a big fan of Senator Diane Feinstein, and we’re happy to heave rotting fruit at the Westlands Irrigation District pretty much any day of the week, so when the two decide to work together to strip the few remaining protections for California’s collapsing Sacramento River salmon, get ready for a barn burner.

From High Country News: Feinstein’s Water Bomb

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is preparing to introduce a legislative rider that would dramatically reduce Endangered Species Act protection for salmon and other fish in California. The amendment would lift restrictions on the amount of water that farmers can pump from the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta for the next two years. But it could also scuttle a delicately negotiated effort to balance protections for endangered fish with the water needs of farms and residents of Southern California.

Feinstein’s effort comes as the state seems bound for the third year of an emergency fishing ban to protect dwindling salmon runs, and as populations of the Delta smelt and other fish continue to crash. And the move is a remarkable turnaround: Just four months ago, Feinstein denounced Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, for trying to introduce a similar amendment at the behest of California water districts.

Feinstein’s office declined repeated requests for details and comment yesterday, but insiders familiar with the matter say that the Senator’s reversal is largely due to lobbying by the Westlands Water District. Last year, after three years of drought, the federal government cut water deliveries to many irrigation districts in the San Joaquin Valley. Westlands, which is the largest district of its kind in the nation, was hit the hardest, and saw its supply of water from the Delta dwindle to just 10 percent of the amount it holds contracts for.

Woo-hoo! Strip away ESA protections on the Delta – just as many of its native fish populations are collapsing?

Westlands has recently launched offensive after offensive on the California Delta – and this after many years of essentially draining the Trinity River.

Feinstein – who happily supported Westland’s buyout of the McCloud River Bollibokka property by Westlands – has also been a longtime supporter of raising Shasta Dam (so you can imagine she won’t be seeing any checks from our admittedly impoverished part of the world).

She’s also been willing to engange in negotiations with Westlands about ceding them literally billions of dollars of water – and this for an irrigation district whose land is rich in selenium, and probably never should have been irrigated in the first place.

Anyone want to guess where Ms. Feinstein’s campaign money comes from these days?

Later, the New West story makes it clear how little gutting ESA protections will actually mean to Westlands:

But pushing aside the federal pumping restrictions intended to protect threatened smelt and endangered salmon would solve only part of the district’s problem. Fish-related restrictions account for just 15 to 20 percent of the cutbacks, according to an independent analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California. The vast majority of the water shortage is due to the drought. (For an in-depth exploration, see Breakdown).

Westlands’ battle against the pumping restrictions has nonetheless reached a heart attack-inducing pace. Last week, the district led a confederation of farm-water agencies in asking federal district judge Oliver Wanger to order the federal government to run its Delta pumps at maximum capacity. That helped capture the surge of water delivered by a massive winter storm, but the reprieve lasted just six days before the government had to throttle down its pumps. On Wednesday, Westlands and other water users asked Wanger to order that those pumps be started up again, but the judge denied that motion.

The problem isn’t the overused, factually inaccurate “favoring fish over people” meme so widely misused in the Central Valley.

Instead, the issue is more simply this: The water in the California Delta has been overpromised to the point the whole shebang isn’t sustainable. Throw in a little drought, and you’ve got the legal madhouse that is the California Water Wars.

Those with a minute or two and the inclination might want to visit Ms. Feinstein’s “contact” page on her Web site, and and send a nice, respectful email like:

Ms. Feinstein:

I’ve read – with considerable alarm – about your plan to gut ESA protections for the California Delta, a move which would further harm one of California’s already-failing salmon runs.

With the current pumping restrictions accounting for only 15%-20% of Westlands shortfall, it’s clear the problem isn’t one of favoring fish over people – it’s one of California’s water being egregiously overpromised.

Dooming salmon populations – and possibly the remnants of California’s commercial salmon fishermen – in favor of a water district that is already the recipient of billions of our taxpayer dollars is clearly a bad idea, and I hope you’ll reconsider your stance.

Sincerely,

Due to a lack of time, I’ve eased up on the California Water Wars posts, but sometimes it gets so bad you can’t ignore it.

This is one of those times.

See you getting cranky, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: delta pumping restrictions, diane feinstein, westlands, westlands irrigation district

It’s probably best if my Web hosting company doesn’t contact me for a testimonial quote right now; all of the 18 Web sites I host (for myself and paid clients) have seen increasingly frequent outages the last 1.5 months, culminating in today’s largely all-day failure.

The Underground’s up for now, but my other sites aren’t (including Singlebarbed & FlyFishChick).

Even worse, the company suggested the backups used to restore my sites were taken at 8 am Thursday morning.

Yet right now, it appears everything posted after February 5 (5+ days ago) is lost (my posts and your comments).

And yes, this is my pissed off look.

One paying client – fed up with the recent site and email outages – has already notified me they’re pulling their site and going elsewhere. I don’t blame them.

I’m researching other hosts, but dreading the sheer number of hours it will take to transfer 18 sites to a new host – and the additional cost.

In any case, sorry for the lost comments from the Undergrounders.

I’ll keep you updated.

Serenity now, Serenity now…

UPDATE: I’m looking at new Web hosts now (thanks for the suggestions), and leaning towards LiquidWeb (Hostgator gets good reviews).

I also restored some of the lost posts (but none of the lost comments) by retrieving them from my RSS Reader. Sorry, best I can do.

At some point in the coming days I’ll probably freeze the Underground to ease the migration. You’ll be warned.

Technorati Tags: underground outage

It’s clear the late Charlie Meyers developed a huge following over his decades as an outdoor writer, and if you think Colorado might want to name the “Dream Stream” (Spinney Mountain SWA) after him, then you’re reading the right post.

First, here’s the proposal (in .pdf format).

Second, you can drop a line to the Colorado Wildlife Commission supporting the idea at: wildlife.comm@state.co.us

Technorati Tags: charlie meyers, colorado wildlife commission, the dream stream

Prior to the Underground’s “snow week” (when a four-day power outage effectively put us out of business), we posted a seething respectful note about Idaho governor Butch Otter’s proposal to kill off Idaho’s parks department.

I was going to post a call to action to the Undergrounders the week the power was out, but it turns out it wasn’t needed – a shitstorm firestorm of protest hit the Governor’s desk, and – fingers burned – he quickly backed away from his original proposal to eliminate the agency.

What followed was classic politician; he won’t “eliminate” the agency, he’s simply eliminating 70% of its funding.

Bravo, Butch.

Hearings on Otter’s budget begin this morning, so it’s not too late to fire up the email client and let Butch & friends know you’d like to make sure Idaho’s parks are accessible to those who visit them.

(More on this at the bottom of the post.)

Given the amount of revenue generated by Idaho communities and businesses on the backs of nearby parks (including fly fishing guides, outfitters and shops), it seems clear that Otter’s attempts to balance the state budget here are simply playing with fire.

From the Henry’s Fork Foundation:

The questions that we now face include the following:

• How will IDPR continue to provide the same management and services with a dramatically reduced budget and fewer personnel?
• Do the proposed budget and personnel cuts leave the agency, or individual parks, with reserve resources with which to manage day-to-day or long-term emergencies and other needs not currently on budget forecasts?
• Is the proposed plan a sustainable business model through which to manage IDPR into the future, or will we find ourselves facing the same questions next year that we faced this year?
• From a user’s perspective, how can Harriman State Park operate more efficiently and generate more revenue?
• Can Harriman State Park become financially self-sufficient, or at least generate more revenue than it currently does, through means that do not fundamentally alter the character of the park experience or the importance of the park as a natural resource?
• Given that part of the new plan calls for increased use of part-time and volunteer support, how could seasonal and volunteer support help Harriman State Park to become more efficient and financially sustainable?

I want to thank all of our members and friends for your interest and your efforts over the past days. When I was in Boise last Friday I spoke with a number of Governor Otter’s staff, and I was assured, when I started to explain some of our concerns, that the staff was well aware of how the Henry’s Fork Foundation’s supporters felt about Harriman State Park and IDPR. Your voices were heard, and you can take great pride in the part that you have played thus far; the announcement last Friday was your success.

With that in mind, I ask all of you to continue to make your voices heard. Many decisions need to be made before the status of IDPR becomes final (including the approval of the State legislature), and we now need to be not only asking questions (including those outlined above), but also offering our ideas and support in answering them.

Please continue to write letters, send e-mails, and make phone calls. Some important points of contact are listed below; I am sure that many of you will think of others. I have offered the assistance of the Henry’s Fork Foundation to the State and IDPR to find ways to preserve the places that we hold so dearly. Budgets certainly do need to be balanced, but state parks like Harriman need to be regarded less as luxuries, and more as vital elements in the life – recreational, aesthetic, and economic – of the State of Idaho.

Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC)

The current proposal will be discussed in a JFAC hearing on February 1. The co-chairs are listed below; please request that your comments be shared with the entire committee. Please make comments to the co-chairs as soon as possible.

Who to contact via email?

Senate
Dean L. Cameron
dcameron@senate.idaho.gov

House
Maxine T. Bell
mbell@house.idaho.gov

Governor
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter
(Use the online form at this location)

What to say? Something along the lines of:

Given the vital amount of revenue generated by Idaho’s parks (both in money spent in Idaho businesses by out-of-state visitors and the tax revenue they generate), I believe it’s a bad idea to effectively gut Idaho’s State Park agency.

Reduce the appeal of Idaho’s State Parks – saving a few dollars in the process – and you could easily reduce the dollars flowing into the state from out-of-state visitors and Idaho residents.

A 70% cut in the IDPR department’s budget will likely have the effect described above.

I urge you to find a better way to balance the state’s budget.

Signed,
XXXXX

More on this one as it happens.

Technorati Tags: harriman ranch, idaho parks department, idaho state budget, idpr

Florida’s gamefish populations – bonefish and snook among them – suffered greatly at the hands of the recent freezing temperatures.

Now, it appears in order to preserve gamefish populations, Florida’s wildlife agency has banned catch & kill fishing for tarpon, snook and bonefish (though catch & release fishing is still allowed):

From the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust site:

The cold weather in Florida has caused mortalities of numerous coastal gamefishes.  The night temperature reached down to freezing along coastal areas in the central and southern part of the state three or four nights in a row.  Reports of dead bonefish came from in the Upper Keys and scattered reports of small tarpon statewide. The FWC has closed these fisheries to harvest even though few tarpon are kept, and the limit on bonefish is only one per person per day (yes, some are still harvested in South Florida). Catch and release fishing for these species is still allowed. The FWC is taking this proactive, precautionary approach to ensure the long-term health of the fisheries. As temperatures warm, guides and anglers are finding hungry fish coming in from deeper waters.

In addition to bonefish and tarpon, snook took a big hit. The most recent estimates were of >100,000 snook dead statewide. If true, this would be almost 7% of the total snook population in Florida.  The FWC has responded by canceling the opening of the snook season, due to open February 1. Adding this to the summer closed season, this means that snook can’t be harvested until fall.

Planning a trip to Florida? Check the regs before you go.

See you where it’s supposed to be cold, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: bonefish and tarpon trust, florida gamefish, Fly Fishing, fly fishing for bonefish, fly fishing for tarpon

Normally, the Fridays before a three-day weekend are sleepy affairs at the Underground due to cratering traffic, but over the last week, I’ve been inundated with requests to “get the word out” about a couple of items, and because I’d rather be outside playing instead of here typing, the Undergrounders are getting all these in one, big list.

Enjoy.

Just Thinkin’ About the Weather

California’s in the grip of a three year drought, though all that *could* change over the next 2-3 weeks – and in catastrophic fashion.

A 200+ mph El Nino jet stream is aimed squarely at the coast of the state, and we’re expecting a potentially disastrous situation: a big, cold, snow-laden storm followed by a big, warmer, wetter storm.

Something similar happened at the end of 1996, and half the state disappeared underwater. Those that fish the Upper Sac at its mostly serene 200cfs – 350cfs will be shocked to know that flows handily exceeded 100,000 cfs on Jan 1, 1997.

We could be looking at something similar.

At Trout Underground/Man Cave World Headquarters – which is now entirely snow free (an astonishing thing at this point in the winter) – we’re trying to batten down the hatches a bit.

More on Harriman Ranch

The storm of controversy brewing over Idaho Governor Butch Otter’s plans to de-fund the Idaho Parks Department (handing the state parks to an agency without a recreation/access mandate) has escalated to the point where it’s officially OK to call it a “shitstorm.”

We couldn’t be happier.

The Henry’s Fork Lodge has posted a note on their Web site urging anglers to send emails to the governor, and we’re going to echo that with a post of our own next week.

In the meantime, perhaps someone should point out what Governor Butch Otter should have learned from his counterpart in California (Ahhhhnoooold), who learned the hard way. Screw with the state parks, and you’ll be walking funny for the next couple weeks…

The AFFTA Trade Show Wars – Over?

Is the dust finally settling on the AFFTA Trade Show wars? AFFTA’s announced dates for its own IFTA show in September (Denver), Fly Fishing Show owner Chuck Furimsky has cancelled plans for his own dealer show, and the CEO of Far Bank (Sage, Rio and Redington) is circulating a letter in support of the new show:

As part of the debate around the various shows, I think I’ve heard most of, if not all, the reasons for not supporting an industry trade show: the show is at the wrong time, not enough retailers come, not enough manufacturers come, my reps do a great job and thus the show is irrelevant, it’s too expensive, it’s the heart of our season, I don’t like Denver, and on and on. I won’t try to contest all these arguments in this letter. Rather, I’d like to give you my pitch for why I think everyone should support the show: It is the only venue in the world where the fly fishing trade gets to come together in one place and at one time to work toward improving an industry and a sport that for most of us provides both our livelihoods and our lifestyles. I am convinced that without a strong show our industry stands little chance of effectively competing against the macro forces working against our businesses – things like kids not being exposed to the outdoors, the closing of public access to fishable waters, and aquatic nuisance species to name just a few.

In addition, it appears new hire – and trade show czar – Randi Swisher is being groomed to run AFFTA. Current AFFTA Director Gary Berlin is becoming an operations manager, and it appears he’s going to eventually step aside.

World Trout Coughs Up $$

An email from the folks at the World Trout Initiative wanted it known they just threw down $75,000 for eight conservation projects:

Ventura, CA (January 12, 2010) Patagonia, Inc, the outdoor gear and technical apparel company announced today their World Trout initiative has issued eight grants totaling $75,000 to global grassroots groups whose diverse efforts to protect and enhance fish and their habitat around the world exemplify the philosophy of World Trout.

Grant recipients include the Wild Salmon Center at $10,00 for their Koppi River Salmon Diversity project; Pacific Rivers Council at $8,000 for their Umpqua River Legacy Program; Truckee River Watershed Council, who’s efforts on Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Restoration received $15,000; Takshanuk Watershed council was allocated $10,000 for completion of their water rights reservations initiatives; Bahamian-based Friends of the Environment was the recipient of $8,000 for their sustainable crawfish campaign, Henry’s Fork Foundation’s film, Watershed, which is about impressive hands-on projects completed over the past 25 years, was allotted $3,000 to help distribute this informative film to anglers and other grassroots groups in the hopes these efforts can be replicated; Bonefish and Tarpon Trust’s research on critical tarpon habitat received $15,000 and Italian group Societa Valsesiana Pescatori Sportivi was sent $8,000 for enhancement of their threatened grayling habitat.

Want to know more about World Trout – or maybe snag a little of their dosh for your project? Click here.

Rhode Island Catch & Release Site

A site (and group) dedicated to seeing more catch & release waters in the state of Rhode Island (there are currently only one) has been formed (it’s a nice looking site too).

Think You’re a Trout Bum?

The phrase “trout bum” has become overused to the point that it’s lost all meaning – especially among those who actually have jobs, or worse – trust funds.

Here’s the story of ski bum who frankly puts everyone else to shame – and how the police are mishandling his situation. It’s not all that pretty…

Toups’ tale is the embodiment of ski bumdom. Since the 1970s, he has bummed at Mammoth in California, Snowbird in Utah, Oregon’s Mount Hood, Aspen Highlands and all the ski areas in Summit County. His home — for nearly a decade — was a Volkswagen Beetle, the passenger seat torn out so he could sleep.

“He had a little tunnel down to it like a snow cave,” said Halsted Morris, a longtime Loveland skier.

The story surrounding his recent arrest is not a pretty one, and suggests a heavy-handed approach by the police. Read it, and tell us what you think.

Enjoy Your Weekend!

Play, have fun. After the wear and tear of the last couple months – a hectic kind of time that’s had its lows right alongside its considerable highs – I may just take the whole weekend off from the Underground.

See you on the (swollen) river, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: affta, affta trade show, california drought, california weather, catch and release, Fly Fishing, fly fishing news, harriman ranch, henrys fork, trout bum, world trout

To fly fishermen, The Harriman Ranch stretch of the Henry’s Fork might be the holiest water in a part of the country that’s famous for its holy waters.

And you could very lose access to it.

I remember fantasizing about the Harriman Ranch stretch it in my early teens (among other things). When you’re a kid, it’s easy to place yourself in the middle of epic Green Drake hatches on a stretch of water gifted to the public by a rich railroad family – even if you owned a fly rod, but had to see a coldwater fish close up.

Then, for a decade or so, the Henry’s Fork fell on hard times, but rebounded – largely as a result of the work of organizations like The Henry’s Fork Foundation.

According to the Henry’s Fork Lodge fishing report, last year’s fishing was about as good as it gets, so you’d think the Harriman Ranch stretch – a public access (and economic) success story by any measure – would be safe forever.

And naturally, you’d think wrong. From the Henrys Fork Foundation’s Facebook page:

Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has proposed the elimination of general funding for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) as part of the 2010 state budget. The elimination of IDPR potentially means the loss of public access to state parks and facilities all over Idaho, including the world-famous Harriman State Park in Fremont County.

IDPR was established, in large part, as a result of the Harriman family’s gift of Harriman State Park to the state. The family made their gift on the condition (among others) that a professional state agency be created to manage the park. Since then, IDPR has grown to include more than two dozen parks all over the state, providing a wide range of recreational activities to the people of Idaho and to countless visitors from around the country, and the world.

The most obvious potential effect of IDPR being eliminated could be the loss to the people of Idaho access to the lands and facilities currently managed by the agency. These range from alpine Priest Lake in the north to the desert at City of Rocks in the south, and they provide an extraordinary range of recreational opportunities to an equally broad cross-section of the public. IDPR also manages several recreational programs, including park and ski opportunities, trail maintenance for a variety of recreational uses, avalanche awareness for snowmobilers, and equestrian opportunities (among others).

At no place would the potential loss to the public be more obvious than at the park that started the agency: Harriman. This 11,000 acre park with its eight miles of the Henry’s Fork is an international destination, arguably the most famous trout river in the world and one of Idaho’s most recognizable landscapes.

The Henry’s Fork Foundation was founded in a cabin across the river from Harriman State Park, and in 1999 Trout Unlimited members voted the Henry’s Fork the best trout stream in America. A study conducted by Colorado State University and sponsored by the Henry’s Fork Foundation and Trout Unlimited estimated that the Henry’s Fork generated nearly $30 million towards the local economy and supported, directly or indirectly, more than 800 jobs.

According to the agreement between the Harriman family and the state of Idaho, the park must revert to the family should the state default on any of the provisions of the agreement, including that of the provision of a managing agency. [TC: emphasis mine]

According to State sources, the Governor has recommended that responsibility for park maintenance be transferred to the Idaho Department of Lands, with a goal of continuing to operate state parks. This leaves many questions unanswered, among them how a land management agency with an overarching mandate to generate revenue (Idaho Department of Lands) will approach park management, and whether the elimination of IDPR, regardless of whether or not some of its functions are carried forward by other agencies, will constitute a violation of the terms of the Harriman agreement – not to mention the intentions under which other Idaho parks may have been established. Key concerns, and questions, include the following:

IDPR provides a vital public recreational and aesthetic benefit to the people of Idaho at a fraction of the cost of the overall state budget.

Eliminating IDPR is a false economy; although revenue generated by state parks and other facilities may not make a significant direct contribution to the State coffers, the funds generated by IDPR parks make tremendous contributions to the local economies in their areas.

If IDPR is eliminated, what will the State’s management philosophy be for state parks? How, in specific terms, does the State plan to ensure that the elimination of IDPR will not result in Harriman State Park (and other sites as applicable) passing out of public ownership?

At Harriman State Park (and other sites as applicable), how does the State plan to ensure that its future management of the park does not violate the terms of the gift agreement?

One source has already suggested to me this is power grab on the part of Otter – his control over the Department of Lands is greater than his ability to meddle in the Parks Department.

And yes, the CYA has already started; Otter’s instructed the Idaho Parks Department (IDP) staff not to discuss possible ramifications of the closure with the media or the public.

Anyone who’s dealt much with government agencies knows that denying the public both access and information amounts to standard operating procedure when someone’s been caught with their head in a dark, warm place.

This is just getting started; I’ve got feelers out, and I hope to have a larger story – with actionable bullet points – in another day or so.

See you on the Henry’s Fork, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing harriman ranch, fly fishing henry's fork, harriman ranch, henrys fork, henrys fork foundation, henrys fork of the snake

While the fly fishing industry typically generates all the corporate bloodletting of your average kitten fight, in recent years we’ve been treated to the spectacle of a meltdown in AFFTA’s trade show decision-making process.

With chainsaw death matches so rare in this industry, frankly, it’s been huge fun.

First AFFTA fired a shot across “The Fly Fishing Show” owner Chuck Furimsky’s bow when they went head-to-head with his Denver consumer show.

That worked about as well expected (#fail), and I thought the matter was settled (#fail X2).

For example, the remnants of AFFTA’s failed consumer show combined with the ISE show, and this year, they’re again going to compete directly (on the same weekend) with Furimky’s Denver show.

AFFTA, apparently, are slow learners.

Now it’s become clear AFFTA’s Fly Fishing Retailer (dealer) show is staggering.

Despite sizable amounts of industry cheerleading (and you know who you are), staying awake through the Fly Fishing Retailer show the last three years has generally required large doses of powerful, illegal stimulants.

In fact, for months now, speculation was rife the ailing FFR show would be combined with the sizable Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, and when the AFFTA Board of Directors voted that idea down, most of us wondered exactly what the hell they had in mind.

Turns out, nothing (at least if we read our press releases correctly).

Adding to the general hilarity, Furimsky clearly hasn’t forgotten the direct assault on his Denver show, and he’s proposing a Florida-based dealer trade show, touting the location’s lower cost.

Now it appears that Nielsen Media – the company that owned and operated the FFR show in the past – may be moving in for the kill.

Simply put, there’s blood in the water, Undergrounders (and we know what that means).

First, AFFTA issued a painfully long-winded press release explaining why they rejected the Outdoor Retailer show option (Warning: powerful stimulants may also be needed to read the following, which sadly includes the phrase “thinking outside the box”):

LOUISVILLE, COLORADO. Since April, 2009, AFFTA has been in discussions with Nielsen Business Media, owner of the FlyFishing Retailer Expo (FFR) to determine how to improve upon future FFR shows. Nielsen shared AFFTA’s desire to improve upon the design and production of future FFR shows.

Thinking outside the box, as the owner of the Outdoor Retailer Show (OR), Nielsen offered to create a “show within a show” by combining FFR with the 2010 Summer OR Show in Salt Lake City. David Loechner, Nielsen Sr. V.P., delivered the “show within a show” proposal to the AFFTA Board at their meeting in September.

According to AFFTA Chairman, Alan Gnann, “When the Outdoor Retailer proposal was first brought to the AFFTA Board’s attention, the Board was interested in the opportunities this combination offered. The thought of having our show within a show the size and caliber of OR was initially felt to be a reasonably good fit.”

Unfortunately, when the AFFTA Board received the final floor space proposal from Nielsen, the total space allocated to the fly fishing industry was grossly insufficient; the separate space to create the “show within a show” concept was not offered nor was space allocated for indoor casting ponds. In addition, many AFFTA members stated that the timing of the OR Show was not a good fit for the fly fishing industry. Therefore, citing these deficiencies, the AFFTA Board of Directors rejected Nielsen’s proposal.

Immediately after the AFFTA Board voted to reject Nielsen’s Outdoor Retailer proposal, AFFTA and Nielsen engaged in good-faith negotiations to allow AFFTA the opportunity to acquire the rights and licenses to the FFR show. Unfortunately, these negotiations were unsuccessful and AFFTA asked Nielsen to either produce a 2010 FFR show or terminate the agreement.

According to Gnann, “Nielsen and their predecessors have been great partners and collaborators for many years. Prior to the downturn in the economy, trade shows nationwide were generally profitable and well attended. However, the current economic climate dictates that AFFTA and Nielsen pursue a different business model. Therefore, as of November 30, 2009, Nielsen released AFFTA from its show production contract. It is now time for AFFTA to move on and determine its next course of action.”

“Since April, the Board of Directors has been working diligently with Nielsen to consider a wide range of options and combinations for FFR,” said AFFTA President Gary Berlin. “Because of confidentiality and non-compete provisions in the Nielsen agreement, the AFFTA Board has been unable to notify the industry of the on-going discussions or issue a press release on the status of the show. Now that AFFTA and Nielsen are no longer contractually obligated, the AFFTA Board is considering multiple options for a 2010 fly fishing industry trade show, including hosting a standalone show or combining with an existing show.”

Berlin promises to keep the fly fishing industry up-to-date on AFFTA’s plans for a 2010 fly fishing industry trade show.

Sure, it’s whiny. Sure, it’s clear AFFTA is lost, and like men everywhere, they’re refusing to stop and ask for directions.

And yes, am I the only person in the whole industry amused by the thought that AFFTA will keep us “up-to-date” on their plans for next year’s trade show?

(AFFTA is to fly fishing bloggers what Dan Quayle was to comedians – a dependable source of material.)

Blood in the Water, Fins On The Surface

Meanwhile, Furimsky’s dealer show is still on the table.

And yes – based on an email received from Outdoor Retailer’s PR agency – we can now plainly see a shark’s fin (a rare Nielsen’s shark) as it knifes through the water, heading directly for AFFTA’s leaking, dangerously overloaded lifeboat.

First, SOAR Communication’s Maura Lansford opens fire with:

In the letter, Haroutunian invites members of the fly fishing industry to join Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in 2010, as the FlyFishing Retailer Show will no longer take place in its current format. The conclusion that the fly fishing industry cannot sustain a stand-alone event in the current marketplace follows months of discussions with members of the fly fishing industry.

As part of its Summer Market event, Outdoor Retailer has offered to provide a new venue and demo experience for FlyFishing Retailer participants, along with an opportunity to grow the fly fishing category into other segments in the outdoor recreation market.

The in the press release portion of the email, former FFR show director (and current Outdoor Retailer show director) Kenji Haroutunian lights ‘em up with:

Fly Fishing Industry and Outdoor Retailer to Join Forces in 2010
From our 30 years of experience producing scores of specialty-sports tradeshows including 11 years producing FlyFishing Retailer, it is clear that the fly fishing marketplace will be better served now and in the future by expanding its reach to include the overall outdoor specialty marketplace. We are convinced that the best opportunity to grow as a market, and build on the core strength inherent in the fly fishing market, is to be connected to a larger collection of relevant businesses at Outdoor Retailer. Therefore, the entire fly fishing industry is invited to join Outdoor Retailer Summer Market Trade Show in 2010 as the FlyFishing Retailer Trade Expo will no longer be held in Denver

A Winning Opportunity
More than 25 percent of FlyFishing Retailer companies already exhibit at Outdoor Retailer, and those that haven’t are now invited to participate in the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2010 Trade Show. For more than 27 years Outdoor Retailer has provided a specialty wholesale watersports culture that thrives on a national and international level. At OR, consistently more than 20,000 professional participants advance the sales process not only in their own category but across multiple lifestyle segments within the overall specialty outdoor market. Please visit www.outdoorretailer.com now for more information about participating in Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.

Ahh, my Undergrounders – it’s the classic “boy meets girl, boy loses girl” love story. Only with trade shows. (See how we make this stuff clear for you?)

First Nielsen sends AFFTA on its merry way, then circles back and does the trade show equivalent of hitting on the attractive women in the group, suggesting they come over to Nielsen’s place for margaritas and chips while leaving their useless, beer-swilling, farting boyfriends behind.

Given AFFTA’s track record, I’d book a flight for Salt Lake City.

***UPDATE: Angling Trade (industry blog) says AFFTA sources have said there will be an “AFFTA-endorsed trade show sometime in 2010.”

That’s not the same as saying it will be standalone fly fishing show, though you’d assume that would be AFFTA’s goal.

The site also revealed AFFTA revenues and attendance figures from the last few years of FFR:

According to sources, gross income for the 2009 event was somewhere @ $460,000, in 2007, gross income was over $700,000… exhibitor numbers went from 234 in 2007 to 146 in 2009

Note that these are “gross” numbers – not net. It’s not clear to us if Nielsen was losing money on the show, but a 1/3 decline in exhibitors speaks volumes about the shows viability in its current state.

Technorati Tags: affta, chuck furimsky, fly fishing retailer, outdoor retailer

Any Undergrounder who badly wants to be on television might want to commit a major wildlife-related crime in Northern California right now – it seems a reality TV show is being made about Northern California’s game wardens:

Reality TV show will track the adventures of California game wardens – Sacramento News – Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Producers of the hit reality television series “Deadliest Catch” are filming a new show featuring California game wardens and their increasingly difficult struggle to protect the state’s environment. Shot as wardens chase real crimes throughout Northern California, it’s due to air late next year on the National Geographic Channel.

Original Productions, the Burbank company behind “Deadliest Catch” and other gritty reality shows, began filming about two weeks ago. Locations include many areas in the Sacramento region, from the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe to remote sloughs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

A film crew was on hand Saturday as wardens descended upon the home of a North Highlands man suspected of having wounded a Sacramento River sea lion with a shotgun blast.

I’m not a huge fan of reality TV (though I would enjoy watching a pair of wardens kick the crap out of the asshole who shot the sea lion), but this is the Underground’s home territory, and it will be interesting to see who’s doing what to which species.

And I want to dispel the rumors suggesting this show will feature Wally the Wonderdog poaching a sizable lamb roast from the kitchen counter. That really happened, but unfortunately, Fish & Game weren’t on hand to legally punsih the now-fattened Sausage Dog.

See you in the hoosegouw, Tom Chandler.

deadliest catch, california game wardens, northern california

Technorati Tags: california game wardens, deadliest catch, northern california

Following in the footsteps of earlier awards to writers John Gierach and Ted Williams, Fly Rod & Reel has chosen author Tom McGuane as their 2010 Angler of the Year.

With so many of McGuane’s novels and screenplays set against fly fishing locations – and populated by fly fishermen – it seems only right that McGuane would receive this honor on that basis alone.

To do so would be to overlook his publication of the best fly fishing essay book ever written: The Longest Silence.

That book – which solidified many of my observations about fly fishing – opens with a startling passage about fish counters robbing the trout (and the sport) of its soul:

The fisherman now is one who defies society, who rips lips, who drains the pool, who takes no prisoners, who is not to be confused with the sissy with the creel and bamboo rod. Granted, he releases what he catches, but in some cases, he strips the quarry of its perilous soul before tossing it back in the water. What was once a trout – cold, hard, spotted and beautiful – becomes “number seven.”

I could strip mine McGuane’s book for enough material to fill a hundred blog posts, but I’ll leave the discovery (or rediscovery) of those gems to my readers.

Instead, I’ll reprint part of what fly fishing publishing legend Nick Lyons has to say about McGuane on the FR&R site:

In Tom McGuane we have a different species of writer. He has loved fly-fishing for more than five decades, since he fished the rivers and small creeks of Michigan as a boy; he has pursued trout, false albacore, steelhead, bonefish, striped bass, permit and salmon with great passion and success; he has fished from Tierra del Fuego to Russia, Iceland, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Florida and throughout his now-native Montana, and widely elsewhere; and along with his great novels and stories and films has written, with dazzling skill, much about what he calls his “life in fishing.” He is Fly Rod & Reel’s Angler of the Year and my Angler for the Last Hundred Years.

McGuane says that “what fishing ought to be about” is to use “the ceremony of our sport and passion to arouse greater reverberations within ourselves.” Reverberations: a richer response to all aspects of the natural world, perhaps—and our responsibilities to it; something telling about ourselves, surely; more about our subtle connections to all the texture and detail of fly-fishing; and a lot about our understanding of leisure and friendship and expertness and the enduring value of ritual, and so much more. Mostly, what we know about these matters comes from those with words—words that shock us into some new awareness, that, long after we’ve read them, echo in our brains.

This is, of course, what we call “literature” which is not something fancy dan or pretentious or irrelevant to any other matter in the universe, not sentimental (which is exaggerating sniffles), not trading ever in clichés (which is like claiming fish you haven’t caught). McGuane does these things in a major body of nearly a dozen novels, from The Sporting Club in 1968 to one he just finished, in time for a trip this past summer to Iceland and his annual fall trip to the Dean for steelhead, around which week he says he designs his year, “for these pools, these beautiful fish.” And he does it in what has become a major body of work about fly fishing—parts of An Outside Chance, all of Live Water and The Longest Silence. He is, as all of the best writers must be, a man on whom nothing is lost.

He knows that “the best angling is always a respite from burden,” not part of a competition or PR jaunt or a chance to transact business with those you fish with or a banquet for your ego. He knows we need to be stewards and riverkeepers, lest “there will be less than nothing, remnant populations, put-and-take, dim bulbs following the tank truck.” He knows how to make memorable and precise observations about our emotions and affections: “Young anglers love new rivers the way they love the rest of their lives.”

Speaking as a writer, I revere McGuane for his ability to deftly peel back the unsightly layers that obscure what should be a beautiful sport. As a fly fisherman, I never tire of his obvious love for the sport itself.

See you with a good book, Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: 2010 angler of the year, fly rod and reel, nick lyons, the longest silence, thomas mcguane

Wayne Eng and Myrna Rae have housed, fed, or (in Wayne’s case) guided probably half the fly fishermen who regularly frequent the Upper Sacramento, and with sadness, the Underground notes the passing of Myrna Rae’s father.

Best wishes to them both, and we hope Myrna returns home soon.

Technorati Tags: fly fishing guide, Upper Sacramento, wayne eng

Remember the flap over Darth Dick Cheney’s speaking gig at the American Museum of Fly Fishing?

The AMFF is probably hoping you’ve forgotten, but in what appears to be a naked money grab, the AMFF has finally announced Cheney’s appearance at a Washington D.C. fundraiser (via busterwantstofish):

Please join the AMFF on Thursday, November 12, 2009, for our Anglers All Presentation in Washington, DC.

The evening will also include an address by former Vice President Dick Cheney. Festivities begin at the Hilton in Washington, DC, at 6 p.m., and will include appetizers, wine, and dinner.

According to Buster’s Smithhammer, the cheap seats are $500; $10,000 gets you close enough to glimpse the cloven hooves.

The AMFF is free to do whatever it wants – including justifying Cheney’s appearance in some twisted manner – but then again, we’re free to suggest the AMFF has made a huge fucking mistake, and that it’s now clear the organization’s goals are separate from ours.

See you anywhere but Washington D.C., Tom Chandler.

Technorati Tags: american museum of fly fishing, amff, cheney fundraiser, dick cheney

Record low flows and strong fall Chinook salmon run could spell disaster on Klamath tributary

The following is a press release received from Craig Tucker (of the Yurok Tribe) and the Klamath Riverkeeper. It’s not what you’d call great news: Excessive agricultural surface and groundwater withdrawals – and the willingness of state and federal agencies to look the other way – are imperiling salmon and steelhead populations in these two major spawning tributaries of the Klamath River:

Thursday, September 24, 2009

High numbers of fall Chinook salmon returning to the Shasta River are coming home to record low flows and extremely hot weather this week, creating ideal conditions for a large-scale fish kill in the Shasta River. Biologists and water managers with state and federal agencies are monitoring the situation closely as irrigators continue to maximize water withdrawals through the late September heat wave.

“We need to get more water in the river immediately,” said Erica Terence of Klamath Riverkeeper. “Unfortunately, the fish are moving much quicker than the resource managers on the Scott and Shasta Rivers this year.” The USGS realtime streamflow gage on the Shasta River shows record low flows for the last several days, as it has much of the summer. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the 90s through the weekend.

With 1,319 fish past the California Department of Fish and Game’s counting station in the Shasta River canyon as of Sept 22nd, this year’s fall Chinook run is shaping up to be among the largest in the last 20 years on the Shasta. Whether the fish are able to migrate and spawn throughout the basin, or whether the fish turn up dead, will be determined by the extent of irrigation deliveries over the next week. CDFG’s fish counting station on the adjacent Scott River is not yet operational.

“Unfettered agricultural diversions are playing Russian roulette with salmon, and it’s the commercial fishermen and Tribal people downriver who will deal with the consequences,” said Terence. She noted that the sacrifices of commercial salmon fishermen, who face a season closure caused by low returns to the Sacramento River, may be in vain if river conditions do not allow a successful spawning season.

Klamath Riverkeeper is surveying the Shasta River for fish mortalities and is monitoring locations where fish are currently holding in deeper, colder pools. Representatives of multiple organizations and agencies are also keeping tabs on the situation. Unofficial reports indicate at least 7 dead adult Chinook have been documented in the river at this time and fisheries managers and advocates would like to avoid an increase in that number.

Agricultural diversions and groundwater pumping have de-watered the Scott and reduced the Shasta to a trickle for much of the summer. Both tributaries were once abundant salmon producers and are recognized by scientists as key priorities in the effort to restore Klamath basin salmon. Terence added, “We cannot rely on dam removal alone to fix this watershed, it’s time to address the steadily increasing agricultural demand on the Klamath’s water.” The Shasta River was once the most productive salmon stream, for its size, in the state of California. Peer-reviewed science on the adjacent Scott River has demonstrated that decreasing flows cannot be fully explained by climate change.

This year’s record low flows come as CDFG is releasing its final Watershed Wide Incidental Take Permit Program for the Scott and Shasta basins – a controversial and potentially precedent-setting project that would widen allowances for coho kills from agricultural de-watering and other impacts. Klamath Riverkeeper is joining with other salmon allies to oppose the program. Terence said, “With conditions deteriorating for fish every year on the Scott and Shasta, CDFG should be proposing programs that expand protections for fish, not destroy them as the watershed wide permits would do.” She added, “the Scott and Shasta are now growing more alfalfa than they are fish – and its time for that to change.”

Irrigation season ends on the Scott and Shasta Rivers during the month of October.

I’d love to add a poignant twist to all this, but in truth, I’m too pissed off to do so. The politcal environment up here is so backwards (those who participated in our Stream Access/Land Use Planning Nightmare know the County Board of Supervisors would happily see every last fish disappear from the area), and it seems the agencies charged with protecting wildlife are willing to turn a blind eye in efforts to maintain good working relationships with irrigators.

How’s that working for us?

Just so you can watch the water levels dwindle in near realtime, here’s the USGS Streamflow Gage for the lower Shasta River can be found here.

More information on this summer’s Shasta and Scott flow crisis can be found here.

Technorati Tags: chinook salmon, Klamath River, klamath riverkeeper, salmon fish kill, salmon recovery, scott river, shasta river