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Latest News Articles
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Southern Chile - More than just a fishing trip |
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A fishing trip to Southern Chile is much more than just another bit of piscatorial madness that will see you pack your bags and travel half the way around the world just to feel the convulsive shake of a trout’s head and feel the bend in your rod. Of that you will have plenty and rightly said there are many places closer to home where you can experience that. What makes Chile a quite extraordinary destination to visit is the unbelievable scale of the wilderness surrounding you and the emerald clear waters that trace there course from the Andes to the ocean. |
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Until you have visited Southern Chile it is difficult to put words to the unbelievable backdrop that surrounds you however the image that kept on coming to my mind was that resembling a setting out of Jurassic Park – except without the dinosaurs! All around you are vast towering mountains, many of them raw and jagged and often capped in snow. Volcanic peaks spring up everywhere and yet rather than the usual barren landscape that comes with such features here they are coated in an unbelievably thick temperate rainforest jungle. If this serves to soften the features of the landscape one is reminded of the ferocity of the land by the savage black scars, which run down the otherwise strikingly, green precipices. |
Breathtaking wilderness |
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Although the rivers teem with both brown and rainbow trout they are not native to the region but like their larger sea run relatives on the Argentinean side of the Andes they were introduced sometime in the mid 19th century. They have thrived in the fast flowing clear water and surprisingly have been one of the major net beneficiaries of the aqua culture business for which Chile is now a world leader. The escapee fish, which wrecked havoc to native salmon stocks in Northern Europe, have now occupied the virgin waters all along the length of the Chilean coast. These rivers now successfully harbour growing populations of not just mighty King Salmon, which can be seen in increasingly large numbers, and often weigh more than 50 lbs but they also increasingly also sustain runs of all the various types of Pacific salmon as well as Atlantic and even Sea Trout. It is the King salmon however that are dominant and as their natural life cycle ends once they have spawned both their eggs and their decaying bodies vastly increase the bio mass in the rivers. |
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If this goes someway to help the trout they are by no means dependent on it for a food source. Rather they feed hungrily on the natural food sources in the river and if the surrounding animals have not undergone a similar increase to their mountainous surroundings this cannot be said to be true of the insect life. Stoneflies are 2 inches in length, beetles are as big as bottle tops and all manner of flies and insects that should came with hazard lights. |
What this does do is make conventional fly patterns, that might be appropriate for the clear waters of English chalk streams, almost redundant. Dry fly imitations are tied on size 4 hooks. Fine feather hackles are replaced with deer hair and buoyancy for these creations is as often as not a result of foam bodies. These can be fished very effectively with a trailing nymph, New Zealand dropper style, (tied to the bend of the hook). Sometimes the dry fly will act as an indicator in the turbulent waters as the nymph is taken but as often as not the dry fly will result in an explosive surface take. If this is not visual enough you will almost always see a flash of bronze or silver as a brown or rainbow respectively dashes from its bolthole and chases the fly down. |
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Dry flies can be used throughout the entire season however large streamer patterns are also very successful. Fished on an intermediate to fast sinking line it allows one to reach into some of the deep nooks and pockets behind boulders or fallen trees or in the fast flowing water of the larger rivers. |
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In terms of the fishing styles and techniques required they are matched to suit the huge variety of waters that are available to fish. The larger rivers, which generally run clear with an emerald green tinge, are fed by large lakes, which in turn collect glacial melt-water from the Andes. The only method of fishing these effectively is to float down them in a raft. The undergrowth is impenetrable and the sides unwalkable. However the other reason is that for most of the time the fish sit very tightly to the bank sheltering in the numerous pockets, riffles, eddies and drop offs. It is absolutely classic trout water and as often as not the tighter you can cast to these areas, and the more inaccessible they are, the greater the reward. Alongside the natural breaks in the water are hundreds of fallen trees providing unparalleled structure for wily trout to hide behind. |
 Fishing transport Chilean style On the smaller streams and rivers it is possible to walk and wade. These rivers are equally abundant with the debris of countless floods with an even mix of fast streamy water and deep clear pools where it is possible to stalk fish cruising both near the surface and in the depths. As often as not the best method of accessing these waters is by horseback along steep wooded trails which snake along the sides of the rivers. Led by a local guide wearing traditional sheepskin chaps and poncho it makes for a remarkable fishing experience and it is hard to feel more at tune with nature in this wild environment. |
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A Chilean experience is not complete without its share of rain. There is a reason for everything and the impossibly luxurious undergrowth is a result of a high annual rainfall. The seasons run from November to April with equally good fishing available throughout. The start and close will see a preference for streamer patterns over dries although not exclusively by any means. The climate is temperate and while days of blazing sunshine are common it is equally possible to experience wildly changing environments during the course of a single day. Throughout the season the rivers are prone to floods and it is here that the value of your guides and the resources available to your outfitter or lodge are paramount. The lakes fish well in almost all conditions while the larger rivers take a long time to rise significantly due to the large lakes that feed them. And then of course if you do return to your lodge a little cold one can always revoke the elements whilst you enjoy a piping hot tub overlooking the river! |
 Hot Tub overlooking the river at El Patagon lodge  100% Fishing tranquillity |
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Fishing trips to Chile can be arranged by destination fishing specialists WhereWiseMenFish, tel: +44 (0)845 603 1552; www.wherewisemenfish.com.
publication date: July 04 2007 by WhereWiseMenFish.com |
Jurassic Lake - Probably the world’s most prolific wild rainbow trout fishery? |
Justin Maxwell Stuart establishes myth from reality |
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Although only in my mid 30’s I have been an avid fisherman since childhood. During that time I have spent much time listening to older generations reminiscing about days gone by when our home rivers teemed with vast quantities of fish. My generation has, however for the better part seemed to have been blighted by tales that used to start with ‘it used to be’ and ended with ‘a shadow of its former glory’.
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Yet one of the great things about anglers the world over is the ability to hold out hope that one day one will hit a river or a lake when all the conditions combine together to give a glimpse of what our forefathers tasted. And so it was that on a trip fishing for Steelhead in the spring of 2006, on the mighty Santa Cruz river in Southern Argentina, that I heard my first rumours of a destination so remote and so wild that maybe it was possible to experience fishing as it should be, undiluted by the hand of man. The tale that followed was an exploratory trip to a place where in one day three anglers caught 80 completely wild rainbow trout, all between six and 20 lbs, caught on conventional flies with conventional fly rods.
Even those who are not versed with the subtle art of the angle are aware that many a fishing story is subject to ‘significant’ elaboration. What was five pounds becomes five kilos and five fish touched becomes five fish on the bank. The tale above seemed to have been subject not just to an individual’s wishful thinking but rather successive generations of finely crafted tales each one better and bigger than the previous. |
A Memorable journey!
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However, inquisitive as a cat I resolved to see for myself if this place was simply folklore or if a place really did exist where the fish took as readily as the greediest trout in the height of a mayfly hatch and if they really were flawlessly wild, silver as if they had run from the sea and some so fat they could only resemble rugby balls.
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One year later from the small town of Piedra Buena near the mouth of the Santa Cruz River we embarked on our journey to Jurassic Lake. Now there is a reason behind most things and the reason why this lake had gone relatively unnoticed is because it is the route that takes you across some of the most barren wastelands on the planet. Gravel tracks make up five hours of the journey however after that you leave all trace of civilisation and jar and jolt your way over a desolate and seemingly unending lava field. The trip is punctuated by the occasional fox which stares at you incredulously and certainly fearlessly, wild ponies which roam carelessly amidst the scrub and even a huge hole gouged in the pancake flat terrain by what can only have been a meteor impact from another time. Anticipation is a powerful cure for life’s hardships and so despite the jolts time glided by and eventually we were confronted with a lake so blue that its appearance was akin to the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea.
With just an hour of light, as the sun dipped low and the sky took on a threatening fire red appearance, we cast our first flies. Prepared and eager I was first in the water. Second cast, my line hesitated and then… bang, a mighty silver trout broke the surface of the lake in a clatter of spray and an explosion of sound as my reel burst into song. The rod arched, my guide Pollo whooped, the others looked on incredulously and I suddenly started believing. My first fish fought in a manner that those who are used to catching oversized rainbows in trout farms can only dream of. Long searing runs and Tarponesque acrobatics. That fish probably weighed 12 lbs and by the time the others had got their lines in the water I was on my third fish and this must have weighed 20 lbs.
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A typically fat Jurassic Lake rainbow
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After that it was simply a matter of pursuing your favourite technique or style. We caught fish on size four cone head woolly buggers and size 14 nymphs. We used floating and intermediate lines. We fished dry flies in the small river that enters the lake where a single sudden move makes the water quite simply erupt as fish scatter in all directions. You can fish constantly until your arm aches or you can catch a couple, stand back and take stock of this truly incredible place and then jump straight back in where you started.
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Hauntingly wild backdrop to fast and furious action |
First night under a flame red Patagonian sky |
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I should at this stage mention that the whole lake does not have quite the same concentrations of fish as where we were fishing. It would appear that the fish concentrate around the mouth and the lower reach of the river as they jostle for the opportunity to spawn. The quantities of fish however mean that they have developed their own unique spawning habits. Rather than spawning seasonally they do so throughout the year. Such is the competition they have developed their own unique ecology in this unique environment. Outside of their individual spawning cycle they roam the lake, which is absolutely crystal clear, gorging on a type of freshwater krill and growing fat to an extent that you have to see to imagine.
Is the fishing easy…..the answer is absurdly so. Do you have to be a proficient and skilled angler……simply the answer is a no. Would you want to spend more than a couple of days here……probably not. Is it one of the most unbelievably fishing experiences you are likely ever to come across, an adventure that makes the travel worth it and an insight into what happens when nature conspires to create perfect conditions for a particular species…..a resounding yes. It is Jurassic Lake!
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The reason we came - Author with an ‘average’ Jurassic Lake Rainbow Trout
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Please Note Jurassic Lake trips are only available as an add on package to either a sea-trout trip to Las Buitreras on the Rio Gallegos or as a joint steelhead/rainbow trout trip on the Rio Santa Cruz. |
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publication date: May 17, 2007 by WhereWiseMenFish.com |
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Saltwater fly-fishing, Cuban Guides & the Stockholm Syndrome Prior to a recent trip to Cuba one of my close friends mentioned in passing that despite a fishing experience par excellence he had been somewhat taken aback by the brusque manner of his fishing guide. Now, as he was of an artistic persuasion, I mused that maybe this was on account of his occupational outlook on life; however I determined to reserve judgement until I had experienced the situation firsthand.
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I was to fish at the Jardines de la Reina, an extraordinary fishing paradise about 100 kms west of the Cuban mainland. It consists of broken strips of Mangrove forests, small strips of land surrounded by crystal green waters. These shallow plateaus border an oceanic reef where the sea-bed drops away making for fantastic diving as well as fishing. The area itself was heavily fished and exploited until Fidel Casto declared the area a national park in response to security concerns that this isolated network of islands created off mainland Cuba. Consequently an area which had been heavily over exploited has now regenerated to an extent where it provides one of the best and least exploited saltwater fishing destinations on the planet.
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The fishing guides are all Cubans and for the most part have either worked since the start of the original sport fishing operation or are subsequently connected members of family. Their status as guides in Cuba puts them in an extremely privileged position both in status and in pay. They are at the top of their hierarchical tree and they have a swagger that reflects their position.
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Day one and we are off Bonefishing. For those who have not fly-fished in saltwater before this is probably the first notch on the ladder. The fish are more often plentiful, capable of staggering runs but at times requiring the sort of patience and precision casts that would make a chalk stream fisherman feel at home. My fishing partner and myself score quickly notching up eight fish between us. Our guide is happy and my concerns are dispelled. We then change tact and decide to pursue Tarpon in and around the small mangrove channels. This requires a totally different approach, heavier flies on a ten weight rod, different reactions, and a different method of striking the fish. In summary we fall short of expectations. Equally, we are not rewarded with the encouraging cosseting comments that one might expect!
Three hours later, the tables have turned. We have both miraculously caught a Tarpon each and the glow of achievement radiates from us both. For my fishing partner it is his first Tarpon and he is positively radiating satisfaction. As we start to head back to the lodge our guide suggests we try for a permit. These fish notoriously difficult to catch and will casually ignore even the best presented fly but we want to be on the enviable edge of scoring a grand slam on our opening day. The equivalent of a Scottish McNab it consists of catching a bonefish, tarpon and permit, in one day on the fly. Lady luck shines and we are presented with three castable opportunities at beautifully tailing permit. Their lazy dorsal fins rise out of the surf as they forage amidst the waves. This is however as close as we get to grand slam victory and whether it was our own incompetence or the finicky nature of the permit we are rewarded with a flow of expletives as a result of our fumbled attempts.
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| As we return to the lodge, both brimming with the day’s excitement and thrilled at the missed opportunities, I muse on our failures, more than adequately drummed home to us, by our guide. We are after all on holiday and have paid handsomely for the privilege so how can it be that we are treated as incompetent schoolboys and are chastised so. Wherever I have come across professional guides I am more often than not struck by their dedication, the long hours they dedicate and their enviable knowledge. I have met guides who have been intoxicating with their enthusiasm and some who are simply intoxicated but rarely ones who express such indignity at what I feel are my natural shortcomings. |
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By day three however something strange is starting to happen. Perceptibly my skills are becoming more refined and honed as I adapt to different situations with greater alacrity. On occasion I am still humiliated by my nemesis on his lofty poling platform yet whilst taking the punishment on the chin, I resolve to soak in each instruction methodically and refuse to be beaten down again. Strong winds sometimes skew my cast or reduces my reach and for these I am admonished but I now can pre-empt his expletives and often do so robbing him of his moment.
Emotionally however something even stranger is taking place. The idea of swapping my guide for a more demure one seems outrageous. He is methodically efficient in the way he manages to locate fish. He manoeuvres his boat in strong currents and winds where I, on the time I tried, pirouetted down the channels with the grace of a foundering oil tanker. He manages to navigate himself around literally hundreds of kilometres of identical looking mangroves avoiding the multitude of sub-surface obstacles with alarming speed and ease. Out here there are no signposts, no GPS and little by way of any meaningful landmarks yet we navigate to tiny secluded corners where the fish are holed up amidst an area of such vast wilderness you have to see it to comprehend it.
It suddenly occurs to me that I am in the grip of the ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. Where a captive starts to identify and becomes emotionally connected to his captor. I have the best guide and although on occasion I am verbally beaten, I soak it up like a recalcitrant dog. So now I must conclude that my friend was right and sometimes the guides can be bullies. But I would not swap my bully for anyone else. He was extremely able and dedicated, maybe more so than any others I have come across. It took time but he drummed success into every opportunity that presented itself and I have certainly come away feeling like a more knowledgeable and more experienced fisherman. |
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Now that I am back home, released from my captor I can analyse my experiences more objectively. Saltwater fly-fishing is primarily based on sight fishing. Unlike the infinitely rewarding yet more often unsuspecting tug, as ones line goes tight when fishing for Atlantic salmon, in saltwater, for the most part, your fish has been spotted, stalked and all going well, cast at. Tensions and adrenaline are understandably significantly more pronounced throughout the whole process. That is not to say there are not other factors that are at work. Language difficulties and the pride, prestige and reward that goes with being a successful guide all play their part.
Let me momentarily swap sides and ask the question as to the feeling expressed by even the most demure angler when after a lengthy battle with a leviathan, at the final crowning moment, the hook pops out as a result of a bodged net job? Expletives flow! Blame is apportioned! Now consider the feelings of the guide when after infinite patience, skill, and back breaking labour, (try poling a skiff and you will understand what I mean), he has successfully manoeuvred you into the perfect casting position. A moment later, a lazy cast or instructions ignored and the moment and opportunity is lost. Suddenly I empathise with my guides feelings.
So maybe I am still afflicted. The Stockholm syndrome has its grip. Maybe however the surge of excitement that goes with stalking and deceiving ones quarry, followed by the reel spinning, |
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arm wrenching battle that ensues means that I for one will put personal pride aside, let the boss do the talking and enjoy some simply electrifying fishing as a result.
For more information on Cuba Click here. |
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publication date: Apr 24, 2007 |
Fishing so good the fish bite back!Los Roques - Venezuela
Saltwater fly fishing whether it be for Bass off the coast of Donnegal or Marlin in the Indian Ocean is as vastly different from freshwater fishing as cane rods are from the modern high tech Carbon Graphite rods of today. The surge and power of salt-water species can give the unaccustomed a hedonistic taste for the sport in a way that the humble stocked Rainbow Trout can only dream of. The biggest challenge of all however is usually making that first leap which takes one from familiar turf to exotic tropical waters.
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Like any keen angler I have developed a sixth sense for likely fishing opportunities. I had not however expected my radar to be activitated whilst on a visit to a police Station in Belfast. One spirited conversation later, an exchanged telephone number and I had unwittingly signed myself up for a trip to Los Roques in Venezuela. Talk of tarpon rolling under my feet, bonefish removing all my line and all under the Caribbean sun, was all that was required to dispel my winter gloom, with the closure of the Trout and Salmon seasons.
And so it was that a frantic month later I found myself drifting out of the clouds, in a plane that looked like it had seen service in WW2 - and probably had, in our descent over what can only be described as breathtakingly beautiful cobalt, turning aqua-marine coloured seas. |
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This dramatic spectrum of colour is due to the fact that Los Roques is an archipelago, rising out of the deep blue Caribbean sea and consisting of approximately 100 sq miles of islands, keys and underwater mushroom like profusions, which I later discovered went by the name of pancake flats.
One Hour later I was standing on the beach in shorts and shirt, armed with a bottle of beer, looking out to sea where laid out before me was most incredible profusion of marine and aquatic life. Immediately in front of me there appeared to be an impenetrable wall of minnows, 10 Metres deep and stretching the length of the waterfront. In amongst these minnows Tarpon crashed and Bonefish cruised.
Above the air this mass of life was being attacked by phalanxes of Pelicans who would dive as one into the water and re-emerge with gullets overflowing with fish. In turn they were also being attacked by squadrons of Artic Turns who would hover and dance around the Pelicans, deftly stealing any protruding minnows from their beaks. |
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Just as I was trying to comprehend the scale of this maritime assault, my host and guide, Justin Mcarthy, reappeared brandishing a 7 wt rod and reel and armed with a ‘gummy minnow’, a silicone based ‘fly’ which appeared to mimic almost exactly the baitfish on offer. He pointed excitedly at a Pelican as it emerged from its underwater foray-“Did you see it”, he cried, “put on your polaroids”-“watch the next Pelican”. I did as instructed, opening up an underwater spectacle the like of which I had never seen before. As each bird surfaced and tried to make good its meal up to half a dozen Bonefish between 4 & 8lbs would jostle for position as they nimbly removed the minnows from the Pelicans. |
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| As a reference point to aim the crash of a Pelican from 30ft in the air is a little less subtle than the gentle ripple of a rising Trout however this was my target and my mission was to place my ‘gummy’ at the feet of the surfacing bird. A few attempts later I achieved the cast as instructed and almost the moment the ‘gummy’ hit the water a ‘Bone’ emerged from the bottle green water, my line tightened and the next thing I knew was the rod was bent over, the reel was in overdrive and my backing was hissing through the water. The tussle that followed saw me holding on for dear life, taking to the water, ducking self and rod under numerous anchor ropes and winding furiously. All of this was set to a growing audience of chattering children who looked on nonchalantly as they critiqued my performance.
On emerging triumphantly after a tooth and nail battle with a striking 5lb fish I paused for a moment at which point it occurred to me that Im still had not even unpacked my bags or clapped eyes on where I was staying. To those who have never embraced saltwater fishing prepare your gear, your tackle and yourself with the strains and the excitement that you both will endure. Whilst my first few cast on the waterfront were an appetizer the main action takes place further afield. Most of the fishing is done by wading in ankle deep water, your eyes peeled for signs of activity above and below the water. Here, in the shallower water, the ever so subtle, protruding fin of a Bonefish replaces the crash of a diving Pelican.
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To be successful you have to firstly detach yourself from your previous fly-fishing experiences and devote yourself whole heartedly to the attentions of your guide. With tutoring what initially seemed like a blind cast will become a casual nod of agreement as you and your guide simultaneously locate and target the fish. The consistent cast of a salmon angler or the well honed presentation of a trout fisherman will often be thrown into hectic disarray. A cruising torpedo in the shape of a Barracuda or the effervescent energy of a shoal of Tuna, bursting into a feeding frenzy in front of you, will oft send your guide ducking for cover as you try to impart instant energy into your fly.
To the experienced angler this is a place where you will be challenged to the utmost with your stealth and skill being paramount. To a novice fisherman you will be rewarded with a visual spectacle that guarantees to satisfy all of your faculties whilst at the same time providing enough rod-bending action and adventure to ensure you never again look at fishing in the same light again.
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| For more information on Los Roques Click here. |
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publication date: Apr 24, 2007 |
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Fight to save salmon from extinction wins top environmental award
An Icelandic businessman, fighting to save the Atlantic salmon from extinction, has been awarded the world’s largest environmental prize for grassroots activists.
Orri Vigfússon, (64), from Reykjavik, Iceland, is one of six recipients of the international Goldman Environmental Prize awarded for his 17-year campaign to protect North Atlantic wild salmon. Since Vigfússon founded the North Atlantic Salmon Fund1, commercial open-sea fishing in the Atlantic has fallen by over 75 per cent, and more than five million North Atlantic salmon have been saved. To build on this success, Vigfússon is now calling on Scotland and Norway to end commercial net fishing for Atlantic salmon.
Vigfússon’s pioneering work to end commercial salmon fishing in the North Atlantic began in the late 1980s when, as a keen sports fisherman, he realised that wild salmon populations had dwindled to dangerously low levels: threatened by commercial driftnet fishing, salmon catches in the Atlantic fell from over 4 million to 700,000 fish between 1979 and 1999. Vigfússon recognised that this massive decline in salmon not only affected the sensitive ocean and river ecosystems, but also the rural communities which depended upon them for income.
The problems for salmon began in the 1950s and 1960s when commercial fishermen discovered that not only European salmon but also salmon from the US and Canada congregated in the sea around Greenland and the Faroe Isles. Huge commercial fisheries sprang up and thousands of mile of driftnets were laid across the sea routes that salmon used on their way to and from the rivers of their birth. As a result, salmon catches soared and then collapsed, the decline steepened and the impact spread: anglers’ salmon catches crashed, as did angling tourism on which many remote communities depend.
To fight against the over-exploitation of wild salmon and to protect communities from economic ruin, Vigfússon set up the Iceland-based North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) and he began his innovative approach to saving the salmon from extinction. Vigfússon’s idea was simple – to pay licensed netsmen not to catch salmon. Anglers and conservationists from North America and Europe supported this approach with millions of dollars going into the North Atlantic Salmon Fund. By raising US $35 million, Vigfússon has been able to buy the netting rights from commercial fishermen in numerous countries, including Greenland, the Faroe Isles and many other countries in Europe. In return, fishermen receive financial compensation and new types of jobs either in sustainable fisheries (like lumpfish or snow crab harvesting) or in a revived angling-tourism industry. Vigfússon has prompted multi-million dollar buyouts and moratorium agreements with several national governments, most recently with the Irish government (January 2007) but also with England and Wales. In some cases, as with the UK, national governments have contributed millions to buyout schemes.
“Orri negotiated the cessation of salmon fishing in Iceland, Greenland and the Faroes – the breeding grounds of North Atlantic salmon – he negotiated the moratorium, and he arranged the financing alternatives as well. Massive is the word for that agreement.” Brian Marshall, chairman of Britain’s Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust.
The NASF’s latest victory in Ireland was particularly hard won: Ireland resisted any moves to negotiate a driftnet ban because the nets were harvesting fish that had been saved by the buyouts established in northern waters. To prompt the Irish moratorium, NASF and their partners claimed that Ireland was in contravention of the UN Law of the Sea and the EU Habitats Directive by continuing to use driftnets, and the EU threatened the Irish government with prosecution unless it introduced a ban. Ireland finally bowed to international pressure and ended industrial salmon driftnet fishing off its coasts. As part of the buyout, the Irish government will establish a hardship fund of more than US $39 million to address the financial losses that Irish salmon fishers face, as well as providing an additional US $7 million to help rural communities deal with their loss of income. This ban shuts down a fishery off Ireland’s west coast that at one time was taking up to half a million salmon a year, heading not only for Ireland’s rivers but for rivers in Britain, France, and Spain. It will relieve the stresses on salmon that have brought populations in some rivers to the point of extinction.
“Without Orri’s determination, his ability to talk to the state department and ministers in Washington and to European officials, and to address very large gatherings of netsmen, there would be little hope of recovery of this remarkable species of fish. He has come to be seen by a lot of people as a patron saint of the salmon.” Roger Harrison, former chief executive, Observer newspaper.
But the battle to protect the North Atlantic salmon is not over. Vigfússon and the NASF have offered to support the Irish government and there is now an urgent need to ensure that Ireland’s ban on driftnets is properly policed, that driftnets are not replaced by draft nets, and that the waterways are now managed effectively. Vigfússon is also calling on Scotland and Norway to follow their European neighbours and to end commercial net fishing for salmon.
Commercial salmon fishing is a truly global environmental issue: for example over-fishing in Greenland would affect the health of salmon populations in Canada, Iceland, Scotland, England, Sweden, and Norway, demonstrating that protecting wild salmon in the open sea is an intrinsically international concern. “Orri and the NASF campaign go far beyond fishing. Theirs is a global conservation effort to protect an endangered species.” Charles Clover, Environment Editor, The Daily Telegraph.
Vigfússon’s aim to halt commercial salmon fishing in the North Atlantic is within reach: he is currently negotiating with individual governments to ensure that policy making and economic decisions influence fishing practices, working to end mixed stock salmon netting in Norway and Scotland, and building a global network of young people to advocate for the protection of salmon and other threatened fish species globally.
Vigfússon believes that the NASF can restore the Atlantic salmon to its abundance by ending indiscriminate coastal net fishing in the open seas and coastal areas. In its place he wants to establish “in-river” management protection, promoting lucrative sport fishing that he says not only revitalises rural economies but creates surplus revenues for compensating driftnet fishers.
Vigfússon is a new kind of environmental champion - an entrepreneur who combines business skills with fundraising and negotiating at a senior level to protect the environment. He is the first businessman to be awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize and, as such, he represents a new breed of environmental leader. “Vigfússon is tireless. He really is unrivalled. He has focused on one species, and he’s chosen this animal that he loves. And he represents that creature in the world. He stands up for its survival and is making a huge difference.” Bill McDonough, US architect and sustainable urban planner; author of Cradle to Cradle.
Established in 1990, the Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded each year to environmental heroes from six continental regions. Endorsed by more than 100 Heads of State and often referred to as the Nobel Prize for the environment, the Prize rewards grassroots leaders for their outstanding work in protecting the environment and campaigning to preserve vulnerable natural habitats. Frequently described as voices in the wilderness, Goldman Prize winners have often taken great personal risks. The 2007 Goldman Environmental Prize of US $750,000 (shared equally between the six winners) will be presented in San Francisco on 23 April 2007. |
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publication date: Apr 23, 2007 |
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Oregon picks up spey casting technique
Commonly used in both the UK and Scandinavia to lure Atlantic salmon, spey casting has recently emerged as a popular method to catch steelhead trout in the north-west US.
Spey casting uses two-handed, longer rods and a roll cast technique to load the line with water to make the fly carry further, with accomplished casters reaching 200 feet or more.
"Twenty years ago, two-handed rods were almost unheard of in North America, though they were the weapon of choice on Atlantic salmon rivers in Britain and Scandinavia," writes Chris Santella for the New York Times, but after switching to spey casting for better reach he has seen improved results.
"With the two-handed rod, I can easily make casts far longer than I could ever hope for with my nine-foot rod. And I can do so with less effort - especially with the heavy sink-tips that are necessary to reach fish during the winter months."
Ever since, Mr Santella has been helping spread the word about spey casting in the US, along with fly fishing guide Mark Bahmann who organises a spey casting festival on the Sandy River, east of Portland each May.
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publication date: Apr 23, 2007 by Fishandfly.com |
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