This increased interest from women in pursuing fish with line and lure is easily documented. Over the last couple decades there have been numerous articles that look at women’s participating in fishing and fly fishing specifically, more women fishing guides, more manufactures and retailers developing practical lines of waders and other fishing gear for women, more fly fishing blogs written by women, more women’s fly fishing clubs, more women’s fishing charitable organizations, more women’s fishing events, and women are now making a name for themselves in pro fishing.
Women’s fishing participation may not be up significantly in the past 20 years, but the enthusiasm and passion for the sport from women who fish is undoubtedly at an all-time high. Unlike other sports where size, strength and speed may provide an advantage, in fishing those attributes rarely matter. Fly fishing especially has everything to do with skill, patience and even grace; arguably giving women an advantage.
When I decided to write about women’s involvement in fishing, and fly fishing specifically, it seemed a lot more appropriate for the story to come from the perspective of women, so I interviewed three different women fly anglers to get their thoughts on the sport and their advice for other women who are interested in learning to fly fish. 
Mia Sheppard of Maupin, Oregon, and her husband Marty own Little Creek Outfitters, a fly-fishing guide service for steelhead and smallmouth bass. Mia is also a representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. She is the world’s top distance caster with a two-handed rod and currently holds the record 
Kathleen (Kiki) Galvin of Falls Church, Virginia, is the owner/operator of Ms.Guided, a guiding and fly fishing service targeting trout and warmwater fish. Kiki is a member of Trout Unlimited’s Endorsed Business Program, International Women Fly Fishers and Federation of Fly Fishers. She is on Temple Fork Outfitters pro staff, and is a volunteer for Casting for Recovery, among several other fly-fishing and conservation organizations. She says she loves fly fishing “so much I got a rainbow trout tattoo on my right ankle.”
Bernadete Jensen of Denver, Colorado, is a sales support business manager for Cabela’s. Even though her father and brothers fished regularly while she was growing up in Montana, she didn’t have any interest in fishing until very recently. Four months ago she decided to start fly fishing on her own and now fishes at least once a week, targeting trout and bass.
How did you get into fishing and fly fishing specifically?
Mia: I’ve always loved being outside and on the water; it’s soothing and relaxing. I grew up gear fishing with family, and I saw fly fishing as something new and challenging. Since I was hanging out with people that were into fly fishing, it was a natural progression. Once I tried it, I really liked the dance on the water with a fly rod. Fly fishing is very graceful; for women especially, it fits very well. It’s not as clunky as gear fishing, and you don’t have to touch bait or that yucky stuff. With fly fishing there is a lot of mimicking nature, using fly patterns that look like bugs. Steelhead flies are gorgeous, and it’s so fun to look at the different patterns and colors. There is definitely an art to it.
Kiki: When I was little my family used to rent a cottage on a lake in New York State. I would collect worms and put them in a Maxwell House coffee can and store them in the fridge. My Dad and I would get up early in the morning and go down to the lake. He would perch me on the end of the wooden dock where I would dangle my toes in the water. After I moved to Virginia, I used to go and fish at some of the local put-and-take programs on the weekends in the 90s. A few of the anglers were fly fishing. I thought it was very graceful and enrolled in a one-day course. The rest is history.
Bernadete: Coming from a family geared toward hunting, I saw fly fishing as exciting way to reconnect with them, but I really didn’t want to kill animals. Fishing is great as it gets you very close to wildlife and you can practice catch and release if you want. It’s also very challenging, and that appealed to me.
What do you enjoy about fly fishing? What makes it rewarding to you?
Mia: I love being on the water, it grounds me. I also love teaching new anglers to cast and share these beautiful places with others. Some folks don’t get to see the amazing rivers we fish until someone takes them out, and it’s very rewarding showing people these absolutely gorgeous places. When they experience it for themselves, they become more interested and invested in that area. I enjoy showing folks the importance of taking care of these special places for future generations.
Kiki: For me personally the sport has given me a way to relax, to center myself, and to put it simply, “it just plain fills me up.” It has also given me a means to reach out, share my passion with others, to volunteer my time, and to become involved in the greater community. This is something I think we all should all strive to do in some capacity.
Bernadete: I enjoy that fly fishing gets me outside. I’ve been hiking into the Rocky Mountains to fish high lakes, and fishing in that beautiful environment is amazing because I have a love of nature. I also enjoy how challenging it is. There’s always something new to learn and I can always improve my cast. Catching my first fish was such a high that I was like, “I definitely need to that again.”
What are the biggest challenges you face as a fly angler? As a woman in fly fishing?
Mia: It used to be the stereotype of women don’t fish, or they just go fishing to hang out with their husbands or boyfriends, and that’s not true. It took quite a few years of building up my reputation as an angler—that I can do this and can take folks out and get them into fish. The fly fishing community is really starting to realize that this is a great sport for women as well, that we do kick ass, and the playing field is leveling out. On a physical level, there is some heavy lifting like getting boats on and off trailers. I’m strong, but depending on the angle of the boat trailer, it can be difficult, but you just ask for help, people and clients are gracious enough to extend a hand.
Kiki: The sport I love so dearly can still cause consternation among the genders for whatever reason. It is still a male-dominated sport, and with the increase of more women stepping into the stream, some men still believe it is not the place for women. With that being said, I think fishing can bring out the best in people, but without getting specific, it can also bring out the worst in people. I have witnessed both. I think most of the challenges in this day and age center around personal prejudices and overcoming them. I think somehow there is an aspect of ownership still maintained by some men that our waters and the fish that hold there are somehow theirs and not to be shared with the opposite gender. Women have been able to demonstrate physicality, skill level and understanding equal to their male counterparts for generations. I have always said the fish has no care as to who gender-wise is on the other end of the line. In fact, a trout told me once after I brought it to hand, “it was a pleasure meeting you my worthy adversary, but could you release me now so I can go back home.” A joke of course, but you get my drift. With all of that said, it is much more of a comfortable, accepting and respectful relationship than it used to be. I also would prefer to be referred to as an angler rather than fly fisherwomen/fly fisherman or anything else. If I am correct the word angler or angling came from anyone who creates an angle with the line from the tip of the rod to the fish’s mouth. There is no gender implied. I like that attitude!
Bernadete: My friends don’t fish and I don’t live near my family anymore, so finding someone willing to take me out and show me firsthand of what true fly fishing should look like was challenging. The people who are really passionate about the sport are the ones that make that happen. You have to have the ability to go to where the fish are, you have to get the right gear, and you have to know what to purchase. I was very fortunate because I got to try products out, but that’s still a hard decision to make. My friends have zero interest in fly fishing, so it’s been really tough because I don’t spend as much time with my friends then. Although, that’s also been rewarding because picking up a new hobby has allowed me to meet new people and make some new friends.
Is fly fishing for families? For kids?
Kiki: It is a very graceful sport and almost anyone can master the technique with a bit of practice. You can fish or fly fish almost anywhere for all species of fish, which I think makes it an inclusive activity for all individuals, especially families. We are now living in the age of so much technology, and fishing is a way of getting our kids to look up from their phones and see the world around them again. I always say, “Fish live in beautiful places,” so fishing can immerse you in the wonder and beauty of nature and help reconnect one to the other. Also the joy of catching a fish is very rewarding and can be a very healing experience as well.
Bernadette: My dad was very surprised that I wanted to get involved in fishing after so many years of being exposed to it growing up but choosing not to participate. Fly fishing was new to my parents. They love fishing, but they don’t fly fish. The thought of fly fishing is that it can be a little pretentions and expensive to get into. My dad was surprised, but now he is very proud. We are having more father-daughter moments that fishing has made possible. Fishing is a great family activity, you are involved and engaged, it’s cost effective, and it’s a learning experience—not only how to fish, but also to be responsible in nature.
Why do you think fishing in general and fly fishing specifically has become more popular with women?
Mia: It’s really cool, because I see more women coming to me as a woman guide wanting instruction. Women feel more comfortable being around other women when they try something new. They may be a little self-conscious
around a guy, but when fishing with other women they are more likely to let their hair down. Fly fishing is super fun and graceful being on the water and connecting to the outdoors. It’s a tool to connect you with beautiful places, and it’s actually pretty simple once you get the right gear. It’s like yoga on the water, in that it’s good exercise and social. Fly fishing is something you can do with a group of your friends, and you can share these places and experiences with your friends. I’ve found that unlike men, women don’t necessarily need to catch fish to have a good time. They are usually not as serious as the guys, and are just out to have a good time and have fun with their friends.
Bernadette: Women are getting more involved in a lot of things. Women are seeing that they have opportunities to participate in the activities that maybe were traditionally more male activities. Women are very independent these days, and we have a natural tendency to try something different and challenge ourselves. Plus moving in on the guy’s territory is a powerful thing for women. “Hey guys, we are going to challenge the status quo, and we are going to catch more fish.”
What advice would you give women who are just starting out in fly fishing?
Mia: Keep it fun and connect with fishing clubs. There are a lot of women-specific fishing clubs. You also have to stay at it. Once you pick up a rod, keep going to rivers and have confidence. Keep it simple, keep it fun, and keep it going.
Kiki: I usually share with them just as I did way back when: spend time reading, going to fly shows and clinics to learn your skills. Try to improve and realize the importance of knowing stream etiquette, which, by the way, I truly believe garners the respect of other fellow anglers no matter the gender. Join a conservation organization and a women’s fly fishing club. The process of self-improvement is a lifetime endeavor, and having a positive, inclusive attitude promotes harmony on the water no matter where you find yourself. Try to give back to the community in some way, and there are many opportunities to do that as we all know. Remember, everyone has the right to be out on the water enjoying the sport they love or have a passion for without question.
Bernadete: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find someone who fly fishes and who has experience. That way you can get a pretty good grip on the next steps you need to take. Lots of practice and don’t get frustrated. If you are interested in fly fishing, think of it as slow but steady development. You might get frustrated and want to quit, but hang around people who have gone through those experiences and find people willing to help you grow and learn.
The report looks at the increasing population size and distribution of nuisance bugs and plants like the tiger mosquito, fire ant, poison ivy, algae, and jelly fish. As the title suggests, ticks and the diseases they carry are featured prominently.
For hunters and other people who spend lots of time in the woods, the threat of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness can be all-too real. While 95 percent of all Lyme disease cases have come from only 13 states in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, ticks are carriers of many different diseases in many different states that include Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the Mountain West, Heartland virus in the south Midwest, and Ehrlichiosis in the South, among others. Even if they are not disease-carrying, tick bites can itch and irritate for weeks.
Hunting is in the crosshairs
Ticks are just one of the many reasons hunters should be ticked off. There are numerous efforts underway to sell public land which would limit hunting access, place other values of forests before that of recreation, curtail protections to vital watery habitat, and the Senate couldn’t even pass the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act earlier this summer because of partisan politics that had nothing to do with our sporting traditions.
Hunters have many reasons to be ticked off, but perhaps the biggest reason to get mad and get involved is climate change’s negative consequences to fish and game habitat.
“Many sportsmen and women are already seeing the effects of climate change on their hunting and fishing opportunities, and are very concerned about what that means to the future of our sports,” said John Gale, National Wildlife Federation’s sportsmen campaigns manager. “Climate change poses an immediate and specific threat to hunting and fishing in America, challenging the traditions and values of sportsmen and women, our respect for the land, and the legacy we leave to future generations.”
Ticks and climate change have recently become a major problem for one of America’s most iconic big game animals, moose, which are revered by hunters and wildlife viewers alike. Moose are in serious decline from New Hampshire and Maine, to Minnesota and Michigan, and even into Montana and Wyoming as tick infestation, overheating and disease tied to warming temperatures leaves them weak and ill. Hunters, while not directly the cause of the decline, are the most affected because many moose seasons are being shortened and harvest tags reduced.
As the Ticked Off report points out, modeling indicates that Lyme-disease ticks will continue to move to higher latitudes and elevations over coming decades, a result of milder winters creating longer tick growing seasons.
Ken Barrett, former host of the sportsmen’s TV show “Life in the Open,” has hunted and fished all around the world and is very concerned about ticks, Lyme disease, and what that means for the future.
“As a boy growing up in the Hudson River Valley, there were few kids who were in the woods more than I was, and I don’t remember ever once finding a tick as a child. Then we had this explosion of deer ticks,” Barrett says in the Ticked Off report. “I know many families are now not letting their children go in the woods because of the concern of Lyme disease. If we don’t let children play in the woods and connect with nature, I think we are really going to be in trouble.”
The connections between ticks, deer, rodents, foxes and hunting
The Lyme disease threat is so worrisome in the Northeast, that some New England towns and counties are trying several innovative and controversial methods to control tick populations, including increased deer hunting seasons, deer contraceptives and pesticides.
While the colloquial name is deer tick, rodents play an equally important role in the parasite’s lifecycle, and rodents are the sole cause of the ticks being a Lyme disease carrier.
There is an ongoing scientific and social debate whether or not culling deer populations actually decreases the risk of Lyme disease. Two recent studies come to completely different conclusions. One study concludes increases in Lyme disease are frequently not correlated with deer abundance and instead coincide with range-wide declines of red fox, the main predator of Lyme-carrying rodents. While another study concludes culling deer populations to levels that reduce the potential for ticks to successfully breed should be an important component of any long-term strategy to reduce the rise of Lyme disease. The report goes on to note, “Additionally, good hunter access to deer habitat and a wide variety of (hunting) management tools (bait, unlimited tags, and incentive programs) are important components of a successful deer reduction strategy.”
For folks in the West who are seeing deer populations dramatically decline — as outlined in another new NWF report, “Legacy in the Crosshairs: ‘Colorado’s Mule-Deer Factory’ on the Decline” — the thought of culling deer herds may seem abhorred. However, some Eastern states have overpopulations of deer that are creating problems for forest ecology, among other concerns.
More importantly, what’s really disconcerting and troublesome is that many hunters are ticked off about the wrong things. Recent polls show that access and conservation are just as important to sportsmen as gun rights, but several organizations would rather overly focus on gun rights, predator control, or high fence trophy hunts, effectively diverting attention away from important habitat issues.
“If you hunt and you are not ticked off, you should be,” concluded Gale. “We need to direct our collective outrage to the problems actually hurting our sporting traditions like habitat loss and fragmentation and misguided proposals to dispose of our public lands, the birthright of all Americans. We can’t play into the hands of those who would limit opportunity by reducing access and hurting efforts to conserve fish and game habitat. We are obligated to future generations to take a stand by advocating for clean water, access and opportunity on public lands, and addressing threats like climate change that are already impacting fish and wildlife habitat.”
This year’s bloom was not a new occurrence in Lake Erie, and possibly not even as bad as 2011’s record-breaking bloom, but it’s the first time on record the lake’s algae has caused a Do-Not-Drink-the-Water advisory on this scale. The maximum extent of the 2011 bloom was later in the year, meaning the worst for the current bloom may still be later this month or September. The event is worrying for local residents, has negative consequences to the area’s economy, and is potentially damaging to wildlife.
What is currently happening in Ohio and Florida is a symptom of a much bigger problem, as there is considerable scientific evidence that algal blooms are increasing on a global scale, and a warming world only exacerbates the conditions that leads to blooms.
Mass fish deaths
As an unabashed fish geek, I’ve been following for several years now the trending incidents of mass fish deaths in the U.S. and throughout the world. I love fish, perhaps even more than I love fishing for them. I could talk for hours about the differences and similarities between a native bowfin and an invasive snakehead, or what makes the brook trout unique as compared to other trout.
Reading about mass fish kills makes me cringe. It’s heartbreaking to see thousands of fish floating dead in the water. What a horrible, tragic waste. I would much rather see fish go out line-caught and grilled.
As algal blooms are one of the main causes of fish die-offs, the Lake Erie and Florida coast incidents peaked my curiosity and concern. Will the Lake Erie bloom lead to a mass death of the lake’s diverse fish populations? Would eating fish caught in the blooms be harmful to humans? Why are these blooms happening with more severity lately? And just what is really going on with all these fish die-offs making headlines these days?
There are several causes of fish die-offs that include drought, algal blooms, acidification, overpopulation, sustained increase (or decrease) in water temperature, disease, parasites, and toxicity, among others. By far the leading cause of mass fish deaths is lack of oxygen, and often oxygen depletion is related to other causes such as algal blooms.
Fish kills can be the first visible signs of environmental stressors. Many fish species have a low tolerance of variations in environmental conditions, and their death could indicate habitat problems that may negatively impact other wildlife and humans. Fish die-offs are usually immediately investigated by environment and wildlife agencies. Several state agencies have fish-kill fact sheets available to the public and education campaigns to encourage the public to report mass fish deaths.
Bloom’s effects on fisheries and tourism
There’s not much evidence that the algal bloom in Lake Erie has caused or will cause a serious fish kill. It’s likely that some fish have died from it, and once the algae itself dies, the problem really gets serious for fish as the decaying algae depletes the water’s oxygen. The record-breaking bloom of 2011 was the impetus for a detailed report that includes strategies on how to keep it from happening again, focusing on reducing phosphorus loads into the lake. Apparently, algal blooms were a massive problem in Lake Erie in the 60s and 70s, but were curtailed by reducing and regulating phosphorous use. That seemed to basically fix the problem with an occasional flair-up into the 80s and early 90s, only to reappear this decade worse than ever.
In terms of fish and fisheries, the report notes that commercial fish landings on Lake Erie in 2011 were not negatively impacted by the record algal bloom, but it did cause an estimated $2.4 million dollar loss to Ohio’s recreational fishing industry and a $1.3 million dollar loss to Maumee Bay State Park due to lack of visitors. The report goes on to note, “HABs in combination with greater storm intensities and warmer water temperatures in the summer as a result of climate change can affect Lake Erie fisheries both directly (for example, by altering fish reproduction) and indirectly (for example by altering food web interactions and the use of particular habitats).” To read more about Lake Erie algal blooms, check out the report released last year by NWF Taken by Storm.
Doesn’t take a scientist to realize that algal blooms and mass fish deaths can be tough on fishing and tourism. No one wants to swim, fish, or otherwise recreate in potentially toxic water that looks like pea soup, or around a bunch of rotting fish carcasses. Red tides from the Gulf of Mexico pose such a serious health and economic threat that the state keeps detailed information including updated tracker on red tides. For more information on Florida’s red tides, check out the NWF report An Unfavorable Tide. Golden algal blooms in Texas have only been documented since 1985, but have caused some massive fish kills in the state. Both in this country and globally, fish kills are a commercial fishing industry nightmare with some dire predictions being made about ocean acidification.
The health consequences of eating fish caught during a blue-green algal bloom, such as the one in Lake Erie, are not well studied, but so far there are no reports of people getting sick or being killed from eating fish caught during a bloom of this type. For both types of blooms, health experts recommend that you fillet the fish, removing skin, fat, and organs before cooking or freezing bloom-caught fish, and thoroughly rinse the fillets with clean water. In Florida, commercial harvesting of clams, oysters and other mollusks is banned during a red tide, and the state recommends that these species not be eaten during a red tide.
So what does all this mean? For starters, it’s not the beginning of the end of the world—well, at least if we don’t let it be—but the Lake Erie and Florida algal blooms, mass fish kills around the globe, and the negative consequences of a warming climate to the world’s ocean food stocks and freshwater fisheries should be a wakeup call to everyone that hasn’t already realized that the status quo needs to change. Whether that means reducing the phosphorus load in Lake Erie or reducing our carbon footprint both personally and as a country.
Find ways to be part of the solution. Blue-green blooms and red tides can have a silver lining if we are willing to take the actions needed to keep them from getting worse. In many cases, we know what those solutions are, we just need the will to enact them. If you haven’t yet taken action to curb carbon emissions for trout and trout fishing, please take action today.
For a majority of Americans, participating in their favorite outdoor activities often involve being able to access public lands. For sportsmen and women especially, public lands are often vital for enjoying hunting and fishing. Unfortunately, many federal public lands are actually off-limits to the public because they are surrounded by private lands and lack legal access. A recent report found that more than four million acres of these so-called “landlocked” public lands in the West are closed to outdoor recreation.
“Surveys and polls conducted of sportsmen and women across the country consistently demonstrate that access is one of the most important priorities,” said John Gale, sportsmen campaigns manager for the National Wildlife Federation. “As we groom the next generation of anglers, hunters and stewards of our fish, wildlife and rich public lands, it’s incumbent upon us to ensure our sporting heritage and outdoor traditions can be passed down to them enriched and not marginalized.”
The HUNT Act would improve access on public lands
The Hunt Unrestricted on National Treasures Act (S.1554) seeks to fix the problem of poor access due to “landlocked” public lands. The HUNT Act would require federal land management agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to identify public tracts larger than 640 acres that have recreational potential but are currently closed to public access. For each of those major parcels, the legislation would establish the most appropriate method for providing public access, including working with willing landowners to purchase access easements. If approved, the HUNT Act will represent the only federal program specifically targeting landlocked public lands for enhanced access.
In some cases, a simple trail across private lands acquired through the HUNT Act would literally open thousands of acres to public use. In this way, the proposal represents a cost-effective way to make sure Americans are permitted the fullest access possible, while at the same time compensating willing landowners for this access.
The HUNT Act would require no additional taxes and fees. Funds for easements and other access improvements would come from allocating up to 1.5 percent of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which receives revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling. Congress typically under funds the LWCF every year to pay for things that have nothing to do with the fund’s intent, but that’s a whole other story.
The HUNT Act would also help protect the traditions of America’s 47 million hunters and anglers, who account for more than $200 billion in economic activity and support 1.5 million jobs across the country. These same sportsmen and women also generate hundreds of millions dollars annually for wildlife habitat, including non-game habitat.
The National Wildlife Federation, along with our allies and state affiliate the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, was in Washington D.C. earlier this week for a Senate subcommittee hearing to provide support for the HUNT Act, which is sponsored by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
Hunters and anglers strongly support Heinrich’s bill
“New Mexico sportsmen have a lot riding on the outcome of the HUNT Act — more than half a million acres of public land that we currently can’t hunt or hike because the access is blocked,” said NMWF Executive Director Garrett VeneKlasen. “The HUNT Act lays out a sensible approach to regaining access to these public lands by first requiring the land management agencies to inventory them. That will help ensure we don’t lose even more ground in the future.”
Sen. Heinrich, arguably the most avid sportsman in Congress today, also champions fully-funding LWCF and lobbied the President to establish the country’s newest national monument in his home state earlier this year.
“Hunters and anglers nationwide tip their hat to Sen. Heinrich for his leadership on this legislation,” Gale said.
Despite this great proposal to expand access on public lands, there are some in Congress that are attempting to sell off our cherished public lands. Please tell your legislators to stop targeting our public lands.
You can view Sen. Heinrich’s presentation on the the HUNT ACT to the Senate’s Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee here:
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All these are good reasons for kids to pick up angling at an early age, but perhaps most importantly are the smiles fishing creates. It’s a ton of fun, and a child’s first few fishing experiences will often determine if they are hooked for life or if they decide they would rather be watching television. While some kids do pick up fishing on their own, most often it’s a fishing mentor—typically a family member—that nurtures the passion for the sport and desire to conserve the resource. Here are some practical tips to get kids hooked on fishing and to help turn a child angler into a champion of conservation.
Catching is key
Location, location, location
Doing the research to know the best local spots to catch fish frequently can make all the difference. There are many online and human resources to do this, but when in doubt, you can always ask your local tackle shop or fish and wildlife agency office where to get kids into fish. Many expert anglers will tell you fishing doesn’t necessarily mean catching, and can have a blast getting skunked. But for a kid just starting out, catching is the fun part. It’s about action and excitement. At this point in their angler development, quality of fish doesn’t matter as much as quantity.
Keep it simple
You don’t need to start with cheap kids rod, but you’re also better off not starting a kid with fly-fishing gear. An ultralight spinning outfit will work just fine for most kids. A small hook (size 8-12), a sinker, and a small bobber with a little piece of bait (worms work great) on light line (4 pounds or so) is a tried and true method that is very effective on many different species of fish, including panfish, trout, bass, and catfish. Fishing can be prepared to schooling, with bait and bobber elementary; spinners, plugs and jigs secondary; and fly fishing graduate level. It’s a lot more practical to start kids with basic arithmetic than go straight to calculus.
Ensuring a fun time
Be patient and complimentary
Line tangles, snags, and lost fish are all part of the fishing experience. Heap lots of praise on young anglers when they do well and don’t criticize them when something goes wrong. Never show frustration. Have two rods setup so the adult can fix a line tangle on one, while the child is able to keep fishing with the second. Fishing can be yucky to some kids, as both bait and fish can be slimy and stinky. If a child doesn’t want to bait the hook or touch the fish, that’s perfectly okay, do it for them. You can coach them into doing it for themselves down the road.
Be prepared
It’s no fun fishing when you are getting bit by mosquitoes, in the middle of a down pour, cold or hot, or hungry and thirsty. Be sure and note the weather and conditions before your fishing trip, and bring along some insect repellent, chairs, sunscreen, wet or cold weather gear, snacks and drinks, bandages, extra fishing gear, and anything else you may need to be comfortable and relaxed. Don’t hesitate to call it a day if the conditions get too rough or the fishing gets too slow. Better to try again another time than be miserable or bored, and since most kids have short attention spans, an hour or two is often plenty when starting out.
Creating young conservationists
Angler ethics
Fishing rules can be dauntingly complicated for adults, let alone children. Don’t bombard children with a bunch of rules, but do explain in simple terms why we have licenses, bag and size limits, and gear restrictions. Explain that poaching is illegal and you can get in trouble for not following fishing regulations, but that those regs are in place so there are enough fish for everyone to enjoy. If a child wants to keep and eat his or her catch, that’s perfectly fine. This is a good time to instill an ethic of keeping only what you will eat. Like fishing itself, cleaning and preparing fish can be valuable learning and bonding experiences between adult and children.
Respect for nature
Fishing is an excellent time to teach an appreciation and respect for nature. Bringing fish to the hand allows for the teaching of gills, scales, fins and other fish anatomy. Water bodies often hold many other creatures like crawdads, minnows, and macroinvertebrates. Turning over rocks to see what creatures lie beneath can be a lot fun, and it’s also a great way to teach kids about fish diet and the life cycles of aquatic insects like mayflies and stoneflies. You may also see many other animals such as osprey and muskrat, and each of these creatures has an interesting and entertaining story to tell. Fishing is also a wonderful time to install a leave-no-trace ethic of not littering, and is great opportunity to teach the importance of good habitat and clean water for wildlife. Now, what are you waiting for? Go fish, and please take a kid with you!
The recently proposed rule by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ensures the Clean Water Act once again safeguards many — but not all — streams, lakes, and wetlands that had lost protections due to the court decisions.
There’s a great deal of misinformation out there about what the rule actually does and does not do. Attacks against the proposed rule are primarily based on exaggeration and extreme worst-case scenarios, and often have very little grounding in actual fact. Many are just plain false. Politically, these attacks have included a proposed rider to a Senate spending bill, a recently introduced Senate bill, and a charged House hearing on the subject, among others.
Despite what the opposition says, the proposed rule doesn’t protect all waters of the U.S. and doesn’t change the definition of navigability. It does provide exemptions for many farming, timber and other land-use activities, and leaves many important waters at risk to these operations. The proposed rule is a compromise solution that restores protections for some wildlife habitats but also ensures many protections for landowners.
Getting this proposed rule passed and implemented is an important battle for everyone that cares about wildlife and clean water. It’s also vitally important that sportsmen and sportswomen be involved. Rarely have so many sporting organizations come together on a common cause as they are with this one. Back in 2008, Congress had the opportunity to act, but didn’t, and again sportsmen are united to achieve administratively what Congress has been unable or unwilling to do legislatively.
If you’re an angler and/or hunter wondering if your voice matters, you need look no further than this struggle. Know that you do matter and can make a difference, even during these days of political polarization and corporate spending. Sportsmen engagement likely kept the Senate rider from derailing the proposed rule in June. In fact, shortly after the rider was defeated, President Obama, said “I am going to stand with sportsmen and conservationists against members of Congress who want to dismantle the Clean Water Act.”
It’s been decades since there’s been a federal conservation action as significant for trout fishing and duck hunting as the current proposed Clean Water Act rule. These clarifications of an already existing law are currently open for public comment and are already under heavy attack, so now is a critical time to show your support for the habitat ducks, fish, and our outdoor traditions depend on. Take a stand with other sportsmen and conservationists: support the proposed Clean Water Act rule.
Not only do these lands provide boundless outdoor recreation opportunities for a vast variety of user groups, but they also provide inexpensive livestock grazing; are sources of wind, gas and oil energy; generate revenue for local economies; provide robust habitat for fish and wildlife; and are great sources of clean air and pure water. Our public lands – from national parks and forests to wilderness areas and wildlife refuges – are one of our nation’s greatest treasures, as highlighted by a recent NWF report.
For example, in April the U.S. House passed a budget that included a rider to sell off public lands, another bill passed by the House would massively increase timber operations on public lands, and yet another bill passed by the House last week would minimize public input from the oil-and-gas-leasing process on public lands. Perhaps even worse, the Republican National Committee made disposing of public lands part of the 2014 party platform.
At the state level, Utah recently signed into law a measure to demand federal public lands be given to the state, the Arizona Legislature passed a similar law that was vetoed by the Governor, and similar bills were introduced in New Mexico and Wyoming, with other land-grab bills introduced in Idaho and Colorado. At the Montana Republican Platform Convention held recently, the states GOP unanimously passed a resolution in favor of snatching public lands, and a recent convention with officials from nine states was held to strategize on to how wrest public lands away from the American public. To see the face of these land-seizing officials check out this website.
Up until now there was little for those us to do who value our public lands other than shake our heads in chagrin and lambast those making the ill-begotten effort to sell public land. The defensive attacks against these land grabs range from Constitutional and legal to financial and ethical, which are summed up well in this article.
Had enough of playing defense? Well, it’s now time to go on the offensive. Montana Senator John Walsh recently introduced a bill that would take what little wind these land grabbers have out of their sails. Senate Resolution 483, the “resolution establishing a point of order against legislation selling federal land in order to reduce the deficit,” is co-sponsored by New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich and Colorado Senator Mark Udall. The measure would require a supermajority vote – 60 out of 100 senators – on any legislation that would sell off federal lands.
Now is the time to say enough is enough. We will not tolerate our public lands going to the highest bidder for short term profits! Please make a personal call to the senators in your state, telling them to support S.R. 483. You can also take action quickly and easily online now by signing our petition to tell Congress that you value our public lands, and you don’t want them targeting our big backyard for sales to individuals and industries.
A large part of duck-hunting’s appeal is knowing how and when to make just the right call to bring ducks to your position. Calling ducks and geese is an art form. Not exactly orchestral composition, but a skilled art none the less.
Calling is just one of the many reasons duck hunters take to this nation’s marshes, swamps, wetlands, ponds, lakes, and rivers each year. Speak to a duck hunter, and he or she will have as many reasons for why they hunt as they do species they hunt. You’ll likely hear about the camaraderie of hunting together with friends, seeing the family dog retrieve dinner, connecting with the natural environment, and choosing or even building their own decoys. One thing most all of them will talk about is the beauty, majesty and variety of the species they hunt.
“I love duck hunting because of the different species we see,” Weber said. “They are such beautiful creatures with different colors, patterns, and life histories. I really fall hard for the drake wood duck and green-winged teal. When the male green-wings are in full color, they are amazing with colorful spots, streaks, and checkering. If you hold one in your hands, it’s just beautiful.”
Ducks and geese, more than any other wildlife, connects hunters from all over North and South America because of their migratory nature. A duck hunter (or bird watcher) in the southern part of the country may be seeing the same birds that people in the north part of the country are seeing earlier or later, depending on the time of year.
NWF recently released an issue brief on how Alberta, Canada’s “Tar Sands” open pit oil mines are affecting migratory birds. The birds mentioned in the brief as breeding or migrating through the Tar Sands include most of hunters’ most-cherished waterfowl. Tar Sands faces a lot of criticism and opposition from environmentalists, Tribes, and even Nebraska ranchers who don’t want the proposed pipeline run through their property. Duck hunters are another group of folks that should consider joining those ranks.
“For people who care about wildlife and wild places, ducks connect us all,” explained Weber. “My buddy in North Dakota can be hunting the same ducks I will hunt later in the season in Louisiana. They migrate along their flyways every year, covering vast distances and traversing through numerous landscapes and habitat types. They depend on healthy habitat all along the way, from the prairie potholes in Canada, all the way to the coastal marshes of Louisiana, or wherever their wintering grounds may be. I think duck hunters are so passionate about conservation because it ties us all together. You know you have to not only do your part for the duck habitat in your local hunting areas, but also have to be concerned about their progress on the other end of the migratory flyway and all points in between.”
As the report points out, Tar Sands oil operations have already destroyed 256 square miles of natural landscape, with 586 square miles under active development – just one third of the total mineable area of 1,850 square miles. Much of the area has been or is currently being strip-mined, which involves clear-cutting forests and removing all vegetation, soil, and earth above the tar sands layer. Doesn’t take a rocket scientists to figure out that’s not good for ducks, or any other wildlife for that matter.
“The intensive nature of Tar Stands means less habitat,” Weber said. “If you boil it down to its simplest form — we are not talking about some small project here — Tar Sands is terribly destructive for wildlife and wild places. It threatens the outdoor traditions and legacy that hunters and anglers value, whether you’re in Louisiana, Canada or somewhere in between.”
Climate change is already having significant impacts on fish and game animals and their habitats, putting hunters and anglers on the front lines of climate policy. Many sportsmen and women are seeing climate change restrict their hunting and fishing opportunities and are very concerned about what climate change means to the future of our sports. Thankfully, an increasing number of sportsmen and sportswomen are up to the challenge.
“My favorite thing used to be duck hunting, and now it’s trout fishing,” the 77-year-old Crosby said, pausing to adjust his hearing aid and then adding with a wry chuckle, “I mostly fish now because my ears are damaged from shooting guns too much.”
Crosby is known throughout Colorado, and especially at the capitol in Denver, as a dedicated volunteer lobbyist on behalf of wildlife conservation, hunting and fishing. A retired farm and ranch real estate broker with four children and 10 grandchildren, Crosby has been lobbying Colorado governors, federal and state legislators, and local leaders for decades to get them to value Colorado’s fish and game.
He’s not affiliated with any particular organization, but is a private citizen who wants to make the world a better place for his grandchildren. He sees climate change as the biggest threat to not only hunting and fishing in Colorado, but also the health and welfare of all people.
“The future my grandkids will have to deal with is scary because of climate change’s impacts on food and water in many counties, especially in Asia,” Crosby said, referencing one scientific report after another to justify his comments. “My grandkids are not going to have the opportunities that I had because of climate change, and that makes me want to do all I can about it now for their sake.”
“We used to have a great deal of duck hunting 40 years ago in Colorado, but now we have fewer ducks and they are coming down later in the fall,” he continued. “This is just anecdotal — I’ve noticed this over the last 20-30 years of observation in the field — we also see that our elk hunts are like walking through a bowl of rice crispies, the ground is so dry and warm, and now many states are seeing moose die from ticks.”
Once Crosby gets started talking, his passion for fish and game and his frustration with climate change deniers becomes more and more evident.
“Pheasants, trout, big horn sheep, mule deer and elk, walleye, smallmouth bass, antelope, muskies, rocky mountain goats, sage grouse, lesser prairie chicken, and chukars: they are all going to have to shift north as the southern states get too hot and dry for them to survive,” he said, his voice rising while counting off the species on his hands. “Also shifting north will be the feral swine, the African killer bees, and malaria mosquitoes. All will be shifting north. Basically hotter and dryer is tough on most game animals, and it’s also tough on wildlife agency budgets, leaving less money for access and habitat.”
Crosby is among a new breed of sportsmen who refuse to deny what they are seeing for themselves firsthand, and are willing to take the tough stands — even bucking their own political party in many cases — to do something about it.
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“Not too long ago conservation was not a polarizing issue, many Republicans were conservationists,” lamented Crosby. “Anti-conservation is not only unhealthy, it’s also bad economics. The economy is not going to do well with failing nations all over the world at war with each for diminishing food and water. The stock market is very influenced by uncertainty and political instability.”
In many ways, sportsmen and sportswomen like Crosby are uniquely situated to make a difference to curb climate change because sporting traditions and sportsmen’s conservation concerns cross party lines. At least in the near future, the carbon-producing industries and their politicians on the far right are not going to listen to the environmentalists of the far left. Those two sides are too firmly entrenched, but the right will have to listen to hunters and anglers, especially ones in their own party who have had enough of lost sporting opportunity and are willing to take the tough stands needed to ensure hunting and fishing opportunities for their children and grandchildren. In many red states throughout the country, environmentalists cannot even get in the state capitol door (figuratively speaking), but both parties still respect sportsmen and women. The ecumenical community is another voice that needs to be loud and strong to curb climate change, because it also can cross party lines.
“Sportsmen must put pressure on politicians to do more with renewable energy and less subsidies for fossil fuels,” Crosby said. “All the things we can do, we should be doing very, very quickly because we are going to get past the tipping point that no matter what we do, we won’t be able to stop greenhouse gases and the temperature will continue to rise.”
Climate change poses an immediate and specific threat to hunting and fishing in America, challenging the traditions and values of sportsmen and sportswomen, our respect for the land, and the legacy we leave to future generations. America’s hunters and anglers must demand our political leaders lay out their plans for protecting our air, water, wildlife and public lands. We can’t destroy America’s great outdoors and leave whatever’s left of the mess for our children and grandchildren to clean up. Sportsmen and women have been an important voice for fish, game and outdoor recreation in past environmental policy, and we must be so again.
One very important step we can all take right now is to cut the carbon pollution that currently is on track to cause significant warming by mid-century. Carbon emissions can be addressed by implementing the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce carbon pollution from existing power plants. Incredibly, nearly 40 percent of all U.S. carbon pollution comes from just one source — power plants. Limiting emissions from power plants is a critical step towards slowing the warming temperatures that harm our fish, game and sporting traditions.
Looking for other ways to be involved? Join the team! The National Wildlife Federation is building our strong and dedicated team of sportsmen and sportswomen advocates, and we want YOU on the team! When you join today, you will receive news, updates, and action opportunities focused on conserving the fish and game animals that sportsmen and sportswomen cherish. You will be also be entered to win some great outdoor prizes!
“Think about what your core values are, and I bet each and every one us would include clean air, clean water and safe food,” Crosby concluded. “What’s important to my kids and grandkids is having a healthy place to live, and if we do not address climate change, they will not have that. It’s really that simple. Climate change is the mother of all game changers.”
In many ways, the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 (S. 2363, formerly S. 1966) does both. This Senate bill, which could go to a vote any day now, incorporates several smaller bills written by both Democrats and Republicans to create what is truly a bipartisan bill — a very rare thing these days in Congress.
Many of NWF’s state affiliates are also very supportive of the measure and have done work in their states to organize their constituent’s support of the bill.
“Through the efforts and hard work of the main sponsors Senators Hagan (D-North Carolina) and Murkowski (R-Alaska) and with the backing of the Congressional Sportsmen Caucus, decision makers in the Senate were able to put politics aside and create a bipartisan bill that will benefit wildlife resources, sportsmen interests and the places we fish, hunt and view wildlife,” said Richard Mode of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. “Not only will the bill help protect and enhance the natural resource base in North Carolina that supports a $19 billion outdoor recreation industry in the state and which creates 192.000 jobs, but it will help us protect our sportsmen heritage, something you can’t put a dollar figure on. The bill shows that regardless of political affiliation, decision makers in the Senate can find things we can agree on: wildlife and the protection and enhancement of the special places we hunt and fish.”
Conservation
There are many aspects of the Bipartisan Sportsmen Act that the National Wildlife Federation has pushed for and wholeheartedly supports, including several provisions to strengthen wildlife conservation.
- Extend conservation measures: Reauthorize appropriations to carry out approved wetlands conservation projects under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act through 2019, and also reauthorize and revise the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act through 2019. The measure would also permanently reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act, which expired in 2011. This would bring back a “land for land” mechanism allowing the proceeds from Bureau of Land Management land sales to fund critical land conservation in the West at BLM conservation areas, national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, national trails, wilderness, and Wild and Scenic Rivers.
- Provide more access to public lands: Allocates 1.5% or $10 million, whichever is greater, of Land and Water Conservation Fund funding to secure public access to existing federal public lands.
- Increase ease of access for conservation funding provided by hunters: Grants the Secretary of the Interior permanent authority to authorize any state to issue electronic duck stamps and sets forth state application requirements.
Access and Opportunity
Several provisions of the Act are designed to encourage recreational fishing, hunting and shooting on public lands. NWF is also supportive of these provisions of the Act for several reasons, but most importantly because these activities inspire and fund wildlife conservation.
- Protects and enhances hunting and fishing on public lands: Requires federal public land agencies to facilitate the use of and access to federal public land for hunting, recreational fishing, and recreational shooting. Also requires Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service land to be open for hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting, unless the managing agency acts to close lands for reasons outlined in the Act.
- Access and opportunity for recreational shooting: Amends the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to support the development of public shooting ranges.
- Clarifications for waterfowl hunting: Sets criteria in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to clarify what constitutes “normal agricultural practices” so that crop owners and hunters alike know exactly when and where it is appropriate to hunt migratory game birds on agricultural lands.
Take Action
Now is the time to take action to get this bill passed. Please contact your Senators today and ask them to pass the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014.
Looking for other ways to be involved? Join the team! The National Wildlife Federation is building our strong and dedicated team of sportsmen and sportswomen advocates, and we want YOU on the team! When you join today, you will receive news, updates, and action opportunities focused on conserving the fish and game animals that sportsmen and sportswomen cherish. You will be also be entered to win some great outdoor prizes!