Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Obama Expected To Name Colorado’s Browns Canyon The Next National Monument



A two-decade effort to permanently protect Colorado’s Browns Canyon now appears within reach as the Obama administration is poised to designate the 22,000-acre area on the Arkansas River as a national monument.

One of the last choreographed steps in the national monument dance took place over the weekend, with senior public lands managers from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management attending a packed public meeting in Salida, Colorado. About 500 people jammed the SteamPlant Theater, most of them expressing strong support for a monument designation that would permanently protect one of the West’s premier white water rafting and trout fishing areas, and a place where outdoor recreation is a powerful economic driver in the regional economy of south-central Colorado.

Bill Dvorak, the head of a local citizens group that has advocated for permanent protection of the area, told the Denver Post he was confident the finish line is in sight. “I think we’re about 90 percent there,” said Dvorak. “I’m hoping that we’ve finally pushed this thing through. It certainly deserves to have that protection after all these years and all the support we’ve generated. I’m pretty dang confident right now.”

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Winter Redfishing on a Fly Top Locations



Winter Redfish Locations

­Winter reds are found in­shore in water less than four feet deep. Sometimes they habitat waters so shallow that their tail fins are visible. They prefer soft mud and vegetation, as well as oyster, clam and mussel reefs. Inshore fishing spots include jetties, coves, points and pilings, where the reds can hide and munch on baitfish and crustaceans.

For winter bulls (adult redfish), your best bet will be the Gulf Coast waters off Florida, but each location listed below sports high populations of redfish. Keep in mind that winter in the Gulf Shore starts in late January and goes through early March. A few of the best winter redfish locations include:

In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala., cold weather pushes the reds to the ends of canals and rivers where the offshore bulls get mighty hungry. [source: Weir] You will also find plenty of young reds, called puppy drums.

New Orleans and Lafitte, La., are considered two of the best Gulf redfish fishing locations. High tides and strong winds move the reds deep into marshes of bayou country, where you can find scores of young reds. [source: Schultz]

Big Reds are moving in inshore waters along Florida's Gulf Coast from the Indian River, Mosquito Lagoon, and the Intercoastal Waterway [source: Sargeant]. St. Joe's Bay and Apalachicola are noted redfish hotspots from spring clear through winter.

The Mississippi Delta is a redfish haven, and beginning in the fall, the cuts and channels between the Barrier Islands offer up excellent redfish. Don't overlook the Biloxi's Back Bay area, as it is an excellent fly-fishing area. [source: Leon]

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Saturday, November 1, 2014

What Kind of Meat? The Provo Brothers


What kind of Meat? from The Provo Bros on Vimeo.

A fly-fishing journey to the Bolivian Amazon. We wanted to experience the rawness of the jungle in the richest ecosystem on earth, to have a primordial connection with nature that for us, is best achieved through exploration with a fly rod. Our Tsimané guides brought us into their jungle, back in time to a lost world of primitive living, giving us the opportunity to catch a Golden Dorado, one of the most possessed fish that swims. The Amazon wilderness holds many mysteries, but we found out for ourselves that the real treasures of the jungle live beneath the canopy, and swim through its pristine rivers.

From the lowland tropics to the high altitudes of the Cordillera, our fly-fishing trip became more of a lesson in the immense diversity of Bolivia's landscapes and people. We invested everything we had, but came home feeling rich with new knowledge and experiences that are now priceless.

If you're interested in an expedition style fly-fishing trip to the headwaters of the Bolivian Amazon, you must contact our friends Patrick Taendler and Federico Marancenbaum from Santa Cruz. They shared with us their passion and enthusiasm for Golden Dorado, and there is no way in hell we could have done it without them! facebook.com/anglingfrontiers



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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Catch Magazine October/November Issue!


Catch Magazine issue #37 is live and is packed with the best Fly Fishing photography and video from around the world. One of the Top Online Fly Fishing Photography sites out there, a must read!

Go check it out at www.CatchMagazine.net



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Thursday, September 25, 2014

BTT Symposium Art and Film Fest



For two full days, starting November 7th, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust will host their 5th International Symposium at the IGFA Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, FL. This year’s event will feature science presentations packed with the latest science developments from the world’s top tarpon, bonefish, and permit biologists.

There will be a number of clinics and demonstrations for attendees to enjoy including a light tackle casting clinic from C.A. Richardson, the star of Flats Class TV, a tarpon clinic hosted by world class angler Andy Mill, a fly tying demonstration with Enrico Puglisi, and a photography clinic with renowned photographer Pat Ford. Throughout the two days there will also be panel discussions with some of today’s most knowledgeable fishing guides from around the world, trading insight and stories about bonefish, tarpon, and permit.

Friday evening’s entertainment will come in the way of the inaugural BTT Art and Film Festival where some of the biggest names in saltwater art and photography will be on hand to display their work. Attendees will have a chance to purchase pieces directly from the artists with portions of the proceeds benefiting Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.

The festival will also feature films showcasing our favorite inshore flats fish. BTT is now accepting short film submissions from the public for a chance to be shown during the festival. Films must be roughly 5 minutes in length and content should focus on inshore flats species.





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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

New Fly Fishing Buddy Added To The Family!



Another Lifetime Catch

I wanted to alogize to everyone for being MIA these past few weeks. My wife and I were a little tied up, if you will, with a new addiiton to the family.

We were blessed to add Trevor to the Duggan family August 10th 2014. He was netted at 9 1/4 measuring at a hearty 21". Definitely another catch of a Lifetime!

We are so fortunate to have 2 Boys in the family now and years of enjoyement to come our way on the Rivers. The question is "How long before Caleb or Trevor pass me as a better fisherman?"

The best part of this is that I'm home much more these days keeping my wife happy by caring for both boys, the downside, if any despite me not complaining, is that my Fall Fishing will be pretty light when it comes to chasing biog browns and camping trips. Oh well it's all good in the grand scheme of things right and in a few years I'll have someone to tie my flies for me :)


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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Shark Week is Almost Here-Slow Motion Shark Attack High Definition!



SHARK WEEK STARTS SUN AUG 10 8/7C
Discovery Channel Link

SHARK WEEK, television’s longest running must-see summer TV event, returns to Discovery Channel on Sunday, August 10. Building upon last year’s 11 shark-filled specials, a whopping 13 SHARK WEEK shows coupled with a live talk show each night gives this year’s SHARK WEEK the most premiere hours ever featured in the event’s 27-year history.

SHARK WEEK’s late-night live talk show, Shark After Dark, will return. Host Josh Wolf will lead viewers through an hour-long celebration of all things shark-related, including celebrity guests and shark experts. The talk show will give viewers the opportunity to interact live on-air every night with tweets, questions to celebrity guests, and more.

Hawaii is thought of as an idyllic vacation destination, but recent spikes in shark attacks are turning these shores into a shark hot spot. Hawaiian native and surf legend Kala Alexander knows these waters better than anyone, and he hopes to uncover the reason behind this sudden shark invasion in Sharkageddon.

Lair of The Mega Shark- Famed shark experts Jeff Kerr and Andy Casagrande head to New Zealand on a life-or-death mission to investigate the sightings of a 20 foot Great White that resembles the legend of a giant great white shark Maoris call the “lord of the sharks." Jeff and Andy will risk everything to track down this Mega Shark believed to be lurking in the shadows of the New Zealand coast line.

Zombie Sharks explores tonic immobility, a catatonic zombie-like state that can be achieved in sharks. This shark phenomenon has been studied by scientists for years, but a recent spike in orca whale attacks on great white sharks suggests that orcas have now learned how to immobilize and prey on great whites. Professional diver Eli Martinez looks to prove this theory by being the first person to induce underwater tonic immobility in a massive great white shark.

In Alien Sharks: Return to the Abyss, shark researcher Paul Clerkin heads to the Indian Ocean to investigate the ocean’s darkest depths in search of shark species that scientists never even knew existed and get a glimpse of the last known group of bioluminescent sharks in the world.

Monster Hammerhead explores a legendary hammerhead shark that has been patrolling Florida’s shores for the past 60 years. Now, a team of scientists and anglers look to explore the mystery and find out if the legend could be real.

Dr. Michael Domeier has spent years scouring the Pacific Ocean hoping to solve one of the greatest mysteries of shark science: the location of great white pupping grounds. In 2013, he set the process in motion by successfully tagging a pregnant female shark that he called Gil Rakers. Now he’s returning to the sea in Spawn of Jaws 2: The Birth to follow her journey and be the first to capture the birth of a baby great white shark.

Great White Matrix features legendary shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder and cameraman Andy Casagrande on an expedition into the deadly shark infested waters of Australia. Their mission is to investigate a series of bizarre shark attacks in an area swarming with great white sharks. Paul and Andy explore what’s bringing these great whites so close to shore and what’s responsible for the surge in attacks in this area.

Air Jaws programming has pushed and expanded our understanding of great white sharks and has become one of the iconic SHARK WEEK programs. In Air Jaws: Fins of Fury Natural History producer Jeff Kurr and his team return using incredible new cameras and high tech underwater gadgetry to track down the missing “mega-shark” named Colossus.

In Jaws Strikes Back, marine biologist Greg Skomal and the REMUS* SharkCam team travel to the remote Pacific island of Guadalupe to film the hunting behavior of the largest great white sharks on earth.

I Escaped Jaws 2 is a shark special featuring attack stories told from the perspective of the survivor. Using first person interviews and actual footage of the attacks, we take a look at why the attacks occurred and how the victims narrowly escaped with their lives.

Shark of Darkness: Submarine Returns explores the legend of “Submarine,” an enormous great white shark off the coast of South Africa. This 30-foot shark is said to be the largest great white shark of all time. Locals believe that this shark is responsible for countless fatal attacks, but its existence has never been proven. This documentary explores the evidence and asks the question: can Submarine exist?




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Monday, July 21, 2014

State Evacuates 430,000 Trout From Too-Warm Hatchery

Sacramento County - It was a desperate move to save precious lives - an evacuation of thousands of tiny fish from a state hatchery where they would have surely perished in water that was too warm, all because of the California drought.

On Wednesday, state Department of Fish and Wildlife workers netted the last of the 430,000 steelhead trout fingerlings from the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, trucked them to a boat launch about five minutes away and released them into the American River.

Nobody knows whether the 3-inch-long fish will survive, but they're expected to have a better chance than they would have had if they had been left in the hatchery tanks, which are filled with reservoir water piped in from the Folsom Dam.

The problem is that, due to the California drought, the Folsom reservoir is only 52 percent of capacity and the sizzling Central Valley temperatures are expected to heat the water to 78 degrees by August, a temperature that would have meant certain death for the young fish.

"That's too hot for steelhead. We expect they will have a better chance in the river" where they might be able to find cold pools of water, said Gary Novak, the Nimbus Hatchery manager. "The situation is pretty severe. I have to get rid of all my fish and then hope it rains next year."

The Nimbus Hatchery is one of 22 breeding facilities run by the state that supply most of the salmonids left in the ocean along the Central Coast. These hatcheries raise 30 million to 40 million fish annually and plant them in rivers and streams. The state's hatcheries were established decades ago primarily as mitigation for dam building, and experts say there would hardly be any salmonids at all swimming in the rivers if not for the breeding program.

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Friday, July 11, 2014

7,500 Gallons of Crude Oil Spills in Poudre River


Here We Go Again

A 7,500-gallon storage tank of crude oil has completely drained into the scenic Cache La Poudre, Colorado's only designated National Wild and Scenic River, southeast of Fort Collins.

Vegetation was covered by an oil slick a quarter-mile downstream, but authorities claim “no drinking water intakes have been affected.”

The environmental disaster occurred at Noble Energy facility near Windsor in northern Colorado, in imminent proximity to the popular Poudre River Trail, the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) reported late Friday afternoon.

Spring floods caved in the riverbank with a sat storage tank containing 178 barrels (roughly 7,500 gallons or over 28 tons) of crude oil. As a result the tank dropped from its foundation and broke a discharge valve, so all of the oil inside just flowed out right into the river, polluting the water and vegetation several hundred meters downstream.

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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Grass Carp on a Fly, Patience-Luck and Good Fly Selection Needed!


Summer Grass Carp Bite

Summertime is here and rivers are too high to fish, what to do? It's one of my favorite pastimes each Summer (sometimes Spring & Fall if time allows) is Freshwater fishing.

Most of you know that trying to catch a Carp on a fly is not an easy thing to do. When you attempt to target a Grass Carp, the stakes really beef up since these things do not like to eat, spook extremely easy, take a perfect presentation and lastly solid equipment to bring em in!

For the past 10 years, I have spent countless amount hours chasing the Golden Bonefish with maaaany frustrated outings, as well as break offs to remember. To really be good at Carp fishing, or even Grass Carp fishing you need to do some research. Where to find these fish, what Season to target -they can be much more active certain seasons than others, non spawn periods, time of day since weather is as important as your fly selection.





 
 If you Saltwater fish or looking to do more, Carp fishing can truly enhance those fishing skills needed to be a better fisherman. Sight placement and knowing how to read them is just as important as it is similar to Bonefish, Tarpon and Redfish.

Here in Colorado this is the next best thing so I will take it any day of the week! Can't wait to spend more time learning about these fish and if you really want to learn from the experts, check out a few buddies who know their stuff: Lee Novotny with The Fish Fly and Jeff Currier Global Fly Fisher

 
 
Nothing like catching a few Bass as well along the way, I will chase any Freshwater fish as long as the Carp are snoozing!


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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Fly Fishing For Carp, A Few Techniques For Ya!



Fly fishing For Carp, It's On!
FFA Carp Page


A lot of people who fly fish in warm waters have had the experience of accidentally catching a carp. But few try to accomplish this deliberately. For those few, this brief guide should be helpful. Hopefully you will also experiment and share with others your successes and failures.

Basically there are only two ways to fly fish for carp -- sight casting and blind casting. Sight casting involves seeing carp in the water and casting the fly to about 1 or 2 feet in front of them. While this is not always possible, it often is and provides some of the most exciting carp fishing. An analogy is often drawn to fishing for bonefish and the analogy is quite accurate. Like bonefish, carp can often be seen tailing in the shallows. Like bonefish, carp are eating whatever organisms they find on or scare up from the bottom. And like bonefish, when they take your fly expect a long hard run that may take you "into your backing".

Blind casting can take two forms. You can cast to places carp are likely to be and hope you are right. This is usually not a high percentage technique. More reliable is to cast to where you know carp are because you have tossed groundbait in that area. The groundbait not only attracts the carp and concentrates them in a relatively small area but it also gets them into a feeding mood, maybe even a competitive feeding mood. People who bait fish for carp know a great deal about groundbaiting and I suggest you consult some of their published information. In particular I recommend Modern Bank Fishing by Michael Keyes.


"

Gary LaFontaine reports watching trout in the shallows of a mountain lake. They would cruise along and suddenly change direction to begin rooting on the bottom and another leech would become trout fodder. It took him a while to discover how the trout knew where to root. It was a small puff of silt stirred up when the leech moved. He used this information to design the Bristle Leech -- a leech imitation that sits on the bottom but creates a puff of silt when retrieved. The Bristle Leech catches not only trout but also carp and the mechanism that triggers a strike in both fish would seem to be the same.

Bonefish anglers know that bonefish also look for puffs -- shrimp, crabs, and the like moving along the bottom of mud flats and creating a small cloud with each jerky move. A common technique is to cast in front of a bonefish, allow the fly to sink to settle to the bottom, and then give about a short pull on the flyline. The fly rises up off the bottom and creates the puff of silt. A bonefish, even some distance away, can see the puff and rush over for a meal (your fly).



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Friday, May 30, 2014

Teardown Deadbeat Dams Nationwide from Oregon-Washington to the East Coast!



Tearing down deadbeat dams is the subject of this Yvon Chouinard op-ed that appeared earlier this month in the NY Times.

VENTURA, Calif. — OF the more than 80,000 dams listed by the federal government, more than 26,000 pose high or significant safety hazards. Many no longer serve any real purpose. All have limited life spans. Only about 1,750 produce hydropower, according to the National Hydropower Association.

In many cases, the benefits that dams have historically provided — for water use, flood control and electricity — can now be met more effectively without continuing to choke entire watersheds.

Dams degrade water quality, block the movement of nutrients and sediment, destroy fish and wildlife habitats, damage coastal estuaries and in some cases rob surrounding forests of nitrogen. Reservoirs can also be significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

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