Home Forums Fishing Freshwater What image are we presenting?

Hello gentlemen, and Ladies

I'm new to this forum, but a long time reader. I want my first post to be of something rather important to me, and I think many outdoor enthusiast would also agree of it's importance.

The image provided in this post is one that I've used by permission from another photographer in which I admire. Along with being an outdoorsmen I'm also an avid amateur photographer. It's because of this love for both I frequent the forum of a photography website. It was there I found this image.

In this Image a water fowl had entangled it's legs in fishing twine discarded haphazardly by someone, probably with out knowing how damaging his/her actions could be to local wildlife. I can't Begin to stress how much behavior like this cast a bad light on the whole sport of hunting, or fishing.

The photographer that captured this, is a Bird enthusiast. She has taken many stunning shots of Birds of Prey, as well as other species. To my knowledge, she is not an avid fishermen.

It's this that brings me here today. What image are we projecting to the non-outdoor enthusiast? could the very struggles we encounter by the wildlife activist be of our own hands?

I have to admit these images are very damaging to the sport we all love. It's damaging to the wildlife we all profess to love and protect. I think others will agree with me in saying that it doesn't take long to properly dispose of fishing line when you re spool a reel. If you must do it at the lakes, and streams you most frequently use, lets remember as outdoor enthusiast to put them in a container to be disposed of properly.

I'm an avid hunter, and fishermen, so I take extra pains to be sure and leave an area better than I found it. I'm not implying that anyone here is this negligent. I'm simply asking that we as outdoorsmen become more aware of our actions in the field, and try to remember that we have a responsibility to the future, that our natural resources will always be here for generations to come.

Bri,

I'm convinced there will always be fishermen who will be to thoughtless to give a dam or lose line in places they can't do much about retrieving it. I think the best we can do to help the situation is to clean up after the ones that don't or can't. It doesn't take much effort to snatch up the loose line you see when your out on the water. I have been taking a couple of days every winter to clean the broken line out of the trees along the canal between Miami and Naples on US 41 in the Everglades. Lot's of people stop along the road to fish and hang up in the trees and brush that border the water there. I just toss one of my kayaks in and paddle along nipping the line from the trees. This is a big time location for wintering birds as well as other local wildlife that can become snared in the line that left behind. Just last week I found a three foot gator that had gotten some line that was dangling from a tree wrapped around his leg. It took less than five minutes of my time to put a kayak in the water and go cut him loose and retrieve the line. In doing this I also retrieved two really nice lures from the tree the line was in. So I got two lures worth approximately 10 bucks for five minutes worth of my time, this adds up to $120.00 per hour. Other than potentially saving a bird or some other animal from a death trap you often get a little reward for your efforts. Many times the reason this line is dangling from a tree or piling there is some ones rig on the other end. I never pass up a bridge fishing location when heading down into the Keys as well. There are 42 bridges connecting the islands there, this adds up to a lot of saltwater gear just hanging in the trees. I have honestly collected a couple of thousand lures this way over the past few years. When I go into a tackle shop I seldom buy anything other than split rings and hooks to replace some of the ones that are trashed on these lures I pick up. This photo was taken last year of things I collected in one morning along the canal on US 41.



In writing this post it's made me realize that most of the line I see is left behind from shore fishermen that could not have retrieved their line with out a boat. So sportsmen if your out there and see a ball of mono dangling and just pass it by, in a way you are more to blame than the guy that lost it. It doesn't take much effort for one guy to make up for lot's of fishermen that either just tossed some old line off to the side or didn't have a option.

Wow, those are some nise lures! I am shure it is more than enough reward for gleaning out a habatat like that.
BriGuy00, thank you for posting that picture, it brought us all to our sences about cleaning up after ourselves.

Bri,

Thanks for taking the time to post your excellent message.

My wife and I have been a member of the Oregon Adopt-A-River program for over ten years. We volunteer to clean up a two mile stretch of the Wilson River several times a year. It's a win-win situation since trash is picked up and we've gotten to know the land owners too. Every time I fish I carry a trash bag with me so the bank is cleaner then when I got there.

It only takes a few people to make a huge difference.

Mark

Mark,

I'm headed back to Camp this afternoon and am armed to the teeth with your wares. It should be Coho Time there,after this bruiser of a rain storm and I'll try to get some good images.

Don't figure on being home until the 1st of November or so,but will get back to my R&D regarding your jigs on Salmonids.

Steelhead aren't that far away.......................

Big Stick

Look forward to seeing some pics of the fresh Coho. Rain is predicted for us down here which is a good thing.

Mark