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Peeling Back the Layers

October 2, 2014 by adminewa Leave a Comment

IMAG1107

In angling, at best, we just barely scratch the surface. We stand in the river or on a beach, yet remain on the outskirts, dashing in here or there, each new piece of understanding simply another layer beneath which we find more layers and yet more.

Of any angler past or present, Roderick Haig-Brown certainly came closer than most to discovering the deeper secrets of the world under water. He systematically explored the rivers, streams, and estuaries around his adopted home in Campbell River, on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. His writings record a lifetime of insights into the rhythms, patterns, and surprises of river life.

I recently spent two weeks on Vancouver Island, a copy of Fisherman’s Fall often open on my lap as I drank coffee each morning, doing my best to learn and see and hear the way Haig-Brown did. I waded through thousands of pinks on the Campbell, swam with Chinook salmon on the Stamp, and watched coho chase my fly in an estuary I stumbled upon by accident, and which I’ll leave unnamed.

For a two week trip, I didn’t fish incredibly hard or even that often. It wasn’t a fishing trip–it was a vacation and there was hiking and snorkeling and surfing to be done as well. But I did sit on the side of the Gold River beneath a rain canopy and read about Haig-Brown raising summer steelhead nearby on his Steelhead Bee; I pulled out my tying kit and wrapped a few up of my own, small flies with light wings and tails and bodies of brown and orange floss, tied slim because of the low water, tied with orange because of the huge October caddis flying around my headlamp as I tied them. I fished the flies the next morning and though I didn’t find a summer run in the low water, I watched yearling steelhead dash repeatedly at the fly, observed their rises intently, marveled at their tenacity and abandon and absolute determination.

And I thought of Haig-Brown, in his study overlooking the Line Fence Pool on the Campbell, watching the coho and steelhead fry in his aquarium, giving them funny names like “Number 1.” I thought of him with mask and snorkel on, drifting over spawned out pinks in the eddy near his home or watching the coho yearlings rise to insects. I imagined him sitting on a rock, changing flies, watching the water flow by, unraveling the mystery as best he could. Peeling back the layers. Scratching at the surface.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: British Columbia, Campbell River, Chinook, Coho, Emerald Water Anglers, Jason Rolfe, Roderick Haig-Brown, salmon, Stamp River, steelhead

Sacred Headwaters of the Skeena Protected!

December 18, 2012 by adminewa

Historic protection for BC’s Sacred Headwaters Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 18 DECEMBER 2012

Contact – Melyssa Rubino, melyssa@forestethicsadvocacy.org, 604-331-6201, ext 227

Historic protection for BC’s Sacred Headwaters Announced: Major victory in campaign that puts local communities over corporate profit

Coalbed methane development to be permanently banned from headwaters of major salmon rivers VANCOUVER – The B.C. government announced today that Shell would be withdrawing its plans to develop coalbed methane in the Klappan-Groundhog tenure area in northwest British Columbia. The government will also not issue oil and gas tenures in the area in the future.

“Eight years ago, northern B.C. communities joined together to say ‘no’ to coalbed methane and ‘yes’ to wild salmon,” said Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition executive director Shannon McPhail. “Today is an incredible day for residents of the Skeena, Nass, and Stikine watersheds. We are grateful and proud that First Nations and communities from the watersheds came and stood together. The B.C. government and Shell deserve recognition for listening to these communities and making a decision that will protect salmon cultures and livelihoods.”

This region, better known as the Sacred Headwaters, became the source of controversy in 2004, when Shell drilled three test wells in the area. Blockades and public rallies across the northwest ensued in 2005 and 2006, resulting in the arrest of Tahltan elders. International protests were also held at Royal Dutch Shell headquarters in The Hague. Due to opposition, the Province imposed a moratorium on coalbed methane development in the area in 2008, which was set to expire on December 18.

“Shell has backed away from a project only a handful of times. The powerful, relentless movement led by the courageous Tahltan and supported by nearly 100,000 people from around the world has not only stopped Shell, but persuaded the BC government to permanently protect the region from any further gas development,” said ForestEthics Advocacy senior conservation campaigner Karen Tam Wu. “It’s an inspiring day when communities in northern B.C. can stand up to one of the largest oil companies in the world and win. Congratulations to the Tahltan, and to the citizens and government of British Columbia.”

Highlights of the campaign to protect the Sacred Headwaters include: – International attention on the conflict by generating nearly 100,000 signatures from around the world – Several international actions in the Netherlands – Meeting directly with Shell Canada President – High level government relations – The first ever swim of the entire length of Skeena River.

The Sacred Headwaters is located in northwest British Columbia, about 600 kilometres north of Terrace, B.C. The region is home to a diversity of wildlife, such as grizzly bears, caribou and moose. Shell’s plans would have seen thousands of gas wells and thousands of kilometres of roads built at the headwaters of the Skeena, Nass, and Stikine rivers—three of B.C.’s top salmon-producing rivers. The headwaters were listed on the Outdoor Recreation Council’s Most Endangered Rivers list for the past three years.

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ForestEthics Advocacy and Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition would like to thank Clean Energy Canada at Tides Canada for its work to create this solution for the Sacred Headwaters, and for their work building support for a vision of a low-carbon Canadian energy economy.

ForestEthics Advocacy is a non-profit society devoted to public engagement, outreach and environmental advocacy – including political advocacy. We secure large-scale protection of endangered forests and wild places and transform environmentally destructive resource- extraction industries.

Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition is a non-profit society focused on cultivating a sustainable economy rooted in culture and a thriving wild salmon ecosystem. As residents of the region, we advocate for community-based decision-making regarding large industrial projects.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: British Columbia, Coalbed Mining, Emerald Water Anglers, salmon, Skeena, Skeena Watershep Conservation Coalition, steelhead

Some interesting data on Sockeye in B.C.

September 1, 2011 by adminewa

Have been communicating and following a lesser known and relatively new organization here in WA called Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society. Here is a link regarding findings on farmed Sockeye Salmon that likely plays a larger role in anadromous species in our region period as well as other implications with regards to farmed and potentially hatchery fish versus wild fish. Here is the link:

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton/2011/08/heres-why-i-think-salmon-farms-are-the-gatekeepers-to-survival-of-the-fraser-sockeye.html

No bueno…

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: anadromous, British Columbia, farmed, sockeye salmon

Todd Scharf Spey Video

June 29, 2011 by adminewa

This is my best effort, but Scharf puts me to shame. The video below is awesome.

Check this video out.  It is a few years old but I came back across it the other day and remembered how cool it was:

Todd Scharf Talks Spey

This BC guide says it perfectly when he describes why we fish for steelhead the way we do, listen to him talk.  Love the philosophy, could not have said it better myself.  Some killer casting in here and some of Beattie Outdoor Productions best work.  Love the shot at the end!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: British Columbia, R.A. Beattie, spey, swinging flies, todd Scharf

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