I do find it disheartening that the message seems to be more about the messenger rather than the plight of wild fish and their habitat.
You can dislike the way I come across if you like but to use that as an excuse to not do something is without excuse.
You salmon and steelhead superstars who think the north west fishing community hangs on what your latest sure fire egg cure is kills as many fish as any gill netter! You just don't show up when it counts the most.
So I suggest that anyone who is a "fence sitter" or likens me to a bull in a china closet take a long look at what is important here and take a long look at yourself.
I know that people have busy lives and cannot have the degree of involvement someone like me has. That is totally understandable! However in the time that people take to scold me on the internet, and deservably so at times I agree, you could have written a letter to ODFW or your state legislature and asked for answers about the issues at hand.
I always report facts and I challenge anyone else to check them out.I also put my money where my big mouth is and would never challenge anyone to action if I were not willing to be involved myself.
I am zealous no doubt about that because I think this stuff is just that important and I am not the only one who feels this way.
So if you are looking for me to be contrite then I am sorry because I will not be when it comes to wild salmonids and their habitat.
Apathy has been and always will be the biggest enemy we have and I think that cannot be stressed nearly enough. Those that wish to exploit and harm wild fish count on the apathetic sports anglers to do what they do best and that is a big fat nothing!
So I apologize if I have made some uncomfortable with my zeal. However, at this place and time facing what are the cold, hard facts about our diminishing natural resources and specifically our wild salmonids I see an urgency and a time to act and so I guess that I really don't apologize at all if I have tweaked your comfort zone.
We, as fly fishermen, have always been at the forefront of every important issue concerning the very resource we enjoy and claim to love. In my opinion one does what he can to protect the thing he or she loves.
Folks I believe in this stuff and if my rhetoric is unpleasant or over the top then I just don't know what to tell you.I hope to see some of you at upcoming ODFW public meeting and hearings.2012 is an important year! It is the year that the new fishing regulations are formulated. You want to propose something? Then do it! I'll help you out just contact me through this blog.
I appreciate all of you that have supported me and also appreciate all who have given me constructive criticism. I listen but in the big picture I remain and always will remain uncompromising in my beliefs.
Thanks to you all for listening!
Shane:
ReplyDeleteI like your style. Please take the time to review our Wild Trout Symposium Web Site. The greater wild trout community needs to hear your views and I hope you will participate in 2013.
As the world flattens, education, and the preservation of all wild salmonids becomes more critical. We'd like to ask you and your colleagues to look us over and consider future attendance and participation.
Your assistance is specifically requested to forward the information about this important symposium to appropriate individuals. We realize that not everyone is concerned with wild cold water salmonids. However, the endangered genetics of all wild trout is so critical that we'd like as many people as possible to review the Proceedings of our conferences on our web site and consider future participation. As a start we'd like to add interested individuals to our mailing list.
Wild Trout-X, West Yellowstone, Montana, USA on 27 September 2010 was an outstanding success. Papers ranged from a panel on Climate Change Impacts to several on Canadian fisheries, and from a brown trout project on a tributary of the Danube River in Serbia, to marble trout projects in Slovenia, to the diversity of wild trout in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. In total there were over 40 verbal presentations and 30 poster papers that will be available in early 2011 on the Symposium Web Site and as a CD at:
http://www.wildtroutsymposium.com
Over 200 fishing conservationists, fishery professionals, and guests from 33 states and countries joined together to not only get the latest in salmonid fishery status and restoration techniques but to uniquely network in an informal atmosphere that would otherwise not be possible at other conferences. It was fantastic to get back to Yellowstone National Park where our first symposium was held in 1974 under the leadership of NPS' great Superintendent Jack Anderson.
The WT-X Aldo Starker Leopold Wild Trout Medal in the professional category went to Steve Moore former Symposium Chairman and senior fisheries leader at the U. S. Great Smokies National Park. The Aldo Starker Leopold Wild Trout Medal in the nonprofessional category was awarded to Tom Pero of Wild Rivers Press, former editor of Trout Magazine, and publisher of Wild Steelhead and Salmon Magazine. three student scholarships and a wild trout restoration project award were also conferred. Our Symposium and Wild Trout Inc are 501(c)3 qualified. We’re also on Facebook.
WT-XI, the eleventh wild trout symposium is now being planned for September-October 2013, an ideal time to be in USA's Yellowstone National Park. Please log on to our web site and join our mailing list or e-mail the author if you wish to be removed from our mailing list.
http://www.wildtroutsymposium.com/contact.php
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Marty Seldon
WT-XI Organizing Committee
FFF Sr Advisor
NCCFFF Director
mmseldon@sbcglobal.net
Thank you Marty for the kind words and invitation. I would very much like to attend WT-XI and hopefully I can. In the mean time I will add your website to my list of links and even do a blog entry on it.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Shane