“The Patagonia Provisions Salmon Project is our effort to change the fishing industry, the same way we’ve changed how we make our clothes. Our goal is to create a new model that demonstrates how selectively harvesting salmon is not only possible, but good business, and can help protect the future of wild salmon.”
I admire Chouinard’s approach to business. He has certainly changed the way many companies manufacture their products. Organic cotton, recycled fleece, his 1% for the Planet initiative and many other efforts are all business innovations. Let’s hope people get the message about salmon before it’s too late.
Anyway… the gist here is that springs and groundwater are not being replenished like they used to be. “What have been historically reliable spring flows are disappearing, droughts are becoming a regular phenomenon with increased temperatures,” according to the draft report presented to the county’s Board of Supervisors.
It gets worse for us fans of brook trout fishing. The article states that according to Shenandoah National Park personnel, “numerous springs are experiencing greatly reduced flow and that some have dried up entirely.” I noticed this two months ago when I fished the North Fork of the Thornton River from the bottom up into the park. It looked like this:
North Fork Thornton River, summer 2011.
Not what I was expecting. And this past summer was not as bad as some recent summers. This is not a good thing at all but may be something we are going to have to get used to.
Nice tip from Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg Virginia regarding Passage Creek, and newly stocked fish tactics in general — “Bring along a few streamers like a Pearl Marauder or Olive Strymph, these guys need to swim around in the wild a few more days before they figure out mayflies and caddis are good to eat.” A friend of mine also has a dirty trick to fool newly stocked trout. He ties up a “fly” that resembles one of the food pellets they’ve been raised on. All’s fair in love and…
Albemarle Co.
Mint Springs Lake (Middle) (10/08)
Mint Springs Lake (Upper) (10/08)
Amherst Co.
Pedlar River (Lower) (10/13)
Bath Co.
Bullpasture River (10/14)
Bland Co.
Wolf Creek (10/14)
Fauquier Co.
Thompson WMA Pond (10/12)
Grayson Co.
Elk Creek (10/12)
Highland Co.
Bullpasture River (10/14)
Lee Co.
Martins Creek (10/12)
North Fork Powell River (10/12)
Patrick Co.
Dan River (Below Powerhouse) (10/11)
Roanoke Co.
Roanoke River (City) (10/11)
Roanoke River (Green Hill Park) (Delayed Harvest) (10/13)
