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A Fisherman's Friend Can Often Break Ecologists' Hearts
There may be plenty of unwanted fish in the sea for government ecologists, but often those invasive aquatic species are a boon to local anglers. Take the brown trout. A European native, the trout was introduced into America in the late 19th century and can now be found in bodies of fresh water from coast to coast. Though they may might provide tasty meals after lazy summer afternoons, new fish species come at a cost greater than a bucket of worms. "There's a number of either purposely introduced, or accidentally introduced, species that have provided quite a recreational resource," said George Madison, fisheries supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for the Western Upper Peninsula. "So while smelt can be desired by people, or brown trout or rainbow trout, it's very clear that they out-compete the native species." In the Great Lakes region, the introduction of salmon has changed the aquatic landscape, displacing native fish such as the coaster brook trout, a minnow forager.
Flyfishing gets its hooks into the girl about town
To be honest, I'd class myself as more of a socialising and shopping girl than one who messes about on the river. But this was the Four Seasons, the hotel brand that's a byword for stylish luxury, and if it was pitching fishing as the latest activity for the girl about town, maybe it was time I swapped my wedges for waders. This was going to be deluxe fishing: fishing where you don't have to touch the fish, fishing with champagne and sandwiches back at the hotel. Basically, it's having a laugh, standing in the sunshine at a pond in the country and then having a spa treatment. My previous experience with the rod was hardly a success. When I was a child my father took my younger sister and me fishing at Sandy Balls holiday park in the New Forest. We didn't catch anything, so dad had the cunning idea of buying some fish fingers from the site shop and putting them in our nets for mum to cook back at the caravan.
Eagle Lake trout make five-hour drive worthwhile
SPAULDING - Just at dawn when the sun's rays graced the high plateau desert with hues of purple and gold, it was hard to watch the bobber for the not-so-subtle pull down, the sure sign an Eagle Lake trophy trout was on the line. The ambiance of the morning light was so spectacular.
I looked away at nature's showcase, then back to the surface of the lake, only to find my bobber had completely disappeared. Fish on.
Soon, I netted a 3-pound rainbow, but not until after it jumped clear out of the lake not less than three times. It was a beauty, a trout with special markings and a girth that made the five-hour drive from Stockton worth the effort. It wasn't long before another trout, a slightly "smaller" 21/2-pounder came to the boat. My day was made.
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