POOL32 MAG
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Editor M.Wengler media M. Bernhof mail@pool32.com Pool 32 blog www.pool32mag.blogspot. com Previous Issues of Pool 32 Mag’s Follow P32M on
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editorial bob margulis - yes we can help bristol bay graylingland dr. a. morton - ISAv don staniford on trial the splitcane spirit stop shark finning artist - a.d.maddox f .bellini - just follow their instinct artist - mike salven argaard river camp em river new book by pelle klippimnge hidden cost - ecotrust gaula - reloaded send us your story
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Welcome back to the 4 th. edition of Pool 32 Mag. First of all I want to thank all of you for the fantastic support and positive feedback I have received, it’s extremely motivating. As the front page picture indicates, our wild salmon are really fragile and from where I stand it’s crucial that something is done on a global political level right away. Our wild stocks are now under such a tremendous pressure that the consequences can be devastating for some spices - and for our future generations expressions like “eating fresh wild fish” will probably be something they have to look for in the history books. A lot has happen since the last edition, not only for the better I’m afraid. As you probably know Pool 32 Mag is named after a very beautiful pool in the Morrum river in southern Sweden. Here the last season indicated close to a collapse, with very few salmon returning to spawn. The reasons for this sad development are many, huge environmental problems in all of the Baltic Sea, for instance over fishing, spawning routes blocked and new innovative spices are suddenly appearing in wide numbers, brought to new regions in the ballast water tanks in freight ships - just to mention a few.... And when it comes to political solutions, the Baltic Sea for example has a huge challenge with all the different countries facing these coastlines. It makes it very difficult to agree on and implement a solid environmental policy, and probably also in the future. Somehow it seems like there’s no real political will. All together it feels like no one really cares about what happens to our wild salmon, especially not when a financial crisis is ravaging most of the western world, creating a political economical nightmare. But it’s not only in Sweden and Denmark we see dramatically environmental changes, even in places like Argentina, Chile, Scotland, Norway (but they did it to them selves which is even more strange) and lately in Canada things are changing rapidly. As I’m writing this editorial the problems in Canada are piling up and a very serious virus outbreak is a reality - the terrifying and very contentious ISAv has now been found in wild stock salmon (you will find much more information about this very serious situation inside this edition, written by Dr. Alexandra Morton).
What can be done you might ask yourself, I know I surely do!! We all have a responsibility in the way we live. Our everyday lifestyle reflects in our surroundings by all the trash we dispose, the food we eat, the car we chose etc. How does the food we eat reflects in our environment?? - it’s actually very simple. If we look at the feedlots filled with farmed fish for example, then it’s quite clear that there is lot’s of environmental problems in the tail of this industry. So if we as consumers choose to put a pressure on the companies behind this kind of food production, then things will hopefully change. Okay, so how do we put a pressure on a huge industrial corporation? Again it’s very simple - we don’t buy their products, I’m sure they will react, or at least their shareholders will - in all it’s simplicity it’s called “consumer power” and it’s very powerful. Well, I hope I’ve “stirred up your soul just a tiny little a bit”, and maybe you’ll stop and think about this just for a split second the next time your are standing in your local supermarket. If that’s the case then I’m sure you will slowly begin to change your friends consumer behaviour and environmental consciousness, and together we will move a mountain.... All the very best to all of you and thanks again for the fantastic support.
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Yes We can What you can do to save Wild Steelhead
story photos
Bob Margulis Jeff Bright
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hese days, the Lady Gaga of American fly fishing is steelhead. Those sexy, hot, elusive, manic, oversized quarry that are the stuff of folklore and the fabric of an elite group of single-malt drinking, spey wielding anglers sporting reels the size of coffee grinders that sound like a twelve cylinder ’75 Jaguar doing zero to sixty on its last four ounces of oil. Nine years ago I would drive from my home in Seattle to the family cabin near Driggs, Idaho, stopping in fly shops between the Cascades and the Rockies, and never see a single spey rod. Today, the selection of spey rods, lines, and reels in shops in places like Jackson, WY and Idaho Falls, ID rival those of Kaufmann’s or Orvis in Seattle. You could have knocked me over with a size 22 midge the first time I saw a group of casters throwing 90 foot Snap-Ts at their weekly speyclave on the Snake River outside Wilson, WY. But there’s one serious problem with this picture: our steelhead are disappearing at an alarming rate.
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ow, as most people know, steelhead are known as “the fish of a thousand casts”—and as noted Olympic Peninsula Guide author Doug Rose says, that probably referred to guys using gear (and in an era when there were many more fish)! Sadly, the reaction of aspiring steelhead fly fishers has been to flatten the learning curve and pull out all the stops. Guides fishing from a boat with bobbers and nymphs, working slots like a backtroller pulling hotshots, with their ‘sports’ bragging of four fish days, unfortunately has become all too common on a small number of rivers.
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he closure of major Washington river systems, such as the Skagit/ Sauk watershed during the winter wild steelhead season, has created intense pressure on the remaining quasi-productive rivers. It used to be the biggest challenge was finding and hooking a steelhead. Now it’s locating a stretch of water where you can swing a fly without finding yourself in a crowd reminiscent of Times Square on New Year’s Eve. And the phenomenon isn’t restricted to winter: some banner year Columbia system summer-run returns have made the Deschutes and Grand Ronde in October starting to feel like the California gold fields of 1849.
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nd then there are those who can afford to visit the past by paying five to ten thousand to fish the Dean, Kamchatka, Skeena system, or some other remote and restricted river. As a consequence, out of consideration for the fish and the quality of the experience, it is mid-April and I have yet to fish for winter run steelhead in Washington this year. Frankly, giving the fish a break is the one thing most people won’t do. But just as Congress is starting to deal with the country’s long term deficit, as anglers and environmentalists we must start to deal with our threatened wild steelhead.
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rganizations like the Wild Steelhead Coalition, the Wild Fish Conservancy, Native Fish Society, and fly clubs, local and national, have been fighting various battles with the state and tribes for over a decade now. They have made some noteworthy progress. With the Olympic Peninsula as a shameful exception, wild steelhead in Washington can no longer intentionally be killed by sport fishers and must be released. Recently, in a small number of rivers, hatchery steelhead retention has become mandatory. Studies have shown that some number of hatchery steelhead choose to stay in the river and interbreed with wild fish. This creates both inferior offspring as well as polluting the gene pool. So what can you do? You can start by whacking your limit of hatchery fish. Eat them or give one to a friend. I’d tell you to plant one in your garden but it is illegal to waste food fish in Washington. Years of catch and release ethic has turned us into a bunch of pacifist fish coddlers. In order to rid the South Fork of the Snake of rainbows that are outcompeting and interbreeding with native Yellowstone cutthroats, Idaho Fish and Game offers a cash bounty of up to $1,000 to encourage fly fisherman to whack rainbows. Remember, every hatchery steelhead you whack is a boon for wild steelhead. The more we handle these fish, the more pressure we put on them, the more redds that get trampled, the worse things will get. A couple of years ago Washington’s steelhead regulations changed so that it is no longer legal to remove a steelhead from the water that is going to be released. I wish I had a dollar to contribute to a steelhead advocacy organization for every picture I’ve seen since then showing a wild steelhead held out of water. Are you getting the picture? Leave them in the water and use one of the low impact ‘net gloves’ on the hand that is tailing the fish.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world� Margaret Mead
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ast year, DNA analysis, based on a 15-year study of 12,725 steelhead from Oregon’s Hood River, showed that up to 40 percent of the genes in returning steelhead came from wild rainbow trout, the resident form of O. Mykiss, not other steelhead. Clearly, rainbow trout that share the rivers with our wild steelhead now need a lot more of our attention than we ever realized.Treat these fish like the precious jewels they are. If you fish for trout on a steelhead river, fish barbless, handle them gently (if at all—even better, use a device like the Ketchum release), and do not remove them from the water. And for steelhead advocacy groups, the focus now needs to include stronger protections for wild rainbow trout in our steelhead watersheds. How much did you spend for your steelhead gear? A spey rod, reel and line can easily set you back between $650 to well over a thousand bucks. Flies, tying material, waders, jacket, boots, and now you’re into it for a couple of grand. Think about this: you probably just spent more than the total 2010 membership dues received by the Wild Steelhead Coalition!
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nd what about the companies who made all that gear? Do you know if they made substantial contributions to organizations advocating on behalf of steelhead? With rare exception (special kudos to Yvon Chouinard/Patagonia) the shameful truth is they probably did not. Let them know they should at least contribute the retail price of a couple of their highest priced products to each and every steelhead advocacy group (rereading that I am embarrassed at having written it as it’s such a pathetically low bar). While I’m not looking to alienate those who make their living from recreational steelhead fishing, the fact is that there are few retailers, manufacturers, publishers, and guides who are contributing their fair share—and heartfelt thanks to those who do: you are a small minority and we should return that support with our patronage.
It’s actually very simple “No Steelheads No Steelhead business”
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n the other hand, one of the most creative ideas I’ve seen, in the category of ‘power to the steelheaders’ was contained in an editorial by Frank Amato, in the May 2009 Salmon Trout Steelheader, called A Manifesto for Restoring Wild Steelhead and Salmon Runs Including a Radical Proposal. In it he said “Here’s how you and I just might be able to--quickly and inexpensively--rebuild wild steelhead and salmon runs! Join me now and help stream-feed, mileby-mile, millions of starving, just-spawned and yearling wild juvenile steelhead, coho, chinook, and cutthroat from May until October in over a thousand West Coast streams!” Amato encouraged people to feed fish food pellets and provided some tips for success. Talk about taking things into your own hands. I didn’t do it at the time for lack of science. Just prior to seeing Frank’s Manifesto I had asked a fisheries biologist what he thought a 19” trout in a steelhead river was about. His response was that it was probably a steelhead smolt that, under good stream conditions had enough food to grow large in the river and, as a consequence, never migrated to sea.
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o I thought, “Well, won’t feeding smolts result in fewer steelhead if that occurs?” But now, after seeing the research on the interrelationship between steelhead and wild trout I realize that Frank had it right. My hat’s off to Frank and everyone who followed his lead. Would you like to be viewed as a steelhead God by your friends? I’ll tell you how it’s done in three easy steps—but first let me tell you a story. Having occasionally caught steelhead on gear in the 80s I began fly fishing for them in 1998. I had only fished a couple of seasons when I got into a conversation with someone about what will we do when there are so few steelhead left that we just can’t fish for them. I expressed a hope that before it came to that we would at least be allowed to fish a fly with no point. In my first couple of years of steelhead fishing with a fly I came to learn that success was not hooking or landing a fish. Success was putting together all the components of the art to get a steelhead to grab the fly. While some of what comes after that is skill, much of it is also luck and equipment. The real art is in getting a pull. Years later, October 2007, in an article in USA Today on Lee Spencer, the first full-time FishWatch guardian on the North Umpqua, I read that he started cutting the points off the hooks on his flies. ““I was uncomfortable fishing,” Spencer said. “I like these fish too much to kill them, even accidentally, or even to stress them out, unduly.” It had taken him 10 years of trying to catch his first North Umpqua steelhead on a fly. “I am not a Buddhist.” Spencer said. “It is my impression that the less harming or the more harmless my actions are in the world, the better. It probably comes down to as simple as that. It gets down to the heart of the question, ‘Why does a person cast flies,’ or ‘Why does a person catch steelhead in the first place?’
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e got the idea from reading about Harry Lemire, one of only two people in the world who has mastered the art of tying a full dressed Atlantic Salmon fly in this hand, who started cutting the points off his hooks in about 1975 whenever he would get into a bunch of fish and didn’t want to waste time playing them. “Everybody thought I was crazy,” Lemire said. “To me the whole peak of everything is the strike or the boil. Everything after that is downhill. Especially if you have to wait a long time to land the fish. When you get a fish on, you get a run and a jump and at the jump it will throw the hook. That was satisfying enough for me.” So here’s my formula for becoming a steelhead god. One: tie up some of your favorite flies and then tie up some of the same patterns in tubes. Two: when you go steelheading use your favorite flies first and catch a steelhead (hatchery=whack; wild=release). Three: if you caught a wild fish then put that box away, tie on one of the tube flies, and fish the rest of the day. But take note: I didn’t say tie on the tube fly and a hook—just the tube fly.
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ow an alternative is to add a hook with the point cut off and the stump filed round. Fish the rest of the day for grabs. Brag about how many grabs you had. Start to keep track of how much line each fish takes on a grab. Maybe someday Field & Stream will have a category for this. Remember, there’s no greater distinction than a bunch of diehard steelheaders thinking that you’re even crazier than they are. It may be the only thing my journeyman casts and flies have in common with Harry Lemire.
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o the next time you head back from the river, having seen more fisherman and fewer fish than you’d like, look in your SUV’s mirror and ask yourself what you are doing to change that. While Margaret Mead said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world,” on the first Earth Day in 1970, Pogo said “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
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he author of this very relevant article - Bob Margulis - lives in Seattle, is an avid steelheader, and was recently appointed a Trustee of the Wild Steelhead Coalition. Bob has previously published articles on Fly Anglers Online.
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or more information about the Wild Steelhead Coalition (WSC) which is an organization dedicated to increasing the return of wild steelhead to the waters of the Pacific Northwest - then use these links to their website, Facebook and Twitter platforms. Website : www.wildsteelheadcoalition.org
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eff Bright lives in San Francisco and is very experienced Steelhead fly fisher who runs a hosted Travel, He is also a writer and a very skilled photographer, which these brilliant shots clearly show. For more information about Jeff bright then here is a link to his website and Facebook platform. Website : www.jeffbright.com
If you want to learn more about Pebble Mine and Bristol Bay. Then use this link to the Pool 32 Mag vol. 2 coverage of this very serious environmental issue.
Help supporting Bristol Bay use these two direct links to :
www.savebristolbay.org
Graylingl and THE MAGIC GRAYLING RIVER
story & photos
Aki Huhtanen
“Many years ago I heard from the old Sámi people that they knew about a “Magic River” located deep in the Tundra, where the graylings eat Gold and grow really large” Aki Huhtanen
In 2010 I posted a blog on Pool 32 about a new grayling record from Austria. But then I got some serious comments about what a joke this record was. I asked for some pictures from these guy’s, to profe their statement - here’s what they send to me.........
I have been fishing grayling in Northern Scandinavia for more than 20 years. During my fishing career I have visited many wonderful grayling rivers, but compared to any other river the Magic River is unique. In the northernmost reaches of Lapland, there’s a river where the grayling grow really big. Every year dozens of grayling over 1 kg (2.2 lbs), the largest ones exceeding even 2 kg (4.4 lbs) in weight, are caught there.
The source of the river is located in the high fell range. The elevation of the primary headwater lake of the river is more than 600 meters above sea level. The river runs far away from any settlement, so it is a genuine wilderness river. Distance to the nearest road is about 35 - 40 km. This is the main reason why this river hasn’t been overfished and consequently the grayling have been able to attain trophy size. We have been naming the rapids of the river as 2100, 1930, 1850, 1800, 1780 etc. not by the length of the rapids, but by the weight (in grammes) of the largest grayling we have caught there.
Some information about the forgetten lake: The lake is located in the high fell range. The elevation is over 500 meters above sea level. The lake location is far away from any settlement, so it is a genuine wilderness lake. Distance to the nearest road is about 40 km. This is the main reason why there has not been fishermans in the lake, and, consequently, the grayling have been able to attain trophy size.
As the summer is short in North Scandinavia (tundra), fishing season in the river lasts only about 100 days. Prime season is usually from late June to mid July. Occasionally, catches are good also in August and early September. Weather conditions can vary greatly. In some years, it has been raining wet snow in late June. On the other hand, the temperature was above 25 ºC in late June last summer. At the end of June the normal water temperature is 15-17 ºC, but last summer the weather was hot and water temperature was unusually high, increasing up to 21.3 ºC during the warmest days. The best fishing time for grayling is from late morning to evening, regardless of whether it’s sunny or cloudy. Despite the effort, however, we haven’t been able to catch any grayling in the small hours or early morning.
In this magnificent river, the growth of grayling does not cease after the first spawning, which usually takes place at the age of five years and a length of 30 cm (12�) of these fish. Instead, they grow well until they reach 10 years of age, after which the growth begins to slow down gradually.
Graylings
,
Graylings
and
lot’s
of
Huge
Graylings
“Mosquitoes, Mosquitoes
and Graylings “
Due to short summer seasons in Lapland, it takes 10 years for a grayling to attain a weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs). The biggest grayling we caught was 15-summer-old and weighed 2.1 kg (4.6 lbs). The largest grayling taken on a fly in Finland in the 2000’s weighed 2.280 kg (5.03 lbs). It was caught on the Könkämäeno River in 2001.
“I believe even bigger grayling are still present there�
“You will find remote and beautiful scenery everywhere in this region of Finland”
Most of the large grayling we have caught have taken a dry fly. Adult sedge imitations have worked best, above all the ‘Ivalonmattilainen’, designed by my friend and fishing buddy Kari Kujala. This fly has fooled dozens of grayling over 1 kg, the biggest weighing exactly 2 kg. And this fly has turned out to work very well in other clear watered rivers in Lapland. Though designed for grayling, the fly suits brown trout and whitefish fishing, too. So far, the biggest whitefish caught on the ‘Ivalon mattilainen’ weighed 1.960 kg (4.32 lbs).
I hope you have enjoyed this photo essay from Aki the guy’s from Graylingland as much as I have. And I must admit that I’m really curious about this place, and one day I have to check these huge Graylings out up there in the “land of the thousand lakes”. I want to thank you Aki for sharing this photo essay from “the forgotten river”, You certainly have put Grayling fishing in a whole new perspective........
Website, Video & Facebook www.graylingland.com
photo credits
salmon Are Sacred
cartoon
Gerry Hummel
Dr. Alexandra Morton the voice of a true salmon warrior ISA virus and high-stakes global finance On November 8, two weeks ahead of their own schedule, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Province of BC suddenly held a phone-in press conference. When we got our first positives for ISA virus, the CFIA said they would require 4 - 6 weeks, but they did not wait that long. You can listen to the briefing HERE. The statements made by these government agencies in their press conference countered the ISA virus positive test results that we received from two different labs. The government agencies said their own tests on the 48 original samples - the Rivers Inlet sockeye of which 2 tested positive for ISA virus at the World Animal Health Lab for ISA virus - were all negative for ISA virus. Con Kiley, director of the CFIA’s national animal health program went on to say that the DFO lab in Moncton “verified” results from an independent lab in Norway. “The results are consistent with independent testing conducted by a lab in Norway, officials said. While that lab found one weak positive reading among multiple tests, it also noted the sample was poor and results could not be reproduced”, said Peter Wright, national manager for the Research and Diagnostic Laboratory System with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. They took the weak positive found in Norway and made it a “negative” because it was not repeatable. All sampling and testing were considered negative due to poor quality of some of the samples. “There is no evidence that ISAv occurs in fish in the waters of British Columbia” - Con Kiley CFIA
“ISA virus is the most deadly salmon virus known, it plagues salmon farms worldwide but Canada is going to ignore the results from two of the top ISA virus labs in the world, because the samples were of poor quality?�
Alexandra Morton testing dead salmon
However, the Norwegian scientist at the University of Bergen, who has studied and tracked ISA virus through Norway and Chile who did the tests says: “Our results are not conclusive, but do suggest ... that an ISA virus is present in wild populations of O. nerka (Pacific sockeye),� Dr. Are Nylund, a professor of biology at the University of Bergen, wrote in an email exchange with The Seattle Times. The CFIA and the federal and provincial government turned 6 ISA virus positive tests into negatives, because they were apparently unable to reproduce the results. Since the labs that arrived at positives results are world-accredited labs, this calls into question the ability of the government lab. They have not released the actual results and said they were not going to share the samples with the U.S. They did not explain how the World Animal Health Reference Lab results were invalid. They reasoned that the positive result from the Norwegian lab (verifying the World Animal Health lab’s results) were actually a negative because the quality of the tissue was degraded. But ISA virus is not going to appear as a result of freezer-burn, to the contrary it would disappear. ISA virus is the most deadly salmon virus known, it plagues salmon farms worldwide but Canada is going to ignore the results from two of the top ISA virus labs in the world, because the samples were of poor quality?
They did not mention the fresh samples I sent to the World Animal Health Lab that produced three more positives. One of the government scientists said these positive results defied logic. This seems an odd comment. We are not dealing with logic here, we are dealing with an aggressive influenza-type virus. Why would government jump out and deny evidence of ISA virus in BC? If the samples were poor wouldn’t it make sense to go back to the places where the positive tested fish came from and take their own samples? How can we take any confidence when government says everything is fine because the virus was found in poor quality samples? Also of note is the salmon farming industry’s repeated assertion that when ISA virus spread throughout Chile it did not kill the farmed coho and therefore our coho are going to be resistant.
Salmon turning yellow
“And the alarm bells went off again last week, when supposedly another sample implicating Dr. Morton - this time from a dead Pacific Coho salmon supposedly found in a tributary to the Fraser River - was reported by The New York Times to have the virus, despite the fact that Coho salmon is the species of Pacific salmon generally considered by salmon culturists to be “bullet-proof” against exposure to viruses of any kind. Strong resistance to laboratory exposure to the ISA virus has already been documented in Coho salmon.” (more info here: fishfarmxpert.com ) ( PS. this is not backed by the science )
Isolation and identification of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) from Coho salmon in Chile. Sources : Kibenge FS, Gárate ON, Johnson G, Arriagada R, Kibenge MJ, Wadowska D.
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada. - mail: kibenge@upei.ca Abstract:
The isolation of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) from asymptomatic wild fish species including wild salmon, sea trout and eel established that wild fish can be a reservoir of ISAV for farmed Atlantic salmon. This report characterizes the biological properties of ISAV isolated from a disease outbreak in farmed Coho salmon in Chile and compares it with ISAV isolated from farmed Atlantic salmon in Canada and Europe. The virus that was isolated from Coho salmon tissues was initially detected with ISAV-specific RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction). The ability of the virus to grow in cell culture was poor, as cytopathology was not always conspicuous and isolation required passage in the presence of trypsin. Virus replication in cell culture was detected by RT-PCR and IFAT (indirect fluorescent antibody test), and the virus morphology was confirmed by positive staining electron microscopy. Further analysis of the Chilean virus revealed similarities to Canadian ISAV isolates in their ability to grow in the CHSE-214 cell line and in viral protein profile. Sequence analysis of genome segment 2, which encodes the viral RNA polymerase PB1, and segment 8, which encodes the nonstructural proteins NS1 and NS2, showed the Chilean virus to be very similar to Canadian strains of ISAV. This high sequence similarity of ISAV strains of geographically distinct origins illustrates the highly conserved nature of ISAV proteins PB1, NS1 and NS2 of ISAV. It is noteworthy that ISAV was associated with disease outbreaks in farmed Coho salmon in Chile without corresponding clinical disease in farmed Atlantic salmon. This outbreak, which produced high mortality in Coho salmon due to ISAV, is unique and may represent the introduction of the virus to a native wild fish population or a new strain of ISAV.
The November 11, 2011 headlines in the aquaculture industry paper Intrafish provide interesting backdrop to this drama.
Real Salmon files for bankruptcy
The group, which owned shares in Bolaks, Scottish Salmon Company and Grieg Seafood, has filed for bankruptcy
Salmon prices slide backwards
Fredriksen Fish Farmer Chokes on Salmon Glut: Corporate Finance “Marine Harvest’s” ability to honor loan conditions is being called into question after third-quarter net income declined 97 percent” “The industry outlook looks weak” and Investors grow concerned about Marine Harvest’s heavy debt load.
Investors grow concerned about Marine Harvest’s heavy debt load Check out Fish Farm News and Science Website
Norwegian fish farm companies’ share prices have been in freefall for some time: Marine Harvest is at: 44.2 cents; Cermaq is at $10.20; Grieg Seafood is at: 66.1 cents. All USA dollars. From Norway: Salmon producers face new crisis The industry has over-stocked its farms worldwide, the public appetite is not keeping up. On October 28, Marine Harvest just fired 50 people from the communities of Northern Vancouver Island CTV News due to “oversupply.”
As it turns out, the Premier of BC was in China on a trade-mission on the day of the government press conference. British Columbia Minister of Agriculture Don McRae noted: “It is vitally important that we base our policy decisions on sound science so as to preserve and protect BC’s reputation as a reliable supplier of high quality seafood to the world. This is particularly true for the dozens of coastal communities that rely on wild and farmed fisheries to feed their families and maintain their way of life. Reckless allegations based on incomplete science can be devastating to these communities and unfair to the families that make a living from the sea. Since Premier Clark is currently on a trade mission to China, I have personally asked her to reassure our valued trading partners that now, as always, BC can be relied upon as a supplier of safe, sustainable seafood.” ( source : fishnewseu.com ) The news that the industry is going downhill because they have more product than the world wants and that the BC Premier, on a trade mission in China, was immediately briefed on BC’s hastily-declared ISA virus - free status does raise questions. Perhaps the CFIA and DFO have the only lab that can’t find ISA virus in the samples, but isn’t it a bit reckless to declare there is “no evidence that ISA virus occurs in BC”? Isn’t 6 positive tests from world-class ISA virus labs “evidence”? Was this press conference an effort to encourage China to buy up the farm salmon product that is now piling up worldwide?
In a November 9 press release from Canada says: In Canada, infectious salmon anaemia is a “federally reportable disease”. This means that all suspected or confirmed cases must be immediately reported to the CFIA. But the 1,100 reports by the BC fish farm vet of “classic lesions” associated with ISA virus were never reported to the CFIA. In an October 24 statement at the Fishery and Ocean Canada the Minister of Fisheries Keith Ashfield says: “There are stringent federal regulations in place to protect Canada’s aquatic species (farmed and wild) from disease.” But he fails to mention that in 2004 his department waived the Canadian Fish Health Protection Regulations to allow Atlantic salmon eggs to pour in since then from a hatchery in the North Atlantic that does not meet Canada’s “stringent federal regulations.” Download 2004 Fish Health1[1].pdf (2176.3K) All the public salmon hatcheries in BC received a notice not to provide samples for ISA virus testing to independent researchers. I hope that the hatcheries will take it on themselves to make sure testing is done. ISA virus is an aggressive competitor against other pathogens and so when it occurs in a confined environment it ramps up virulence to win out over the competition. Two of the positives I received from my fresh samples were found only in the gills (chinook and chum). Experts say this could mean very recent exposure. Because these two salmon were found in the same area as a coho that had ISA virus in her heart, which suggests a more systemic infection, it is possible the chum and chinook had just become infected. It is well known around the world that ISA virus can move from harmless to lethal in fish confined in close quarters. It would be tragic if the hard work by hundreds of volunteer British Columbians was undone by spread of ISA virus through hatcheries. The samples required for testing are heart and gills, unfrozen stored in RNALater. I went back to the area where I got the three ISA virus-positive salmon at Harrison Mills, took fresh samples again of the recently dead fish and over-night Fedexed them back to the World Animal Health Lab. They did not run the samples, they put them in storage. I am not sure what this means for future testing in BC. I do not accept the CFIA, DFO, BC opinion that there is “no evidence” of ISA virus. I have not seen their test results. I have 6 positives, including confirmation by a second highly experienced lab in one of the Rivers Inlet sockeye. I feel the only responsible action right now is to test for this virus as widely as possible, striving for the best possible sample quality. Thank you for your donations we will keep you informed of results. We did get negative results from juvenile herring that we tested - which is really good news. Alexandra Morton
Blood stains in the liver
Fungus in the gills
Donationes for this very important cause can be made through the Salmon Are Sacred website Follow Salmon Are Sacred on:
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Farmed Salmon part 1
Farmed Salmon part 2
Farmed Salmon part 3
Farmed Salmon part 4
Don Staniford on trial Mainstream Canada has begun legal proceedings against Mr. Don Staniford and his organization The Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, for defamatory statements that have been made regarding the company’s fish farming operations. Mainstream and Cermaq views his statements as false and misleading.
“For a number of years certain environmental activists in British Columbia, Canada, have been attacking our company and the industry with false and misleading statements. We have a responsibility towards our employees, that is why Mainstream Canada is acting now” - says Lise Bergan, Corporate Affairs Director of Cermaq. During the trial, which began on 16 January and is expected to run for 20 days, Mainstream says it will defend the reputation of the company, which is proud to be the first salmon farm in the world to be certified to the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association's Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture standard and the Global Aquaculture Alliance's Best Aquaculture Practices new standards for farmed salmon. A Mainstream statement said “While healthy debate on issues is a vital part of healthy communities, false and injurious statements are detrimental to these values and harmful to the interests of a free and democratic society. Mainstream's legal arguments will show that the damaging allegations published by the activist are malicious and unsupported by facts or fairness” If Mr Staniford loses this trial it could cost him $150 -200.000 - however he told The Canadian Press “I am going to fight until the bitter end and win” Through Salmon Are Sacred people from all over the world are donating money to Mr. Staniford. This clearly indicates that a lot of people are very concerned and supportive because of all the environmental problems and diseases (ISAv) occurring in the tail of this industry. And with good reason according to the Institute for health and the Environment, who have published the first global study which reveal health risks of widely eaten farmed salmon. They claim to have found significantly higher levels of cancer-causing and other health-related contaminants in farm raised salmon than in their wild counterparts These four videos (1 - 4 ) from the Pure Salmon Campaign describes their point of view, plus a video of Don Staniford explaining the situation he is in right now - judge for your self..........
S The
plit Cane Spirit story & photos Massimo tirocchi
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Within my huge passion for fly fishing, two main obsessions have their own lives. One of them is dry fly fishing and the other one is building bamboo rods. In the mid 80s I outlived my passion for fly fishing. Above of all just being on the river bank, was the only thing I desired. To see the lips of a trout breaking the surface to take my fly, would make my body shake and pure adrenaline would make my legs trembled with emotion, especially if the trout had some size to it.
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It’s probably a normal feeling for a young man like I was at that time. Despite the modern carbon rods already available on the market, it was always the Bamboo rods which had this great attraction to me. Maybe for the fascinating material they are made of, or maybe because they were an expression of unique craftsmanship, or maybe even because they just look so absolutely beautiful.
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The fact was I simply fell in love with every split cane rod I saw. Each time I looked in some fly fishing catalog, the Bamboo rods captured my attention…but hey…what prices!!! It was simply a desires out of reach for a 16 years old boy. So time passed by and together with it a lot of water slowly swept under the small river bridge......
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he places I used to fish, were those of my geographical area (Appennins in the center of Italy) and it’s characteristics where almost the same, small rivers, with a lot of vegetation all along the riverbanks. Trouts always feeding in very difficult places. So to be able to catch these fish in those very difficult conditions and in order to avoid loosing 50 flies each day in the surrounding trees, my casting style developed under the following rules. The italian casting style is based on light tackles (short rods no more than 7’6� and light lines #2 or #3) and fast action rods.
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One day I had the chance to try my first bamboo rod and it was “love a first sight”. It was one of those famous bamboo rods built at the end of ‘60s and when my friend left it in my hands I was extremely excited. Unfortunately all my excitation collapsed after a couple of casts. It was too heavy and way too soft, with a typical parabolic action not at all able to transform any casting power out into to the line. Besides that it also had a very slow action in the “spirit of the rod spine”. It was kind of a shock to me….a dream I’ve had for years became a nightmare. That rod was simply not fishable for my casting style and taste. That moment I thought that Bamboo was outdated , it had it’s time and I suddenly realized why most people had left these “kind of old fashion rods” for the modern and very powerful carbon rods. A couple of years later a good friend of mine called me up and told me he just bought a new bamboo rod - my response was “Oh no!!! you have already your house filled up with paintings so you don’t need something else to hang on the wall”. After a laugh his answer was: ”Tomorrow will try it out on the river, why don’t you come down and join me”. I of course had to be there. After trying it I just had to admit that this split cane rod was completely different from the one I had tried years earlier. My friend told me that it was built in the end of ‘80s by an european rod maker. Even though my friends new rod wasn’t completely what I was looking for, that day completely changed my approach to the whole concept of split cane rod making. It made me understand the “sweetgrass” potential. So from that day I decide to start building my own cane rods. I built my first bamboo rod using the taper of a famous american rod maker, then I started developing my own tapers with one specific goal: to build a cane rod able to compete with modern carbon action features - but at the same time combine it with the historical bamboo verve.
“I started developing my own tapers with one specific goal to build a cane rod able to compete with modern carbon action features but at the same time combine it with the historical bamboo verve�
I
am never satisfied about a taper and my developing activities is always on going, it’s just something that I consider as a “work in progress”. Each tapers has been developed through a process of trials and errors. I don’t believe in software program projectation cause as someone said once “the computer cannot fish”. I also like to test my rods on the river cause they must be functional fly fishing tools and I usually spend a lot of time with my clients talking with them about their tastes, their casting skills their technique, that way I’m trying to give to them a rod that fits perfectly to their individual fly fishing spirit and style. A common rule I always follow on taper projection is to achieve the best managing of the trade-off between the followings aspects: - Total weight of the rod and it’s distribution - Rod action - Balance point of the rod
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Still now after all these years, lot’s of times when I’m speaking with other Fly Fishers from all over the globe, I realize that most of them still consider bamboo rods as a wonderful and artistic objects of the past. This idea is probably due to the new fly fishing approach which needs rods with features very difficult to find in the “classic” bamboo rods. My approach to the design, as I mentioned before, has been inspired by these requirements, and I very carefully aim to produce Bamboo rods that are not only aesthetically admirable objects, but effective and modern fly fishing tools. I never forget this mission and on my workshop wall you will find something I wrote when I began making bamboo rods and I like to believe that these words are my declaration of love to this wonderful material that fits so perfectly to the beauty and the grace of fly Fishing. “Each Bamboo cane is unique. That means to me that each Bamboo culm has his soul and spirit. Making bamboo rods is what I do to free that soul from the superfluous material. It’s a way to work inspired by sculptured art, the one that proceeds “by way of removing” Each single step is handmade, without haste, without machines that, with cold and ascetic execution, rape the culm’s soul. The result must be a fly fishing rod that is unique as hand-made suits tailored to my client personality”
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ebsite
www.t-rods.it Follow on
g n i n n i f w k r a o h s n p o st
INTERVIEW
A D h
it
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Madd ox
“WITHOUT “ART” THE EARTH IS JUST “EH”
That’s why I feel it’s essential to present some brilliant artists whenever it’s possible. So in this edition I will present two of my favourite fishing related artists - Hope you’ll enjoy their great work as much as I do....so I’m very pleased to present the first one - A.D Maddox,.
Hi A.D - Thank you so much for letting Pool 32 show some prints of your great art-work and for finding some spare time to do this interview with me. It’s been very interesting to follow your “journey” over the years, and I really look forward to follow your work in the future. Well let’s just “dive” right into it this exciting interview....
How old were you when you started painting - and how did it all begin for you? - are you self taught or did you go to art school?
I started art classes when I was 4 and it began from there. I can remember when I was 5 years old sitting on the church pew with my grandmother bored to tears grasping her colored markers doodling on the program for at least 30 minutes then I’d fall asleep in her lap. I was a master doodler avoiding the preachers sermon! I’m self-taught with painting. I made a lot of mistakes ... that’s how I learned.
Madd ox
How many years have you worked as a professional artist?
15 years ... I began working full time in early 1997 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
You are well known for your stunning “fish-artwork” but do you also get inspiration from other things in your life - your fantastic Ducati bike for example ?
Everything aesthetic inspires me....Landscapes, people, wild-life but mostly COLOR and different color combinations. Trout are what I call the “dance of the dots” ... striking color combos balanced with spots.....perfect contrasting colors as well. The Ducati was a breath of fresh air from the easel so I wanted to find a way to be productive while breaking from the easel.....hence the “Bug Art”. :)
To chose a life as an artist is a very insecure and different way of making a living - so how did your parents and family supported you in this decision?
They encouraged me to go for it! From the very beginning I had clients buying my work so this continued to grow. Being an artist is the highest calling as everything I see is materialized from an idea. The greatest challenge is getting this idea out of my mind onto a canvas.
As a creative person as you must enjoy music, so I’m curious to know what your favorite band or type of music is? - and I also would like to know if you listen to music when you’re creating a new painting?
Yes! I love music when I paint. Wordless music mostly like House/Techno/Lounge type pod casts. Brad Miller’s Push the Night podcast is my favorite. I also like The Kings of Leon, Coldplay & Thievery Corporation. But I usually don’t change the music much. Maybe every 2 years I’ll accept another artist into my ears. :) This year it is the Kings of Leon.....Matthew Followill bought one of my prints so I bought his albums and they are amazing to paint to!
Madd ox
Madd ox
In Denmark we have a saying “the shortest way to a mans heart, goes through his stomach” (laughing!!) so I have to ask what is your favorite choice of food is - spicy and strong or bitter and sweet?
Pizza! - I make my own & usually eat pizza every day. Thai, mexican & Mediterranean dishes are my top favorites!
A.D. you are riding a Ducati bike - which is a very interesting choice of bike, since it’s a clear symbol of pure power. How would you characterizes yourself as a person?
That’s a great question Mark! - I bought the bike because Trinity in Matrix II was riding one in the famous motorcycle chase scene. Clearly Ducati was the hottest bike a woman can possibly ride so I bought one! lol Characterize myself as a person....I think I’m funny but I also spend a lot of time alone so I should be in good company right! I’ve got a bit of Force & Vigor, extremely self-determined but I’m governed by my Ethical Code as each decision must do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. I have one major rule I follow.....I try to do better than the day before. If a bar rier appears.....Time to move through it. and that is one hell of a task!
Do you structure your day and work every day a couple of hours - or do you get creative in “the middle of the night” and just have to get it out “while it’s there”?
No I’m structured for the majority of my time. I paint in the middle of the day as scheduled but I’m known to paint until midnight when I’m on a roll! Structure keeps confusions to a minimum.
Being an artist is very far from a typical 9 to 5 life, and it must have been difficult to learn how the whole art business is working, so are you or have you been connected to any gallery?
Yes.....I started out in Galleries then I decided to sell direct to my clients mostly. I do have pieces in the Wyoming Gallery in Jackson Hole and show here in Nashville at Fly South but I prefer to sell direct. As far as learning the art business.....that has taken some time. Lessons are taught through failures not successes. So I’ve made some mistakes but valuable ones. I’ve learned I can never over communicate.....Communication is the key.
Being a female artist in the male dominated art business can’t always have been easy for you - what would you say have been the biggest challenge so far?
Actually I don’t find it difficult. I think the people I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with are top quality people. It’s a very small industry so the ones that make it to the top have fought their battles and persevered through their own challenges. My biggest challenge in this business is creating my art as the battle is with the pieces I create not the male dominated industry. lol My goal is to produce masterpieces.
What is your favorite type of brushes - and what kind of paint do you use?
I paint in oil and use various brushes but prefer sable-haired brushes. I also prefer Belgian linen over cotton canvas.....both are good quality but linen is the finest weave I’ve painted on.
Who has inspired you and which artist is your favorite?
My Mentors.....Greg McHuron from Jackson Hole, Kamy Deljou from Atlanta and John Banovich. These are the only men that have given me instruction. There are aspects about each one of these men that have inspired me.....mainly their work ethic and knowledge of color. My favorite artist is me. :)
Madd ox
Where and when did you have you first exhibition - and how did it go?
My first real show was at a Gallery in Boulder, Colorado in 1995. I sold a HUGE painting of horses to a local couple for $700. Funny to think of that piece now as it’s priceless to me to day. I’ll buy it back in a heartbeat!
What has been your most important “career move” regarding getting your art exposed?
Working with Patagonia the clothing company, my Bug Art Series got a lot of press and being published in Grays Sporting Journa
How important do you consider the internet to be for your for your art career?
The internet is my number one communication tool. My gallery is admaddox.com.....Internet dependent. :)
You have designed some really nice t-shits for Patagonia - how did you get in contact with such a powerful company?
January of 2009 they contacted me. The head of their fly fishing department knew of my work. I was very lucky and the company has been a joy to work with still to this day.
Are you married with kids and the “whole package” - if so how do you get everything to work with your carrier as an artist?
No I’m not married and I’ve no children so I married my career and my children are my paint ings. hahaha! We all work well together! My boyfriend is a Montana Outfitter and an avid angler as well so I go to Montana in the sum mers to paint and fish. The balancing act is good one.....tough at times but the hardest part is knowing when to delegate a hat and expand. I’m still working on this one.
Madd ox
An ideal day of fishing.....ahhhhh.....there are a few I can think of.....Mid August tube fishing a private mountain lake for the big big Rainbows on dries, a full production day of hiking into the Mecca to enjoy a secret fishing spot and the best deluxe drift boat ride down the Yellowstone NOT rowing. :) But these days are not near as often as I’d like. City life is different and the easel calls so I wait for the Summer months in Montana with a few trips on the side in the Spring and Fall.
What is your absolute favorite rod and reel? - weight, model and brand?
I’ve 3 rods I use. My Orvis Trident rod 6wgt - 4pc ... great for the big trout & backpacking. CFO reel. Most commonly used my 2pc 5wgt Sage rod & Arbor reel ... sometimes switch it with the Waterworks-Lamson Arbor reel. Spring Creek.....5wgt Scott Rod & Sage reel.
Speycast or traditional overhand cast?
I’ve not learned to the Speycast so I’m traditional. :O)
Dry fly of nymph?
Both! Dry with a nymph dropper.
Salt- or freshwater fishing?
Freshwater but I’d jump at the chance to fish the saltwater. :O)
What is your favorite catch?
New Zealand Browns!
Madd ox
Besides your art career I’ve learned that you also are an avid fly fisher so I have to ask you what is a really good day of fishing?
During my contact with A.D I found out that she is involved in a charity program through her website - check them all out through these links :
Drug Free World - Citizens Commission On Human Rights - Casting 4 A Cure Cast Hope - Rivers Of Recovery and Trout Unlimited. All of these organizations are doing a really great job and they all need all the support they can get - so A.D I only have one word describing how I feel about this - and it’s - RESPECT!! If you after reading this interview, want to learn more about A.D. Maddox then use these links to her Studio website or “like” A.D on Facebook.....she is a fantastic woman and I have really enjoyed getting to know her through this interview.
A.D. MaddOX studios website
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Just following their
Instinct story + photos Federico Bellini
Location: Chavanga River - Kola Peninsula
Russia
I’ve been fishing trouts, graylings and chars
in the northern part of Italy for years. During that time I have had the pleasure of meeting other fly fishermen with more experience than me, which has taught me a lot .They have told me stories about different fishing techniques and which fish to catch on a fly. One thing I noticed was that every time they told a salmon story, the light in their eyes changed dramatically and I didn’t know why. Maybe it’s just the way this anadromous fish are able to fight and the unforgettable feeling these magnificent fish leaves deep in your soul. But there’s probably no real answer to this question, every Atlantic salmon fisherman has a different style and his own approach to the river. In every country you will find different casting techniques, different flies and different ways to present the fly. Choosing the right spot wasn’t easy cause you know, salmon fishing in some of the very famous rivers is really expensive and my budget was light years away from even thinking about those “forbidden heavens”. Besides that, there isn’t many places left on our planet, that are still pristine and where you can find good fishing conditions for wild fish. Russia’s Kola Peninsula is for sure one of these few places. Thanks to my job as snowboard photographer, I’ve had the pleasure and luck to travel to so many beautiful places, but I have to say that the “rustic region” of the Kola Peninsula really stole my heart.
“My budget was lightyears away from even thinking about those forbidden heavens�
It was my first trip to in Russia and I didn’t know what to expect from the Russian people. But I must say that they where very friendly, maybe a little bit more reserved than Italians, and with a big passion for vodka. They have a very different culture and lifestyle, but that doesn’t absolutely mean that our culture and lifestyle are better. My trip to Russia gave me a lot of respect for these people, and in the back country away from big cities, they still live by the rules of following nature instead of trying to modify it.
The real part of my trip started outside Murmansk airport. The roads are relatively good for fat least 250 kilometres until you reach a town called Kandalaksha, here you start seeing the White Sea. 110 kilometres after Kandalaksha I passed Umba. After that we had to change vehicle cause there wasn’t any real roads left - it’s all off road tracks until Varzuga’s estuary. The landscape was breathtaking and we experienced a unique mix between sea shore and Tundra. A small ferryboat made it possible to cross the Varzuga river and the last part of the trip was carried out in a military lorry, where “the driver” just followed the White Sea shore. After a 12 hour exhausting “drive”, we finally arrived at Chavanga village, our final destination.
First thing you learn as a salmon fisher
is that it’s really hard work (laughing while I’m writing this). You cast, change flies and cast again, sleep a little, then cast a bit more, find a short while to eat a tiny meal and then you cast for several hours again without any guaranty of catching anything - we salmon fishers must be crazy!!. It is hard and wonderful yet it slowly breaks your spirit down. But suddenly you hook one of these fascinating “silver torpedoes”, then all the hard work , many hours and struggles are forgotten in a split second. The beginning of my trip wasn’t easy at all. Water temperature was really warm (19 degrees) and the river looked like it was totally dead. But my first fish were caught on the lower section of the river, at the end of the second day. It was 01:00 AM, clouds gave back the night to the never-ending day in the northern region and I was ecstatic and very happy deep in my soul. Of course I released this beautiful fish after a giving me a strong fight on my old graphite rod. It was one of the most frustrating days of my life, and at the same time, one of the most exciting. Doesn’t that sound like salmon fishing in a nutshell??
“The moment I realized that I had nothing I realized that I had everything I needed�
After two days in the Chavanga village, we moved to the upper part of the river. Near our tents, the river looked similar to the lower part, but after a 30 minutes walk I passed a small canyon and here the river bed changed. Fast waters mixed with good runs and nice little waterfalls provided more oxygen in the water. This part of the river was the most beautiful and interesting part to fish. In these surroundings I felt like a western pioneer who just found his first gold veins, but in this case it’ was a pure vein of “Russian silver”. Living in tents close to the river was a great experience. The midnight sun in this region gave you the opportunity to fish whenever you felt like it. For me, the best period of the day was early in the morning, despite the sun, in July at that time of the day are already high above the Arctic Circle. I loved the silence by the river and I especially enjoyed walking to the more remote parts of the river. In Italy we use to say: “Mornings has gold in the mouth”, but to me there’s no better way to start a day, than catching “pure Russian silver” within the first ten casts.
When I’m alone by the river, my mind has a lot of time to think about my contemporary life.
We believe that we need thousands of things in our lives, but here in the middle of now where I realized that all these material things we surrounds us with, are totally useless. The moment I realized that I had nothing out there in the forrest, I realized that I had everything I needed. Life is strange some how - we stress, we work and we die - and for what? - a lot of material goods we can’t even bring with us up to “Saint Peter” anyway!! After spending four days in my little camp in the middle of the Russian Tundra, drinking the yellow water of Chavanga river, eating salmon, sometimes raw, it’s time to go back to “capitalism” In the last two decades, many things changed in Russia as well as the way of living in the big cities. But I don’t think many things will changed on the beautiful and remote coast of the Russian White Sea. Nature is still strong and it’s powers dictates the rhythms of life up here, which is the key to preserving this very unique place. And while I’m on my on my way back to Italy - the beautiful salmon are still just following their instinct, swimming upstream, just as they have been doing for hundred of thousand of years - and hopefully these beautiful silver fish will keep on doing that forever - without any human interference.
Special thanks to:
Antonio Pozzolini - reservation and visa - www.pozoflyfishing.com
Vasil and his son George - camp manager - www.chavanga.com
Paolo Negroni - best fellow traveller
Alberto Notarbartolo and Valerio Santagostino - indispensable advices
Mike
Artist
savlen
My art is about my passions. Passion for the outdoors, nature, the elements and life itself.
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Savlen sold his first painting at age 16 to the wife of world renowned artist/author Rudy De Reyna. While he has always been involved in art in some way he has also been and done many other things which has helped form his art. Savlen’s professions have run from ditch digger to art director, Victorian restoration painter to nightclub owner, sign carver to commercial fisherman and many more in between. He has also served in his country in two branches of the military, jumped from a perfectly good plane and bungeed from a bridge. He has been known to run barefoot through the snow at times because he like the way it feels, and has climbed mountains in the dark to watch the sunrise.
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“I am constantly inspired by what I experience outdoors I am an avid hunter and fisherman and proud of it. From beautiful to brutal, hilarious to heartbreaking. I find nature is truth in the purest form. Never asking for praise and having no need for forgiveness.”
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Out in the wild Savlen has learned interesting things about himself and the art of nature. Varied experiences have lead him to new knowledge and insight, such as how very intense the colors of the woods become when an angry bull moose chases you down a mountain. Or that bears can appear to be gentle, playful creatures and are a lot of fun to watch or sketch, until you refuse to share your frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich with them. Long periods afield have proven to Savlen that squirrels actually do fall out of trees and birds fly straight into them. Also if your not careful, the sound of an icy river your fly fishing in, can lull you to sleep and give you a hell of a shocking wake up. The artist in Savlen never sees snow as pure white, but a reflection of the millions of colors around it and “Savlen the sportsman” has learned that the sound of silence twenty miles from civilization can be quite deafening.
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You may think these strange reasons for inspiration, but to Savlen nature is the purest and most honest art there is. The perfection lies in its imperfection. Inevitably there came the day when Savlen decided to forgo chasing his tail and the almighty dollar. To take his leap of faith, and accept the fact that he is simply an artist. He now paints full time professionally, and with the incredible patience, help and tenacity of his girlfriend run Savlen Studios. Which allows him to travel the world. Chasing that “catch of a lifetime�, brief moment of inspiration, and his next big adrenaline rush. Simply put: Truly embracing the great adventure that is life.
Interested in learning more about Mike Savlen the visit his studio website or like and follow him on the “Book of Faces� Use these two links underneath
Mike Savlen studio website
Ă…rgĂĽrd River Camp
provocatively beautiful
For those of you who missed our Special Argaard River Edition of Pool 32 Mag, then check it out through the direct link on the next page.
Click to read
Em River
a little slice of the past
story + photos m.wengler
Every time I arrive at the Emü fishing lodge with it’s classical old farmhouse, and outstanding nature, I feel very privileged. This summer I had the great pleasure of coming back to Em after several years of absence. I stayed in one of the charming old farmhouses located very close to the river during the last week of the season.
The history behind this old and very beautiful fly fishing lodge goes way back, back to the times where Danish and Swedish Kings, English Lords and prominent fly fishing profiles from all over the world, was a common sight along the banks of Em책n.
Em Herreg책rd as it is called, has been on the hands of the Ulfsparre family for 9 generations, and the fishing started back in 1920, witch is nearly 100 years ago, no wonder the atmosphere is so special, it completely feels like stepping into a time capsule, a cultural treasure with no comparison anywhere. No doubt, this place is one of my absolute favourites on this planet.
The adventure began when Prince Gustav Adolf, who was the farther to the Swedish King at that time, invited two of his english friends, to join him at Em. They had a splendid time together fishing at Em. Afterwards the Prince recommended Gustav Ulfsparre, 30 years old at that time, to create a small exclusive fishing lodge. Gustav listened to this advise and saw the potential immediately. After that, the rumours about this fantastic “little pice of Paradise�, were spread among the few. It was the beginning of a very special fly fishing epoch, which has continued for nearly 100 years.
Gustav was a man with visions, he saw the environmental problems coming long before anybody else. So he therefore began cleaning the river, and was probably one of the first persons to establish a real conservation program with a future perspective for this fantastic river - a Biotopvärd, as it’s called in Swedish. But he was up against governmental forces, and a hard struggle began, and even today so many years after, Em Fishing Lodge are still fighting for free passages for the fish, so they can pass by all of the 11 power stations, and reach some of the very important spawning grounds further upstream. To me that’s a very strange scenario - it simply should have been done years ago and it’s just another typical example of bureaucracy - stupidity at it’s worst. On top of all this stupidity, is the fact that a couple of modern small windmills, easily could replace these old and very ineffective power stations, based on water.
Today Em is run by a group of serious and very engaged people, and they have made long-term plans, for their fantastic work with the maintenance of a natural reproduction of a sea trout population in Em River. They work by the motto - “ Sea trout fishing in Em River should continue until the next ice age” - so I’m sure that the Em river lodge is in really good hands.
The Gustav Ulfsparre Foundation is private foundation and also a very important part of this place. It was created in 1987 in Mr. Ulfsparres memory a short time after death, to strive to continue his life’s work - the conservation of sea trout in the river Em through a non-profit work. One of the key persons behind the GUS foundation is Pelle Klippinge who is a very well know Scandinavian fly fishing profile and the author of several brilliant fly fishing books.
Every time I’ve had the pleasure of staying at this beautiful fishing lodge, I somehow always dream myself back to this fantastic little “slice of the Past” - back to the quiet beauty of nature, back to a “historical fly fishing treasure”, back to the bench under the old oak tree, back to Home pool, Stone pool and Mill pool. And who knows maybe one day I’ll be getting old, just enjoying the scenery, on a bench at “Old Mans Place”!
Website www.emsherrgard.com
GUS
foundation
In extention of the EM essay I have to mention the great new book from one of the Chairmans of the GUS foundaion This book is written by Pelle Klippinge and it’s all about his fantastic adventures and experiences from wide range of different rivers and countrys. From Pelles home river in Sweden, the Em, to Orkla and Gaula, to the Spey and the Dee, among others. Every chapter is connected to one of Pelles favourite flies from more than 30 years of Salmonfishing.
Here you have everything from hair wings to local patterns like the Em Silver by Gustaf Ulfsparre to Tilda, a fly that have produced a couple of huge Salmons - 53 and 46,5 lb in recent years. There is also a chapter about dry fly fishing from the Gaula and the Lakselv. Did you know that Salmon over 39 lb has been caught by this technique? It´s amazing! And the last chapter, ”The future for the Atlantic Salmon” is written by NASF’s chairman, Orri Vigfússon.
Cover photo NFC’s Manfred Raguse releasing a beautiful 20 lb salmon Salmon from NFC beat E2
Laxfiske & Favoritfugor
Hard cover Pages: 168 Language: Swedish
Website www.speycast.se Book shop www.settern.se
Ecotrust The world’s cultural, political and economic systems are ultimately built on the back of the natural order, and the collapse of that order threatens everything else. Ecotrust’s mission is to inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental well-being. Ecotrust is headquartered in Portland and is a unique organization. It integrates public and private purpose and for-profit and non-profit structures. Ecotrust’s many innovations include co-founding the world’s first environmental bank, starting the world’s first ecosystem investment fund, creating a range of programs in fisheries, forestry, food, farms and children’s health, and developing new scientific and information tools to improve social, economic and environmental decision-making. Ecotrust works locally in ways that promise hope abroad, and it takes inspiration from the wisdom of Native and First Nations. For more than 20 years, Ecotrust has converted $80 million in grants into more than $500 million in capital for local people, businesses, and organizations from Alaska to California.
Credits Editor: Howard Silverman - email Designer: Melissa Tatge Writers: Seth Zuckerman, Howard Silverman, Eileen Brady, Melissa Tatge Illustrator: Shannon Wheeler - email Advisors: Stuart Cowan, Ed Hunt, Astrid Scholz Contact: Please direct any questions or comments to us via email. Reprinted - from a 2003 publication by Ecotrust Footnotes: Direct link to all footnotes.
Distribution: A printed version of this content dropped in the following papers on February 12, 2003: San Francisco Chronicle: 50,000 San Francisco Bay Guardian: 100,000 The Oregonian: 100,000 Willamette Week: 87,500 Funding: SectionZ is made possible through the generous support of the Columbia Foundation. We’d like to reach even more people, but we need your financial support. Please email Howard Silverman, Director of Public Information, Ecotrust.
Gaula Reloaded
photos m.wengler
After spending a week fishing in the northern part of Norway, I was kindly invited to spend two days in Gaula by Manfred Raguse from NFC. So here is just a “reload” of pic’s from some of my favourite beats along the magnificent Gaula riverbanks. It’s always such a pleasure for me to come back to the NFC and these fascinating surroundings. Somehow I don’t really need to fish, just being there with my camera is such a huge inspiration to me. So here is a little photo journey from these two days by the riverbanks of this magnificent “Golden River”
“Only when the last tree has died, the last river been poisoned, and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money� First nation Quotation
Send In this edition we have had the pleasure of bringing a couple of stories and pic’s from our readers, and that is something I’m really grateful for. I love it when P 32 M reflects the readers own experiences. To me that makes everything much more interactive in a fun way. Suddenly P 32 M becomes the readers own platform, with a bit of a documentary angle to it all - not just pure “fish porn” but real stories from real people out there a long the river banks. So if you have a good - or bad!! - story supported by some great pic’s you want to share with all of our readers worldwide, then don’t hesitate to “drop” us a mail or use our Facebook, Twitter or Google + links. Then I will respond a soon as possible. And don’t forget P 32 M is also very much about environmential issues as well as fly fishing. PS. Everything will of course be linked up to what ever web platform you desire - videos, Facebook, Twitter, Google + a blog or website.
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