Prescott Smith is a name many anglers who have fished or researched the Bahamas are familiar with. He’s a veteran bonefish guide and the current sitting president of the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA). After a recent trip to Cuba and discovering how they regulate their saltwater fisheries, Smith is now calling for a similar “National Plan” for the Bahamas.
“They are developing a national plan, right down to the community level, but here it’s always a fight,” he told Tribune Business. “It’s so important, but the special interests who control our economy never want this country to be developed to where it involves empowering ordinary Bahamians.”
“If you’re talking about developing a national plan, for instance, the way Cuba is, then you’re talking about doing it from the grassroots level of local ownership. That’s how critical it is. We have never as a country sat down to develop such a plan because it goes against the very way our economy is controlled, and that is by a small few.”
With regards to the current regulations, Mr. Smith believes strengthened regulations are the key to developing a sustainable Bahamian fishing industry. Current legislation dictates that there needs to be one Bahamian fishing guide for every 2 foreign anglers fishing from a boat. It also included provisions for a licensing system that foreign anglers would be required to obtain a flats fishing license, however, no online portal system has been put into place.
The BFFIA is currently developing a training program for Bahamians wanting to learn to guide clients onto any of the many flats species.
“We are talking about Bahamians becoming owners of the tourism sector. We are talking about training people to develop actual skills, not just in being a guide but other forms of eco-tourism.”
When our friends from Abel told us they were dropping “VAYA” a new reel in their arsenal of badassery, we were so excited we decided to pack our bags and head to Montrose Colorado to see this thing in person…
We had also been hearing rumors about a new Mayfly Headquarters – so we were excited for the chance to see this building in person. For those of you who don’t know, Abel reels and Ross reels are both manufactured under the same roof in Montrose, CO USA. Walking into this state of the art facility, I was seriously impressed with the size and efficiency of the operation.
An entire building dedicated to making the best reels on the planet. Walking around the factory and watching employees hard at work makes you really understand the power of USA made products. These reels are giving hard-working US individuals actual jobs, and they all greeted us with big smiles.
When Mayfly bought this land they secured a large stretch of the legendary Uncompahgre river, which was quickly donated back to the town in an effort to conserve the river and turn it into a fly only catch and release section of water. On top of being a throws distance away from the River, the Mayfly team also has a killer little bass pond directly outside. We had a chance to throw a few casts with a fellow employee!
As we made our way around the office we eventually sat down with Jeff Patterson a true veteran with Abel Reels and an integral member of the Mayfly team. We had a chance to ask Jeff some questions about the VAYA!
Flylords:We know you have this new reel coming to the market. What’s it called? And why are you excited about it?
Jeff: It’s called Abel VAYA. VAYA is Spanish for go, as in go fishing, go outside, go on an adventure. This is the reel for it. It covers everything from freshwater to light saltwater. So it’s our go-to reel.
Flylords: How long have you been working on this design and when is it going to be available for people to buy?
Jeff: We’ve been working on it for quite some time. Well over a year. The concept goes back even further than that. It will be shipping August of this year for the first time.
Flylords: What makes the reel unique compared to the other Abels’ line up?
Jeff: It’s a completely new look for Abel reels. It doesn’t really look like anything that we’ve made in the past. However, if you see it in the case you might say, “Is that an Abel?” Because there are some similarities that the rest of our products have. Besides the same amount of details that go into the anodizing, the polishing, the aesthetics, and the material itself. There are no corners cut on this reel to get to a certain price point. It’s just something different for us and maybe a little larger arbor than we’ve had in the past.
Flylords: What weight is the reel going to be available in, and what are the different patterns and colors that you can purchase it in?
Jeff: We’re launching this reel with three different sizes. We’re doing a four-five, a five-six, and a seven-eight. On these models, all three actually have a different set of milled fly patterns on the inside. So the four-five is appropriate for a hopper dropper type rig. So that’s what we put on the inside of these. The five-six gets a little bit bigger. So we’re going more like a hopper streamer type of setup. And then when you start getting into the seven-eight you’re hitting the light saltwater world, so we’re doing a streamer and a Gotcha fly for bonefish.
Flylords: Â I know the price point’s going to be a little bit lower than some of the other Abel line up. Can you just tell us a little bit about what was the thought process behind that?
Jeff: It’s going to sell for $495.00 in standard black. It’s a drag system reel for under $500.00 from Abel, which is different for us. Like I said, it’s not something that we cut corners for. It’s a little bit less expensive for us to produce and therefore we could make it that way for our consumers. It’s a proven drag system with the five stacks of carbon fluoropolymer and stainless steel. It’s very durable and not a lot of moving parts inside of it. A really, really cool sound on the incoming click as well as the outgoing drag. It’s just a very smooth, cool-sounding reel.
Craig Baker, VP of Business Development for Mayfly show’s off some details on the VAYA
Flylords:Â I know you just moved into a new facility here in Montrose. Is this the first brand-new product that you’re producing in this facility and are you excited about that?
Jeff: Yeah, but it goes back to the previous facility that we were working on this with, I guess technically this is the first new launch from our new building here at Colorado Outdoors in Montrose!
Some reels being made for custom orders!
Flylords:Â Why are you excited about this place (The Mayfly HQ) and how do you think it’s going to affect your brands here?
Jeff: The building here at Colorado Outdoors is just a beautiful place. It’s a setting designed for our production. From the very beginning, it’s for the flow of our own production line. But even bigger than that, it’s a very eco-friendly building. It’s on a beautiful setting, sitting on a pond, looking at the Uncompahgre River.
Our team can go out and fish at lunchtime, come back and not miss a beat. Not to mention what we’re doing with all of Colorado Outdoors, restoring the Uncompahgre River, we already donated it back to the city of Montrose and designating it an artificial flies only catch and release section. It’s something that you would want to see as an angler.
Flylords: Is there anything else you want to add?Â
Jeff: We talked a little bit about what’s in the drag and the outgoing click – it sounds and feels incredible. You almost have to pick it up to understand. It’s like a Rolex or something. The other thing is the drag system – which is designed so the lower end of the drag has tons of adjustment, a really wide range. So from zero to three pounds, there’s just tons of drag adjustment in there. But it still ramps up to have 10 pounds of drag. I mean, it still is great for those bonefish and that kind of thing, but where it’s primarily going to be used we don’t use a lot of poundage, and you will have lots of the adjustment in there.
US workers, hard at work!
Be sure to check out the Reel at your local fly shop later this month to really get a first hand feel for this new piece and check it out online here. Full specs listed below:
Specs:
Partially-ported frame for the perfect balance of weight, sound, and visual appeal
Different sets of milled fly pattern silhouettes on interior of each frame relevant to the size of the reel
Every month, we feature a throwback video for our video of the week, and this time we went with one of our favorite old films from Capt Jack Productions. Featuring some epic GT eats, this film helped to really show what was possible out on the flats of the famous Alphonse Island.
This film definitely sports a retro vibe, especially with the music choice. But it is still full of tons of epic eats, close action, and some ridiculous fights. Watching this helps remind you of why the GT is at the top of many angler’s bucket list.
This film was produced by Capt Jack Productions aka Jako Lucas. Be sure to check him out on Vimeo, as he has released many epic films since this one came out.
The video of the week is selected and written by Fly Lords team member Conner Grimes (@doublehaulfishing).
Imagine a rod that casts tight high line speed loops effortlessly and turns over your leader straight into the wind; a rod that delivers the fly on target with just one false cast, and can pick it back up and redirect if the fish changes course; a rod that is intuitive so you can focus on the fish instead of your cast; a rod that feels light and alive in your hand and has the touch and feel needed to make short quick shots or float the fly in quietly. All that, plus a rod handcrafted with the very best components to ever grace a fly rod-
Introducing the all-new Sector Series of high performance, handcrafted fly rods from Scott.
Sector fly rods advance our award-winning ReAct technology with new tapers and our new Carbon Web. They also introduce the most cutting-edge fly rod components ever created.
Scott’s all-new Carbon Web technology improves torsional stability and rod durability by encasing the unidirectional fibers in a web of ultra-light multi-directional carbon fiber.
These fibers help counteract torsional forces giving you better tracking and power for long line pickups and redirecting casts.
They also help to reduce the propagation of micro-fractures from stress or impact that can run in unidirectional layups.
Sector rods are fit with newly designed components that defy harsh saltwater environments, redefine reliability, and enhance angler experience.
They feature all-new Cerecoil stripping guides with nickel-titanium frames and super slick Zirconia inserts, along with Recoil nickel titanium snake guides for low friction and corrosion-free performance. The guide sets are PVD coated in a low reflective coating for even greater durability and stealth.
The reel seats are milled from aircraft-grade aluminum and feature self-indexing slide hoods, extra deep knurling to easily turn lock rings with wet hands, type 3 mil-spec hard coat in non-reflective flat black, and line weight engravings for quick rod identification.
Flor grade cork grips are turned to our modified wells shape, and the new fighting butts feature a thick soft rubber for greater comfort in tough fights or while bracing on long casts.
No need to dream about your perfect fly rod- It’s here. The new Sector Series from Scott.
Invasive Brook Trout have been plaguing the American West’s native fish since they were introduced. They out-compete native cutthroat trout for food and spawning areas and have taken over many historically native waterways. But researchers have developed a new method to prevent their spread: a sex change.
Every trout, just like humans, has genetic markers that determine their sex, either XY (male) or XX (female) and according to a study released by the American Fisheries Society, the males can be feminized by exposing them to estrogen. And by breeding these “feminized” males, a YY male trout can be produced. These YY trout are then introduced into the wild. But this is where it gets interesting when the YY males spawn with an XX female, 100% of their offspring will be almost 100% XY males. The idea is this, that over time as these fish continue to spawn, eventually the entire population will be male and then die out.
The results so far, tested in Idaho’s Big Lost River watershed, have been promising with the Trojan Males (YY) spawning and creating the intended, predominately male, new (and hopefully final) generation of brook trout. Which will, in turn, allow the native cutthroat to once again recolonize their lost territory.
To read more about the project, check out the full article on HatchMag.com!
Meet Alvin Dedeaux, the owner, and operator of All Water Guides. The operation is located in Austin, Texas where Alvin and his guides target trout, bass, and even redfish on the coast. We are excited to add Alvin to our ongoing blog series “Behind the Guides†presented by Costa Sunglasses.
Photo: Johnathan Vail
Flylords: Who is Alvin Dedeaux?
 Alvin: I am a fly fishing guide and outfitter based in Austin, Texas. My wife and I own and operate All Water Guides, an Orvis Endorsed guide service.
Photo: Austin Stapleton
Flylords: What areas do you guide, how does your calendar year breakdown?Â
 Alvin: I guide rivers and lakes in central Texas and the middle Texas coast. I spend the winter and spring in freshwater. Once the winds die down in the late spring and early summer I head to the coast. I will spend half my time in both locations through the summer. Fall is prime time on the Texas coast so that’s where you will find me until winter starts the whole cycle over again.
Photo: Austin Stapleton
Flylords: How days do you spend on the water?
 Alvin: I guide around 250 days a year, but I will be on the water more than 300 days, you know I still love fishing myself so I got to get out there when I can.
Photo: Johnathan Vail
Flylords: Can you give us an idea of the fishing in Austin?Â
Alvin: Fishing in and around Austin is pretty awesome. Most people are surprised how much water there is within an hour of downtown Austin. Most of our rivers and streams see very little fishing pressure so the fishing can be really good. Austin is home to a very active fly fishing community. We have several local clubs and the annual stop for the fly fishing film tour usually sells out a 1,200 seat venue. And then when you get off the water we have so much amazing city stuff. Everything from amazing restaurants to the world famous live music scene.Â
Photo: Austin Stapleton
Flylords: Tell us about the Guadalupe bass, why are they so special?Â
Alvin: The Guadalupe bass is the state fish of Texas, only found in Texas and mostly found in the rivers and streams of central Texas. They are a hard fighting fish that loves fast water.Â
A Fistful of Guadalupe Bass
Flylords: What’s it like guiding on the Texas Coast for redfish?Â
Alvin: Texas has more than 3,000 miles of bays and estuaries, redfish live in most of that water. I guide in the middle section of the Texas coast. From Port O’Connor down south of Corpus Christi. We have a great variety of fishing opportunities. Everything from bull reds and jacks around the jetties to miles of crystal clear super shallow flats with cruising schools of redfish.
Flylords: What kind of boat/s do you use?Â
Alvin: We have a lot of boats. I use a raft on the smaller rivers in central Texas. I use a Hog Island Skiff with an outboard jet and oars for the bigger rivers and lakes. I have a Hells Bay Waterman for the salt.
Photo: Austin Stapleton
Flylords: Piece of gear you won’t leave the house without when your guiding?Â
Alvin: For fishing, the salt, polarized glasses would be most important. Pretty hard to sight cast if you can’t see the fish.Â
Flylords: It’s our understanding that your wife is also a guide, can you tell us a little bit more about that? Do you guys do trips together?Â
Alvin: My wife Lenee has been fly fishing for over a decade and has been guiding for a few years now. She had just finished a masters in biology and decided to take a break before going back to work. While on that break she started helping me with the guide service. It became pretty obvious that the guide service was much more successful with her involvement.
At first, she started doing a few trips once all our guides were booked. Pretty soon people were requesting her. She could guide full time now but luckily for me and the rest of the guides, she puts a priority on making sure the business runs smoothly.Â
Flylords: How’d did you break into the guiding industry?Â
Alvin: It was a long slow process. I was the manager of the Austin Angler, one of the first fly shops in this part of the country. Over the years a few of us at the shop started doing some guided trips. By the time the Angler closed its doors I was already guiding pretty much full time, so I hit the ground running.
Flylords: How has social media played a roll in growing your business?Â
Alvin: I put up my first website in 2001 and I have tried all sorts of marketing and advertising since then. I do remember when I didn’t get any business from social media. That has definitely changed. Today it is still just a part of the whole marketing plan for the business, but it is fast becoming the most important part. It is definitely the most fun part of marketing the business. Being able to interact on a daily basis with our friends and clients is pretty cool.Â
Flylords: Can you tell us about the efforts you and your guide service puts forth to conserve and pick up the local rivers?
Alvin: We have always tried to help promote and protect our local waters. Our most visible conservation effort the last couple of years is a river clean up on the Lower Colorado River downstream of Austin. We call it the LoCo Trash Bash (pictured above). In the last 2 years on a one day event, we have had volunteers pull out nearly 14 tons of trash out of the river.
Flylords: Best local watering hole in Austin after a day on the water?
Alvin: Hart to beat a fresh squeezed margarita or a cold brew at Guero’s Taco Bar.
Flylords: How long have you been rockin’ the dreads?Â
Alvin: I can’t remember how long I’ve had the dreads, at least 20 years now. One of these days I’m gonna surprise everyone and cut them all off.
Flylords: Tell us about your days in a punk rock band?
Alvin: My band days were great, I got to travel all over the place and meet a bunch of cool people. We were successful enough to quit our day jobs and that gave me plenty of free time to go fishing.
Flylords: If you were to have one species take a topwater fly what would it be?Â
Alvin: I could flip a coin between the redfish or bass and be happy. Luckily I get plenty of both!
Flylords: What are your favorite pair of costa shades for your fishery and why or what pair are you currently Rockin?Â
Alvin: Current favorite frames are Permit and Fisch. Best lens colors for what I do are Sunrise Silver Mirror and Copper.
Flylords: Do you have any tips for anyone looking to break into the guide business?Â
Alvin: I think the keys to getting into the guide business are patience, hard work, creativity and a huge dose of humility. There are many so many different paths to success in this field, that can look like a challenge or a bunch of different opportunities. Guiding is a great career and I feel really fortunate to be able to make a living doing it.
Flylords: What’s next?Â
Alvin: I just hope to keep learning and discovering that’s what keeps it exciting for me, but as an old friend of mine once said, “There’s only one thing better than this and that’s more of it.”
Striped bass are overfished, and overfishing is occurring. These are facts, which are reported by the same entity responsible for ensuring the management of this species. Sure, everyone knows someone who catches stripers every outing or follows an Instagram page that routinely posts pictures of quality bass. But up and down the coast, anglers and guides are describing a greatly diminished striped bass population and, subsequently, loss of the positive economic impacts. And to quickly dispel some striped bass myths: NO, the stock is not shifting towards federal waters; and, NO, the aggressive removal of menhaden/bunker is not the main culprit—while this is an issue of concern. We as fishermen are killing far too many fish. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves: a big thank you to the American Saltwater Guides Association for helping us understand this complex issue and for all the work they do for our coastal fisheries. Be sure to check out their recent letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission!
Today, Wednesday August 7th, is the last day to voice your opinions, before the Striped Bass Management Board considers two important measures for striped bass. Please email your respective commissioners today and tell them: “approach the issue with a greater than 50/50 probability of success; end overfishing and rebuild the stock in no more than 10 years; and, reject any effort to lower the biomass reference points through the amendment process.â€Â For more on these two measures, check out this American Saltwater Guides Association Action Alert.
Striped bass are an anadromous species; they are born in freshwater estuaries and then return to saltwater, only to return to these estuaries to spawn. The Chesapeake Bay, the largest of these estuaries, facilitates 70-80% of striped bass spawning. The Hudson and Delaware Rivers allow spawning for the rest of the stock, with a minimal amount of spawning occurring in smaller East coast estuaries. After spawning, the population makes their annual North-ward migrations, where they run the gauntlet of millions of fishermen. Aggressive removals and inadequate management practices over the last 10 or so years have left us with an overfished stock where overfishing is occurring. This article will explore in-depth how we got here and the next steps. But understand this: the long-term health of the striped bass stock is in serious jeopardy. So, follow along to get a better grasp for this issue.
Background
Before we examine the current state of striped bass, it is important to take a step back and examine the early 1970s-80s, when the striped bass population was on the verge of a total collapse. A drastic measure averted the looming collapse: the 1984 Striped Bass Conservation Act, which mandated a fishing moratorium for any state not complying with Amendment 3 to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Interstate Fishery Management Plan of 1981. During these years, striped bass numbers were at the lowest point witnessed by biologists, managers, and anglers. So, it was no surprise that the moratorium was necessary. Throughout the 1980’s, restoration and management efforts were accomplishing Amendment 3’s goal of protecting the relatively strong 1982-year class of juvenile striped bass. As a result, striped bass rebounded and were declared recovered in 1995 by managers.
It is also important to understand the regulatory framework that manages striped bass. ASMFC oversees the management of marine species within state waters, including striped bass. Striped bass stocks were effectively saved by the Striped Bass Management Board—a component of ASMFC—in the 1980s; however, this was the only example of a successful ASMFC fish stock restoration effort. Since striped bass are now declared overfished, ASMFC has never recovered and maintained a stock in its 77-year history. ASMFC has no federal mandate to require that it must respond to and repair an overfished stock. This absence of a statutory mandate, along with tremendous political pressure to maintain the status quo, explains why ASMFC has watched Atlantic striped bass overfishing occur and allowed the species to become overfished. Yes, the overfished and overfishing statuses are different—more on this later. It is impossible to understand how ASMFC allowed the striped bass fishery to reach today’s levels without a basic understanding of Amendment 6.
In 2003, Amendment 6 to ASMFC’s 1981 Interstate Fishery Management Plan passed with this goal: “the long-term maintenance of a broad age structure, a self-sustaining spawning stock; and also to provide for the restoration and maintenance of their essential habitat,†(Amendment 6). This is an immensely important agreement for striped bass, because Amendment 6 contained a series of “management triggers,†which are agreed-upon reference points that would prompt managerial actions. The first reference point of importance deals with female spawning stock biomass (SSB): if the SSB falls below the threshold (slightly over 200 million pounds), the stock will be deemed “overfished†and appropriate measures must be adopted by the Management Board to restore the stock. Similarly, the other relevant reference point deals with Fishing Mortality (F): “when the fishing mortality threshold (F=0.41) is exceeded, overfishing of the striped bass population is occurring.†(Amendment 6, §2.5.1) The five management triggers were intended to compel the Management Board to take the necessary steps to restore the stock when certain events dealing with the SSB and F thresholds are reached and/or surpassed. Without going into too much regulatory detail, here are two ‘triggers’ that today have been ‘tripped’:
“1)If the Management Board determines that the fishing mortality threshold is exceeded in any year, the Board must adjust the striped bass management program to reduce the fishing mortality rate to a level that is at or below the target within one year; and, 2) If the Management Board determines that the biomass has fallen below the threshold in any given year, the Board must adjust the striped bass management program to rebuild the biomass to the target level within the timeframe established in Section 2.6.2 [not to exceed 10 years].”(Amendment 6, 4.1)
The Amendment 6 triggers and reference points were put into place to ensure that the 1980’s near-collapse of the striped bass stock would not happen again. But, today, the Management Board has ignored stock assessments, biologists’ opinions, anglers’ accounts, and the tripping of two triggers, leaving the future of the striped bass population in uncertain territory.
The Road to An Overfished Stock with Overfishing Occurring
ASMFC missed several key opportunities to stabilize the decline of the striped bass stock, due to no federal mandate and the political backlash of regulatory corrections. Based on data and expert analysis, 2004 was a critically important year for striped bass stocks. This was the year that the SSB began its decline. Yet, ASMFC managers expressed little concern, because striped bass recruitment numbers (i.e. young of the year juveniles entering the population) were at a 20-year high. These recruitment numbers saw sharp fluctuations in recent years, but generally are trending downward (Figure 3).
ASMFC managers expressed their first legitimate concern for the striped bass stock during the October, 2008 meeting. Representatives from Northern New England highlighted diminishing striped bass numbers and access in their regional waters. This concern was ultimately justified, when the 2011 Stock Assessment Update was released, which stated: “overall the conclusion is that stock abundance has declined since 2004.â€Â Under rational–and even normal–management practices, this concern for the longevity of the striped bass stock should have initiated management actions by the ASMFC through Amendment 6.
The Current Concern
Today, the striped bass stock is overfished AND subject to overfishing, according to the 2018 Stock Assessment, which examines 2017 data. This Assessment found that the 2017 SSB was estimated to be 151 million pounds—51 million pounds below the SSB threshold and 101 million pounds below the SSB target. This is alarming. Especially, when examining the SSB trends.
Similarly, the 2017 fishing mortality data revealed a grim outlook for the future of striped bass. Fishing mortality was above both threshold and target reference points. Simply put, too many fish are being killed. Remember, those ASMFC management triggers? Well now in 2019, the Management Board should take action, due to two Amendment 6 triggers being tripped.
ASMFC April 30, 2019 Update
Using this data and tripped triggers, the Management Board met on April 30, 2019 to determine how they would proceed: would they initiate an addendum to Amendment 6 or draft an entirely new governing amendment, a process which would take years and stoke the small but loud political voices of the pro-harvest crowd. The state of Maryland has advocated for the full amendment route, because this would allow managers to lower the reference points and allow more striped bass removals.
Kismet Outfitters owner, Abbie Schuster, said this about the state of striped bass: “Marthas Vineyard is still a bountiful fishery full of life, but entire class sizes of striped bass are missing. The huge ones are EXTREMELY scarce. We need to protect this resource for the generations to come.”
The Board initiated the addendum to Amendment 6, with the goal of developing “a Draft Addendum to consider measures aimed to reduce F [fishing mortality] to the target level.†However, the Board did not address the overfished status of striped bass [spawning aged fish estimates falling below a certain level]. One would think that the most recent estimates, which found the striped bass SSB to be 51 million pounds below the threshold level, would be enough to address the overfished stock. But no, the Board did not task the Plan Development Team to address the overfished stock, despite this being an explicit component of Amendment 6.
Additionally, the Board simply tabled the decision to initiate a full Amendment to the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan. In its August 8th, 2019 meeting, the Board is expected to move forward and vote on whether or not to initiate a full Amendment. The Board will address, “the needed consideration for change on the issues of fishery goals and objectives, empirical/biological/spatial reference points, management triggers, rebuilding biomass, and area-specific management.” (ASMFC) This is an attempt to reevaluate the 1995 reference points. This could have potentially disastrous effects on the long-term vigor of the striped bass population, if the pro-harvest crowd gets what they want–a lowering of the reference points. In other terms: the Board would not work to restore the stock to its previous highs, but rather manage the stock at its current lower biomass. This is an unacceptable option that must garnish opposition from striped bass fishermen. Conversely, if the Board listens to biologists and fisheries experts, the reference points could actually be heightened. However, at this time, that possible outcome does not seem likely.
The ASMFC Technical Committee made a series of recommendations for the upcoming Draft Addendum. In a memo to the Management Board, the Technical Committee wrote, “In order to have a 50% chance of being at or below the F target (F=0,197) in 2020, removals for 2020 needed to be 5.9 million fish. This is a 17% reduction from 2017 levels.†Once the addendum is accepted, however, it will go to the states. There, it is more than likely that the pro-harvest states–Maryland leading the charge–will oppose or attempt to hinder these reduction measures.
To achieve this 17% reduction, which only has an estimated 50% success rate, the Technical Committee made these recommendations:
Change the coast size limit of Striped bass from 28†to 35â€
19†to 21†in the Maryland jurisdiction of the Chesapeake Bay
20†to 22†in Virginia’s jurisdiction of the Chesapeake Bay
Supplementing the Technical Committee recommendations, the Management Board also tasked the Plan Development Team to look into other options: a slot limit (the effectiveness of slot limits has a wide range of opinions), circle hooks when fishing with bait, and—if necessary—seasonal restrictions. Circle hooks are something all fishermen should be adopting with open arms; they greatly reduce the odds of gut-hooking fish and do not substantially alter hook-up percentages. However, it seems irrational to assume that season restrictions would be effective, because the states that are taking too many fish do not seem willing to voluntarily reduce their harvests. The Plan Development Team is expected to release a Draft Addendum at the August 8, 2019 ASMFC meeting.
Captain Jamie Boyle with a great fly rod fish
As stakeholders up and down the East coast await this document and the subsequent public-comment period, one thing is certain: TOO MANY STRIPED BASS ARE BEING KILLED. And before everyone immediately turns to the commercial fishery for blame, understand some of these metrics. Where commercial fishing (landings and discards) accounted for 701,051 fish, recreational fishing killed 6,357,836 fish, according to the ASMFC Summary of the 2019 Benchmark Stock Assessment. In simple metrics, commercial removals account for roughly 10% of striped bass mortality, yet the recreational sector is responsible for 90%.
THE MARYLAND PROBLEM
The Chesapeake Bay is the spawning ground for an estimated 70-80% of the entire striped bass population, making it arguably the most important region for the stock. However, this region also disproportionately removes the most bass. The health of the Bay can play a big role in the year to year fluctuations of the entire stock (young of the year indices). Especially, as habitat loss, lack of food, pollution (agricultural and residential runoff), hypoxia (dead zones), and disease continue to plague the Bay—despite recent signs of improvement. So, while these semi-natural factors can have significant effects on the stock, the amount of striped bass harvests in the Chesapeake Bay—mainly in Maryland’s jurisdictional portion of the bay—must decrease.
Maryland regularly ranks as the top state for recreational harvests. Maryland managers do little to reign in these high harvest numbers and adhere to their irresponsible regulations. The state has consistently exceeded its fishing mortality target, making no meaningful reductions. For example, the Maryland recreational sector “averages over 1.25 million fish,†yet their target removal number is 572,000 fish. On the other hand, Virginia, which shares the Chesapeake Bay fishery with Maryland, has recently made commendable efforts to decrease their role in overfishing. The Spring of 2019 was incredibly telling for Maryland’s ‘business as usual’ priorities. When Virginia canceled their Spring trophy season due to concerns of the stock’s health, Maryland took no action.
This is another fault in the regulatory framework of Amendment 6 and ASMFC. There is no mandate for states to conform to management decisions or for ASMFC to hold certain states accountable. And when you have a state like Maryland that continues to harvest fish—in striped bass’ most important spawning region—at a disproportionate level, Northern states see less and less fish, and subsequently make matters worse when they harvest their portion of the population. Something needs to change in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay to effectively restore the population.
Striped Bass Outlook
While Maryland does account for the most recreation removals, they are not the only state contributing to this problem. Coastal states offer recreation anglers with tremendous and unfettered access to striped bass. For example, states like New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts all enjoy robust recreational fishing participation. This is a double-edged sword, because it fuels local economies, but it also kills hundreds of thousands of fish. Striped bass are a resource shared by the entire mid-Atlantic, and the restoration efforts must be a holistic process.
The striped bass fishery represents a massive economic impact for the entire Mid-Atlantic Region. Whether it’s mom and pop tackle stores, guiding businesses, fishing tournaments, boat and equipment sales, you name it, a healthy striped bass population facilitates this recreational economy. Without a healthy population, these economic benefits will significantly diminish. When asked about the current state of striped bass, Why Knot Fishing co-founder Joe Gugino had this to say: “I’m extremely worried about the future of our striped bass fishery; especially considering our current fisheries management framework. Something needs to be changed immediately if this biomass is going to have any chance of recovery.â€
It’s a grim reality, but recreational anglers are not constrained by any annual catch limit and, subsequently, are responsible for 90% of striped bass mortality. And to be clear, it is every anglers’ right to responsibly harvest and eat striped bass that they catch. However, should ASMFC not include adequate actions in their Draft Addendum, anglers that care about the long-term health of striped bass should voluntarily chose to release significantly more bass. Likewise, recreational anglers should understand the implications of their ‘limit fishing’. Fishing to fill a cooler with your limit (and in many cases your guide’s limit too) seems to be setting a bad precedent and contributing to the current precarious state of striped bass. Something needs to change. This resource needs to be protected with fair and common-sense management actions that balance state accountability, a strong spawning population, and significantly decreased fish mortality. How that is achieved is anyone’s guess, but we are hoping an adequate framework is released in the upcoming August 8th ASMFC meeting.
The view from the 2019 Cheeky Schoolie Tournament. This is the World’s largest fly fishing tournament and is catch and release only!
Want to know how to help? Check out this Action Alert released by the American Saltwater Guides Association. Email your commissioners and tell them to “approach the issue with a greater than 50/50 probability of success; end overfishing and rebuild the stock in no more than 10 years; and, reject any effort to lower the biomass reference points through the amendment process.â€Â The effort needed to protect striped bass will be massive and prolonged. But if us anglers want to share this amazing resource with future generations, a full-tilt effort is necessary.
This article was written by Flylords’ Conservation Editor, Will Poston.
Exciting, as well as surprisingly productive, the Frenchie (or, the Egan’s Frenchie as FlyFishFood has named this specific tie), is a world-renowned nymph. Diversify your fly box by following along with Fly Fish Food in their helpful video on how to tie the Egan’s Frenchie.
Learn About This Fly
For traditional American Anglers, the Frenchie pattern has been met with some hesitant embrace. Utilizing a jig head hook setup, mixed with flashy/ colorful materials laid over a traditional pheasant tail body, this is nymph far from something you’ll find in your grandfather’s fly box.
However, in recent years, with the rise in popularity of European style nymphing in the U.S., these types of flies have begun to soar in popularity. Often found in the fly boxes of competition anglers, the simple, yet eloquent build of this fly often surprises new users with its impeccable effectiveness. The “hot spot” on this pheasant tail fly, or so where the dubbing and final wrap is found, acts as an attractor to hungry trout who will often take the fly for an easy lunch.
The Frenchie can be tied in a multitude of variations, but the Egan’s style has shown to be very effective, and of course, looks great on a vise. This fly is a fun and easy tie that never fails in yielding results.
Ingredients:
Hanak H 400 BL jig hook (size 14)
UTC ultrathread 70 Denier (Red)
Hareline Slotted Gold Tungsten Beads 7/64″
Lead Wire .010
Whiting Coq De Leon Tailing (Tail can also be constructed from Ringneck Pheasant tail)
Nature’s Spirit Ringneck Pheasant Center Tails (Muskrat Gray)
With more and more anglers heading down to Belize and Mexico looking to check that coveted Grand Slam off their fly fishing bucket list, it’s more important than ever that we, as anglers, work to foster positive growth and conservation in those regions to support local economies and conservation.
“In a recent post we announced that Dr. Addiel Perez has joined BTT as the Belize-Mexico Program Coordinator. Although BTT has been conducting research and promoting conservation in Belize for many years, there is an urgent need for a large-scale strategic plan to address the many growing threats to the flats fishery in Belize and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
The first step in developing the new strategic plan has seen Dr. Perez traveling throughout both countries, meeting with stakeholders in the flats fishery. He has interviewed people from four sectors: the Fishing Community (fishing guides, lodge owners, tour guides, fishing industry representatives, anglers), Education (researchers, teachers, administrators), Management (administrators and employees of government agencies and co-managers), Conservation (administrators and employees of non-governmental organizations and foundations). Each of the four sectors plays a vital role in the flats fishery and can work to ensure its conservation and sustainable management.
From these interviews, Dr. Perez has established a more complete picture of the threats and needs for effective conservation in Belize and Mexico and is using this information to complete BTT’s new strategic plan. So far, it’s clear that the plan must include goals to address the threats and needs in each of the four sectors. The top threats are: 1) habitat loss, and 2) incidental and target capture from small-scale fisheries. The top needs are: 1) education and awareness; 2) enforcement of current and elaboration of new regulations; 3) planning for economic and human resource needs; 4) collaboration among all four sectors. This new strategic plan will be built from the ground up, with a local focus.”
Flylords: When did RepYourWater go from an idea to business?
Garrison: For the first few years (we started in 2011) RepYourWater was a fun side hobby for us. Corinne and I both had other full time jobs and so it was more of a passion project than anything else. However, a few years in we were starting to see the potential as we were struggling to keep up with demand. At that time I happened to get downsized out of a sales job that I did not love, and that provided the perfect kick in the pants to go full time at RepYourWater.
Flylords: What were some of the challenges of turning this dream into a full-time job?
Garrison: We have experienced many of the growth “pinch points” that most start ups encounter. Limited capital resources for growth was one, especially since we are self-funded and started right on the tail end of the recession when no one was jumping to offer loans to niche startups. Luckily, the fly fishing industry, especially back then, was pretty welcoming and accessible for a small brand.
Flylords: Was there ever a moment when you realized you made it as an actual business in the fly fishing space?
Garrison: The first time we went to the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show, which was in Orlando at the time, was one of those moments for me. It felt sort of like the country kids taking their produce to the big city market for the first time. The industry and community welcomed us with open arms even though we were feeling in over our heads. We look forward to that show every year now.Â
Flylords: Your slogan is Fish, Explore, Conserve, can you tell us a little about what this means?
Garrison: We wanted a slogan that communicated our mission statement and what our brand is about as efficiently as possible. Our passion is fishing, one of the reasons for that being the exploration that pursuit inevitably leads to, and conservation has always been a cornerstone of our values, both as individuals and as a business.
Flylords: What conservation projects is Rep Your Water involved in for 2019? Anything on the horizon for 2020?Â
Garrison: Since we donate to 17 conservation partners, we do not position our conservation dollars towards a single large project, but instead contribute locally based off of our product sales to many different projects. However, on a local level, because we believe that being involved locally is really important, are proud to have helped raise a bunch money ($16,000+) for our local Trout Unlimited Chapter here in the Boulder area in Colorado over the past few years. This helped them undertake an extensive restoration project on a local creek that was just finished at the end of last year and is now filling in with happy trout!
We are also working hard to address conservation from the perspective of sustainability through our operations, products and supply chain. We offset 100% of our greenhouse gases from our warehouse and office and we also divert more than 95% of our waste from landfill both of which contribute to our certification as a Green Business in the town of Erie where we are located.
For products and supply chain, we have a series of Eco Twill hats coming out this fall that are made of recycled polyester and organic cotton blend fabric and we just updated all of our hat poly bags to be made from recycled plastic. Additionally, we are launching a line of Bio Cotton, ethically sourced flannels and a collection of recycled/up-cycled mid-weight hoodies! Lots in the works for 2020, but we can get into that later…
Flylords: What’s it like running a company with your significant other?
Garrison: It is an absolute blast, we love it. It is not for every couple, but it continues to be really fun for us. With my background in art, design and sales, and Corinne’s strengths in logistics, accounting and organization, we have each taken on very different roles within RepYourWater and I think that is key to our success. The shared passion for fishing is the icing on the cake. Â
Flylords:Â Can you tell us about your artwork. When did it start? And when did it merge with the apparel?
Garrison: My parents are both artists, so I grew up around art and making art. When we started RepYourWater I wanted to focus on simple, clean designs with idea of building a brand. I did not want to be an artist who makes a few hats. Now that we have a bit of brand recognition I am working to incorporate my art more into our product line and our brand story. I just set up a new studio at our house, so hopefully some big things to come…
Flylords: What product are you most excited about right now?Â
Garrison: We have a new series of enamel camp mugs coming out for fall that I am super stoked on. They are such fun, durable, versatile mugs and are a great, practical canvas for art and design. Â
Also, we are all am really excited about our new lightweight “Last Frontier” Bio Cotton flannels coming out this fall. Not only are they super sharp and well made, but they are ethically sourced from our factory that utilizes its own solar array!
Flylords: We had a chance to check out some of your awesome new products in Wyoming like your Old Fashioned fish-themed cups, do you have any other new items in the works for the holiday season?
Garrison: We just produced a full collection of ties, bow ties and pocket squares. They are made here in Denver CO from recycled poly and the designs are classy but pretty fun. My favorite is the “Browns and Beers” design. So keep us in mind for your next wedding or formal event.
Flylords: I know Tanner (@sanjuanandeggs) just joined the team, what is your opinion on that guy?
Garrison: Tanner brought a lot of experience in the fly fishing sphere to us, but honestly the things that make him a great fit here are that he is really genuine, has a great sense of humor and is passionate about fly fishing. We have a lot of good laughs during the course of any given work day!
Flylords:Â Out of all of your hats… Do you have a favorite?
Garrison: I am not supposed to have a favorite, but of course I do! “The Meat” hat is my personal favorite, specifically one individual hat that I have worn on many, many trips including through the Bolivian Amazon chasing Golden Dorado. That hat has some serious mojo at this point.
Flylords: How about a favorite piece of artwork?
Garrison: We have a piece in our office (a small airplane hangar) that I did many years ago that I think is still one of the best pieces I have done. It is an 8′ x 5′ charcoal and pastel piece of an elephant’s face. It has a lot of presence.
Flylords: How has social media played a roll in the development of your business?
Garrison: It has been a critical piece of our brand development, especially Instagram. I cannot tell you how many people over the years at shows, bars or on the river have told me that they dig our Instagram feed. We try not to take it too seriously and continue to use it as a conduit to communicate our passion, enthusiasm, and values.
Flylords: What’s the goal for in 10 years from now?
Garrison: Great question. I would like to see RepYourWater known for much more than regionally themed fishing hats. I hope that products like our Sun Hoodies, lightweight button-down shirts, flannels, merino socks, drinkware etc gain enough market share and recognition that people associate the brand with much more than just hats. I also hope that we can continue to grow our support for our conservation partners (over 195K+ donated to date) and continue on our path to sustainability.
Flylords: We love seeing the live drawings of your artwork like the one below, what’s the story behind them and where can you purchase them?
Why am I wearing gloves and a respirator? – I probably don’t need the respirator, but old school pastels are pretty toxic, so I am trying to cover up a little better than I used to.
How long did that actually take? – Right about an hour.
