Saltwater

BREAKING NEWS: Recent Signups Keep CRP Acreage Near Cap

Online Editors — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:01:04 -0400

by Bob Marshall

Fish, wildlife and sportsmen got good news Friday when Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, announced recent and future sign-ups of 5.65 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program, keeping that keystone conservation program close to its current authorized cap of 32 million acres.

But in an interview with Field & Stream, Vilsack also urged sportsmen to keep the momentum going by urging their congressmen - particularly House members - not to swing the budget axe on conservation funding in the new Farm Bill currently under consideration.

"(Sportsmen) should take some confidence or relief in the numbers we're announcing today, because it shows this administration is committed to CRP and to the outdoors recreational opportunities CRP creates and enhances," Vilsack said.

"(But) they ought to be engaged in encouraging members, especially in the House, not to reduce our commitment to conservation in the future - mainly because it works."

The Conservation Reserve Program, which pays farmers who enroll in the program to not plant marginal acres, is widely considered the most effective federal conservation program ever. The resulting grasslands not only provide essential upland nesting cover for waterfowl as well as numerous terrestrial species, but it also helps reduce soil erosion and improves water and air quality. It has also been a popular economic boost to the agricultural community, pouring $1.8 billion dollars into farmers' pockets annually.

But the program has come under stress in recent years. First commodity prices soared, drawing some farmers back to planting that non-tilled land. The USDA said it expected to see up to 6 million acres pulled out of CRP this year as contracts expired.

Sportsmen were still reeling from the impacts of that shock when some in congress targeted conservation spending as a way to trim federal spending.

Working with conservation groups, the administration found a way to fund an additional 1.75 million acres in two sign-ups set for this summer. The first will be targeted at highly erodible acres, the second at sensitive grasslands, wetlands, and wildlife habitat.

"When you add what we've just enrolled with the 1.75 million we'll get this summer, that will give us 5.65 million, pretty darn close to the 6 million we're losing, and right at 29.2 million - not far from what the cap is right now," Vilsack said.

He also urged sportsmen to tout the broader economic and environmental benefits of the CRP when pushing congressmen to preserve funding.

"In 2011 we were able to calculate the reduced nitrogen (because of CRP acres) going into streams (from farm fertilizers) by 623 million pounds, and reduced phosphorous by 124 million pounds," he said.

"When you look at carbon sequestration, we calculated that CRP is equivalent to taking 10 million cars off the road.

"So, this program doesn't just help wildlife, and outdoor recreation, and the farming community, it also has a very significant positive impact on the environment."

Fly Fishing Gear That Works: SmithFly Products

Online Editors — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:58:40 -0400

by Kirk Deeter

You know what we don't see nearly enough of in fly fishing these days? Products that actually work better than advertised. We're promised everything from rods that will seemingly cast themselves to waders that wear like footie pajamas, and rarely does the performance really, truly live up to the billing.

SmithFly, an Ohio-based manufacturer of modular fishing gear, on the other hand, over-delivers. From waist packs and vests to boat bags, the best way to describe this stuff is to say it's born of a "tactical" influence: Super rugged and extremely functional. At first glance, they're perhaps not what the "fashionista" angler has in mind.

The concept is pretty simple: Using modular components, you can latch on and build out a vest or bag to your exact specifications, rather than the configuration a product designer assumes you want. That's a huge bonus for the ever-quirky, finicky gearhead types like myself. And the construction (made in USA) is really tough. For example, the boat bag isn't advertised as waterproof, but the other night Romano waited out a 45-minute downpour and everything inside stayed dry.

Here's more of what he had to say:

"I have the Boat Bag and absolutely love that it has one large compartment with a zippered pouch inside. I've been attaching the 2x pouch on the outside and simply slinging this over my back on my stand up paddle board on the bass pond. I've got everything I need in there — soft plastics in the zippered pocket, hard baits in a box, and multiple fly boxes. The terminal tackle and everything else goes in the 2X pouch. I can stuff the kitchen sink in it if I want to, or put very little in it. I had a rain jacket, two beers, water bottle, four fly boxes, a hard bait box, soft plastics, etc., in it the other night and it was very comfortable. I've also had it out with one fly box, tippet and hemos and it felt fine."

You kind of need to see this stuff to get a true understanding of how it works. I expect as more anglers get wind of SmithFly and more fly shops pick up this brand, that will be easier to do.

Food Fight Friday: Turkish Seafood Edition

Online Editors — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:17:50 -0400

by David Draper

Fried Anchovies and Sea Bass vs. Fried Mussels

You, and all my friends, are going to be sick of hearing this, but did I mention that I recently spent a couple of weeks in Turkey? This trip is going to make up my main conversational fodder for the rest of the summer, with much of it focusing on what I ate — some of which was good and some of which was not the best decision. Of the former, the seafood stands out as highlights of the trip. I’ll say this, Turkish people know their fish, which isn’t a surprise considering that waterways like the Bosphorus Strait define their country. Here are a couple of dishes I encountered.

Fried Anchovies and Sea Bass
One of my favorite afternoon diversions in Istanbul was to find a comfortable chair at one of the cafes under the Galata Bridge, order a beer, and watch the fishermen perched above me reel up sabiki rigs filled with anchovies. It didn’t take long to figure out which angler had the hot hole or when the bite was on. These little fish are a Turk favorite, and many restaurants fry them and serve them whole. Unfortunately for me, this order, along with the seabass fillets were meant for another table. I bet they were delicious.

Fried Mussels
However, these fried mussels were for me. I originally ordered just a bowl of fish soup and coban salata, or a Shepherd’s Salad of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and parsley. (I ate a bowl of coban salata at nearly every meal — even those I cooked myself.) When the waiter suggested mussels, I couldn’t resist. And I’m glad I didn’t. Like the anchovies, mussels are a staple on Turkish tables. These were plucked fresh from the Sea of Marmara and deep-fried. You can also find stuffed mussels sold by street vendors all along the Golden Horn. They’re worth trying, though eating warm shellfish from a kid on a corner takes no small measure of courage.

World Record Fish: 221 Catches Submitted to The IGFA

Sarah Smith — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:48:56 -0400

The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to game fish conservation and research. Created in 1939, the IGFA maintains world records for both freshwater and saltwater game fishes. Records are divided by line class, tippet class and all-tackle categories. The IGFA introduced a new all-tackle length category in 2011, keeping separate records for length. Entries in this category must be measured on an official IGFA Measuring device — all fish must also be released alive and unharmed.

To qualify for weight records, a fish must weigh a minimum of one pound. With the exception of all-tackle records, anglers must submit their claim to the IGFA within 60 days of the date of catch for fish caught in U.S. continental waters. Applications for fish caught in other bodies of water must be received within three months of the date of catch.

In order for a fish to qualify for an IGFA record, it must be weighed on a certified scale. Anglers must also submit a completed IGFA form, mandatory length of line and terminal tackle used to catch the fish, plus photographs. For more information, visit the IGFA website.

Video: Filming a Free Swimming Black Marlin

Online Editors — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:15:47 -0400

by Tim Romano

As a photographer and an angler, I just can't get enough of these videos that underwater photographer Marc Montocchio puts together about his blue water shoots. This installment shows Marc and his crew on the Pacific coast of Panama, trying to photograph a free swimming black marlin. Enjoy.

New Top Alabama King Mackerel: 10-Year-Old Record Broken Twice in 5 Weeks

Online Editors — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:49:50 -0400

An Alabama family’s first deep-sea fishing trip yielded a memorable sendoff for their military-bound son and produced the state’s second record king mackerel in five weeks when Matthew Borden boated this 69-pound, 10-ounce smoker May 6, one week before shipping out for a long-term Navy deployment.

Rumble in the Jungle: Catching Huge Arapaimas on the Fly in Guyana

Online Editors — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:48:01 -0400

Field & Stream editor-at-large and FlyTalk blogger Kirk Deeter recently took part in an expedition sponsored by Costa del Mar sunglasses to fish in Guyana, where he became one of the first fly fishermen ever to land an elusive wild arapaima—the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish species.

Click here to learn more about arapaima fishing opportunities in Guyana and the film "Jungle Fish."

Scientists Develop Robot Fish to Improve Pollution Monitoring

Online Editors — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:55:19 -0400

--Chad Love

Landing one of these babies is pretty much a catch-and-release-only proposition. I hear they're not good eating and extremely difficult to fillet. Not to mention the fact that they thrive in some pretty nasty water...

From this story on therepublic.com:
Robot "fish" developed by European scientists to improve pollution monitoring moved from the lab to the sea in a test at the northern Spanish port of Gijon on Tuesday. The developers hope the new technology, which reduces the time it takes to detect a pollutant from weeks to seconds, will sell to port authorities, water companies, aquariums and anyone with an interest in monitoring water quality...The fish, which are 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and currently cost 20,000 pounds ($31,600) each, are designed to swim like real fish and are fitted with sensors to pick up pollutants leaking from ships or undersea pipelines. They swim independently, co-ordinate with each other, and transmit their readings back to a shore station up to a kilometer away.

So, if they can make robot fish to do this, why can't they make one that chases down and takes a lure, then fights like whatever gamefish has been programmed into its brain? Say you've never caught a bluefin tuna and probably won't ever get the chance, because they're doomed -- instead, you could charter a trip to "catch" robot bluefin.

Who knows, maybe in a few years we might not even need real fish in the oceans anymore, what with their annoying and expensive requirements for clean water and a suitable environment. Now we can repeal all our water quality and anti-pollution laws and start cranking out loads of these suckers, 'cause they'll live anywhere...

The CatchFeed: 50 Top Photos from Catchbook, Field & Stream's New Social Fishing App

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:43:40 -0400

These 50 photos are our editors' picks for the best shots posted so far by users of our new Catchbook app!

About Catchbook Fishing Reports
Catchbook is a free social fishing app we built for the iPhone to help you share photos of your fish while recording the spots where you caught them. Check out more great fish photos from around the country (and start posting your own catches) by downloading the app from iTunes! Visit fieldandstream.com/catchbook for details on how the app works, and why it'll help you catch more fish.

Catchbook Photo Contest
We're giving away a Columbia PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap, for the best photo posted each week (as chosen by our editors) from now until then end of July. At the end of each month we'll pick our favorite overall shot and run it in the magazine! Each monthly winner will also receive a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve (men) or Ultimate Chill™ Long Sleeve (women). Click here to learn how you can enter this contest. Click here for the official rules.

Great White Shark Flips, Chomps Angler's Kayak

Online Editors — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:11:51 -0400

--Chad Love

Kayak fishing and kayak duck hunting are things I've really wanted to get into for a while now. I even have dreams of taking my own do-it-yourself kayak fishing trip to the Florida Keys, Baja California, or some other storied saltwater destination. On the other hand, maybe I'll just stick to freshwater kayaking, because something like this would inevitably happen to me, and then I'd have to spend the rest of my life wearing Depends and going to therapy.

From this story on sanluisobispo.com:
Joey Nocchi, 30, of Paso Robles, had the big-fish tale to tell, after his kayak was upended and bitten by a great white shark. Nocchi and friends James Byon of Paso Robles and Matt Kerschke of Los Osos were fishing for rockfish at 1:30 p.m. Saturday near Leffingwell Landing off Moonstone Beach. “We’d just about limited out on rock cod, and Matt caught two halibut,” Nocchi said. “We were cruising along together and talking.” He was reaching for his knife when “I got hit from underneath and started coming up out of the water. My buddies said I came out of the water 4 to 5 feet — it flipped me over the side.

The shark rolled the whole kayak over, rolled me out of it, and he went over the top of it. He swam across me — his tail touched me.” His friends estimated the shark was 12 feet to 14 feet long.

Nocchi said he managed to get back on the upside-down, badly listing kayak and paddle back to shore. He says he'll be bass fishing and staying out of the ocean for a while. Good plan...