Note: 50% of my "commission" from any sales will be donated to a fish conservation/advocacy group to be determined later. I welcome suggestions for worthwhile causes deserving these funds...if they ever manifest...
You may or may not know this already, but I love side projects.
They range from bars, social media consulting, the fly shop, conservation groups, carpentry, and, yes, even geology. Be it for cash, future considerations, fun or altruistic reasons, it's good to be busy.
Besides, it can't be always about catching fish, right?
This side project runs a little on the fun & altruistic reasons. Fun because I like causing shit, and altruistic because I think this shit is bad.
The aquaculture industry, with the farming of Atlantic salmon in particular, is doing some bad shit. This bad shit is happening in Canada, USA, Chile, Scotland and Norway. And in order to save our wild salmon, it needs to be addressed ASAP.
This has been brewing within me for a few months. It started when I attended a fundraising dinner of a local salmon association and saw one of the main sponsors was an aquaculture company. The same company that very recently had charges brought against it for illegally using pesticides in the open ocean. This got me thinking, reading...and angry.
This page will NOT be preachy; in fact, I'll only be linking to existing news bulletins, peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations and more. Heck, I'll even link to positive stories about the aquaculture industry (if I can find them).
Comments will be strongly moderated, too; no matter what side of the aisle a person's viewpoint is, I won't be tolerating hateful shit & conspiracy theories.
So if you care about this kind of stuff, I hope you 'like' it: www.facebook.com/saveourwildfish
One of the prime tenants of hypermiling is “do not accelerate quickly or brake heavily.”
According to the folks at cleanmpg.com, accelerating quickly or braking heavily can reduce fuel economy as much as 33 percent at highway speeds and 5 percent around town.
Here are three scenarios that you might encounter during your everyday drive and three suggestions on how you can reduce accelerating and braking.
Uphill leading to a stop light/sign: Travel as far up the hill as possible before stopping. Maintain a steady pace and attempt to crest the hill when the light is green. If there is a stop sign at the top of the hill, you have no choice. You have to stop. Unfortunately, accelerating from a dead stop facing uphill is one of the worst fuel efficiency situations that you will face. Often, there is a relatively level piece of ground at the top of a hill. Try to stop there if possible. If the hill is part of your regular commute, try a different route so that you can avoid the hill.
Downhill leading to a stop light/sign: Slow down well before the light. Coast on the downhill and try to time your descent so that you hit the intersection when the light is green. This will allow you to coast through the light without having to accelerate. Even if you do have to brake on the intersection when the light is green. This will allow you to coast through the light without having to accelerate. Even if you do have to brake on the downhill, you have gravity on your side. You can continue to coast after applying the brakes.
Level ground leading to a stop light/sign: Continue to slow your vehicle before actually coming to a stop. Think of yourself as moving half the distance to the goal line and then half again. You can accomplish this both through braking and by coasting into your buffer.
Why it is important to the fish: All vehicles produce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) when they burn gasoline.
Why it is important to you: Burn less gas, burn less cash. I'll repeat that:
BURN LESS GAS, BURN LESS CASH
The 2000 RPM Challenge
For the current tank of gas in the High Plains Drifter, I have vowed to NOT drive over 2000RPM, to see how much more mileage I can crank out of it.
Some basic stats:
I filled up yesterday, 11-Jan-12 at 2:40PM; the truck was almost empty (~80L gas tank)
It took 78.751L of mid-grade gasoline...that's 20.803 US gallons
The total price was $96.00
That's $1.219 per litre...that's $4.614 CDN per US gallon, or $4.531/gallon in US dollars
Driving normally, I drove 424.6km (263.8 miles) on the previous tank of gas
Approximate mileage calculation: 5.39km per litre, or 12.68 miles/gallon
90% of my driving on the previous tank was in the city
(Note: the Canadian economy hasn't screeched to a halt with these gas prices or public health care...something to think about)
I will update this once I fill up again. I'm hoping it's not for a while.
Here's what I've noticed following the first afternoon of my 2000 RPM Challenge: Fredericton has some steep-ass hills, and it is friggin' hard to get up them at or under 2000 RPM. Also there's a lot of old blue-hairs that accelerate slower than I do.
Think about that: I'm trying to accelerate my (automatic transmission-driven) truck from a dead stop, on an uphill grade, at under 2000 RPM, and I'm accelerating faster than granny in a Toyota Corolla.
No wonder people develop ulcers & eye twitches from commuting to work every day.
I'm glad I don't work every day.
The Tweet
I was interviewed by our regional newscast on Friday because of this:
Long story short: I was waiting in my truck (not idling, btw) for my lovely gf, saw this dude walk around his van with buckets in hand, I assumed (correctly) that he was going to dump them down the storm drain, snapped a pic, tweeted it.
The tweet got shared a bunch of times, a city councillor sent the photo to the public works department, and the mayor weighed in.
The company told the reporter it was just water.
But, if it was just water, why did he have to rinse his buckets multiple times, dumping them down the storm drain each time?
The newscast was more about "the power of Twitter" than it was the actual incident (you can watch it here; the segment is at 7 minute-mark); and the reporter didn't want to dive into what the company did/didn't do for legal matters; in fact, they enlarged the photo & cropped out the company van on the newscast.
Few things the news left out that I felt were important: while the reporter stated I was an "avid fisherman," they didn't mention anything about me being a geologist that works partly in the field of hydrogeology. That's somewhat relevant, me thinks. They also left out that I'm Vice-President of the Nashwaak Watershed Association...though I did manage to get the Association's logo pictured in the background. But still, also somewhat relevant.
Instead, come off as an unshaven, festively-plump busy-body, lurking in a parking lot with a camera phone...who is an avid fisherman...
They also didn't quote my off-camera best quote ever:
"I'm not in the marble business, so I can't tell you exactly what they were dumping. But I'm pretty much in the water business, and I can tell you it wasn't clean f**king water."
Speaking of the Nashwaak Watershed Association....
Our man in the know is cranking out the new website & we're getting our new & updated social media presence ready to rock; expect a launch in the very near-future.
If anyone is interested in learning more about the organization, or becoming a member (it's only $10/year!!), please get in touch with me!
And now some music
I've mentioned Ross Neilsen a few times before on the blog. Like here. And here.
I'm a big fan of his hard-rocking, whisky-chugging, grinding dirty blues (and his other stuff, too).
Ross and some special guests are playing at Dolan's Pub (King Street) on January 18th as a fundraiser for his upcoming trip to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.
Bottled water presents a hazard to our fish and to you as well. Here are two tips to help you reduce the amount of bottled water that you use.
1. Carry your water with you:
Fill a large water jug from the tap and take it with you. Refill your smaller water bottle from the jug! We fill a five gallon water jug with ice and water and set it in the back seat of the truck. We refill our smaller bottles whenever necessary. If there is water leftover at the end of the day, we set the jug on the counter at home and use it to refill our water glasses.
2. Use a hydration pack: As with the jug, fill your hydration pack from the tap and take it with you. Many packs come in large capacities, up to 100 ounces of water. You can use the large pack to refill your smaller bottle. This is a great option if for a day hike.
How I roll...
Why it is important to you:
Bottled water is costly. A glass of water from the tap costs less than a penny. A 12 ounce bottle of water will cost a dollar or more. Besides not making economic sense, bottled water is not necessarily a healthy alternative.
Generally speaking, bottled water falls under FDA standards and, in some cases, sources for bottled water do not need to meet the same standards as municipal water supplies. EPA standards, for example, require that city tap water can have no confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria. No such standard is in effect for bottled water. Indeed, stricter FDA standards regarding E. coli for bottled water did not go into effect until December 2nd, 2009.
(Mat's note: In Canada, the regulation of bottled water sold in Canada is shared by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (link). Local water supplies are inspected every day, whereas bottled-water plants are inspected at three-year intervals. Read a CBC article on bottled water here.)
Why it’s important to the fish:
According to American Rivers, Laurel Hill Creek could soon have its unique character destroyed by excessive water withdrawals. According to the United States Geological Survey, 2 million gallons of water are withdrawn from Laurel Hill Creek every day. This exceeds the calculated daily safe withdrawal level by 600,000 gallons.
As if the current strains on the creek were not enough, there is a proposal on the table to withdraw up to 108,000 gallons per day from Laurel Hill Creek for bottled water! According to Clair Saylor, a life-long streamside resident, “the only way I can monitor the amount of water in the creek is to count the number of stones exposed across the creek. By that measure we’re already in crisis.”
Without water there will be no fish. When large amounts of water are withdrawn from a watershed, as water bottlers often do, the results can be disastrous. We can only tax our rivers and our aquifers so much. When we drink bottled water that is sourced from aquifers and streams, we are taxing the environment for our fish.
By using water from the tap, we help to reduce the strain on our rivers and ultimately on our fish.
-Because our lifestyle runs downstream-
********
Now that I've successfully made you feel guilty (and/or angry), here's an awesome (AWESOME) track from the Black Keys' new album, El Camino, which was released on Tuesday. Buy it. Trust me. Just buy the damn album.
And, as promised, here is one of many Stewardship Tips that are available on their website.
THREE TIPS TO CONSERVE WATER (see the original post here)
We’d all like to install Ultra Low Flow or waterless toilets to conserve water. It’d be nice to redo our plumbing so that our gray water is recycled into our lawns. These can be expensive projects and while they’d be nice, the fact is, you can conserve water at little or no cost. Here are three simple tips to help you conserve.
1. Conserve water in your shower:
Install a low flow or ultra low flow shower head. This is one of the easiest ways to conserve water in the home. Most non-conserving shower heads will use 5 to 8 gallons of water per minute. A low flow shower head uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute, an ultra low flow shower head will use 1.5 or less.
2. Conserve water in your toilet:
Install a displacement device, a tank dam, or an early-close flapper valve. A displacement device is nothing more than something to take up space in your tank. Fill a 32 ounce plastic soda bottle with gravel, cap it, and place it in the tank. Tank dams, pieces of flexible plastic wedged into the tank on either side of the flush valve, reduce the amount of water available per flush by holding a small amount out of use. An early-close flapper valve is a valve that will shut before all the water in the tank can flow into the bowl. Early-close flappers often are adjustable, so that you can find a good balance between saving water and having the toilet bowl reliably cleared.
3. Conserve water your yard:
Eliminate all runoff. Observe your sprinkler and make sure that water does not get on the sidewalk, driveway, or street. Even the smallest overlap will send gallons of fresh water into the sewer.
Why it is important to the Fish:
By conserving the amount of water that we use, we reduce that amount of water that we discharge from our homes. Water from showers and toilets is discharged into the sanitary sewer. In some areas sanitary sewers are are combined with sewers that channel natural runoff. A series of dams in the sewers prevent sanitary sewage from entering the watershed. During heavy rains, combined sewers can overflow their dams and discharge raw sewage directly into a stream or river. Needless to say, raw sewage in a stream can spell disaster for our fish.
It's time to end the 'short-term gain' myopia that plagues our society. It's time to start thinking about long-term consequences of our actions...and regulators inactions, too.
Do some forward-thinking and apply this to Atlantic salmon farming. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is an accomplice in the potential decimation of wild anadromous fish by the aquaculture industry.
Time/Date: 1205 MST, 21-Oct-11
Location: The dark recesses of my mind, Idaho
"I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream; that's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor... and surviving."
- Col. Kurtz, Apocalypse Now
Seriously, though...It's not that bad here.
But I am definitely looking forward to getting home to my girlfriend, dog and friends, & finishing this field season.
I'm working on a new page to add here. Time is limited here due to the length of the work days & 45 minute commute each way, but I think it's gonna be kinda cool. I'll let you know when it's up. (UPDATE: the page is up. It's called Species Journal. Give it a look)
I'm getting slightly concerned with the aquaculture industry on both coasts. Read this article from the Atlantic Salmon Federation's journal & judge for yourself. Weigh in on the comments section if you so desire.
Travel: besides getting home from Idaho, there's a trip to Mexico for my friends' wedding in early November (Yucatan bonefish, maybe?) and a sailfishing trip to Guatemala in mid-December. And I'm having dreams of (more) redfish and tarpon, so we'll see how that works out.
the natural gas isn't going anywhere; why not wait until studies & impact assessments can be proven?
the natural gas isn't going anywhere; why not wait until the price of natural gas increases?
why was the Progressive Conservative party (the governing party) so adamantly opposed to uranium exploration (something far less risky) but is so supportive of this industry (something far more risky)?
why are our royalty rates for natural gas so low?
why do people believe there will be abundant jobs attached to this industry? Most specialists in seismic exploration, drilling and pipelines are coming (temporarily) from out of province.
why won't the government acknowledge the majority of New Brunswick residents DO NOT WANT THIS?
Anyway...just throwing this out there.
It should be an interesting fall in New Brunswick.
Fish steep sandy beaches. Look for bars and cuts and the rips they create.
Fish Current. It can never be too strong. Bass are not lazy.
Fish inlets and esturies and salt water ponds where they exit into the sea.
Fish to start with at pre dawn to first light until the bite stops. Fish dusk.
Fish all night when you are happy with your casting.
Fish hard and with purpose and you will catch.
Fish neap Tides, Full moon and New Moon spring tides to find what works best in your area.
Trust me you don't need much more than the above to put yourself onto fish. Plus you don't need your hand holding and you found the fish and that is very satisfying.
Brilliant post.
It's a perfect 'what-to-do' primer to get started. My own reading list (and extended reading list) for my Saltwater 101 self-study course is obviously more in-depth, but Mike's post definitely summarizes a billion pages of information on catching striped bass on the fly rod.
Don't forget, you can stay up to date on striped bass conservation efforts at Stripers Forever! Join their mailing list today.
Time/Date: 0900, 12-May-11
Location: F'ton...very soon to be elsewhere...
A little bit of a housekeeping post to update folks with some recent & upcoming happenings.
1. I'm leaving today...
...for roughly 3 weeks. Quick little contract up in northern Saskatchewan; I figure since the fishing conditions are so harsh right now in NB from a brutal spring, I might as well go somewhere more brutal, weather-wise, and make a little bit of cash to finance this uber-fun fiasco that is my life.
2. I'm not all that dumb...
...seriously, I'm not. I took an exam last week & scored a 96% on it. Really, I did.
What exam, you might ask. Well, it was my guide's license exam.
That's right: I am now a licensed fly fishing guide in the province of New Brunswick. It's not going to be a main source of income for me (just yet), but it's something I'm going to look into as time progresses. As in, the near-future.
It's a logical next-step...
3. Logical Next Step #2
It's my view a person can't be totally, 100%-dedicated to fly fishing without being an advocate for conservation. I've been a member & supporter of the following groups for the last little bit (I urge you to join as many as you can):
I want to do whatever I can to help these groups conserve fish habitat & make sure there are healthy populations of fish stocks. It's in my best interest: I can't catch them if they're not around, nor can any of my future clients (see #2, above).
But unfortunately it can't all be yummy dinners & silent auctions: people need to get some skin in the game and start doing more positive things.
So, a month or two ago (unbeknownst to me due to being in Senegal or Mexico) I was named to the Board of Directors of the Nashwaak Watershed Association.
I love fishing on the Nashwaak River. I'll do anything in my power to keep being able to fish the Nashwaak.
Fortunately for me, a lot of people involved in this group feel the same.
So, as you see: it was a logical, next step (even though I didn't know I was on the board until last night).
Please see below the music for an important note from the President of the Nashwaak Watershed Association on natural gas exploration in the Nashwaak river valley. Thanks!!
5. Music
I just really like this song. Best enjoyed up loud & while singing along. Trust me.
6. Nashwaak Watershed Association President's note...
...on natural gas exploration in the Nashwaak River valley:
The Nashwaak valley is now hosting visitors from the United States, here on business. That business is to fracture the ground under our feet in order to develop wells of natural gas from shale deposits deep underground. To accomplish this they wil require millions of gallons of our water, to which they will add chemicals and then pump it down the holes under extreme pressures in order to fracture the shales and thereby force any existing gas (or oil) to the surface along with our now toxic water. The water will then be stored in containment areas on the drill sites. Some of this water can be used again in the second or third try at fracturing, because not every attempt yields a well, and not every well is viable. Even those that are initially producing wells can be useless in as little as a couple of years.
According to the company's own internet site, there are no jobs of any significance to be had for New Brunswickers, and natural gas is currently at rock bottom prices in North America. Western Canada is awash in natural gas from conventional wells right now, and the United States is estimated to have reserves of natural gas in their own shale deposits sufficient to last for centuries.
So... let's take a minute and add this all up. Shale gas requires millions of liters of our fresh water to be rendered poisonous and left somewhere on the ground for us to clean up in order to maybe find a resource that is currently in such abundance that no one wants it, and no one is likely to want it for a couple of centuries, unless of course we intend to give it away (since we appear to already be prepared to give away the water and the responsibility for the long term clean up).
Whatever royalty regime the provincial government has been offered is most likely attached to the selling price (market value) of natural gas, and as we know that is rock bottom, that pool is likely shallow from the get go.
Now, lets see... we lose millions of liters of fresh water, we accept long term responsibility for a cleanup on who knows how many sites, we have no expectation of employment or business opportunities, the resource is currently surplus to need, and as such royalitites are not likely to even offset the cost of the water.
We should always welcome vistors to the valley. It is the hospitable thing to do. I doubt, though, that anyone should expect our hospitality to accommodate so many permanent losses and long term costs without any significant benefit to those of us left to do the work. It is my suggestion that if you, like many of us looking at this type of venture, are having a hard time finding a good reason to support it, then maybe you could send a note or make a call to your MLA, Kirk MacDonald, asking him to represent your opinion in the Legislature, as forcefully as you feel necessary. You may also wish to send notice to The Ministers of Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources
You may also post a comment of your own on this page to begin a discussion on this or any other matter of interest to people in the community.
Thank you for your time, Paul McLaughlin, President Nashwaak Watershed Association
Please feel free to share this with anyone you want. Knowledge is power.
Time/Date: 2000 AST, 28-Mar-11
Location: Good Ol' Freddy Beach
I am super-pumped to show off the new website for Fredericton Outfitters & Anglers the good folks at Orange Sprocket (Twitter: @orangesprocket) fixed up. The Orange Sprocket team is top-notch, super-friendly, and I can't recommend them enough for anyone in the market for websites, branding & marketing ideas.
The new FOA website (click to launch)
The new site is a lot cleaner to look at and easier to navigate. We are adding new product listings daily to the online store, and we will be putting out videos, pics and other content on the FOA blog all season long.
As part of the relaunch of the website, FOA is holding a contest for a day of guided fishing for two people at the Atlantic Salmon Museum plus an Orvis Clearwater rod & reel package. To enter, add your email address to the FOA mailing list here.
I was part of the FOA team to attend the Dieppe Fly Forum and the Atlantic Salmon Federation dinner & auction this past weekend. It was really fun to meet loads of people & chat about fishing!
At the auction I lost my nerve for bidding on a 3-day trip to chase salmon on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec once the price hit $1500...and spent the rest of the weekend regretting it...can anyone say DIY trip this summer?
I then harassed the Simms rep I met to go in on a 5-day trip to Argentina with me when the bidding was at $3000, but couldn't win him over to do it. Perhaps it was because he didn't trust a non-drinking fly fisherman! (Rob: I really do drink, just not that night!!). In the end, the trip was won for only $3400!!!
I held on to the bitter end hoping my raffle tickets for a Sage rod would pay off. I ended up leaving the dinner & auction with my belly full, an ASF membership for 2011, and a few extra bucks donated for a good cause...but no Sage rod.
No big deal re: the Sage rod, though: I just put my Redington order in the day before...but that's for another post.
All said & done, it was a great weekend. 18 days until the 2011 NB fishing season kicks off.
Here's some tunes:
(Viewing this in email or through RSS & can't see the video above? Click here to go to the website)
I just received the DVD of Rivers of a Lost Coast. It follows the story of the rise & fall of the Pacific salmon & steelhead fisheries on the California coast. It is extremely well-produced, and no writings of mine could really give it justice, so just watch the trailer below.
And if you're on the east coast, like me, I guarantee you're thinking of the Atlantic Salmon fishery while you watch this; it should be required viewing for every minister of fisheries, environment, natural resources, etc.
Keeping with theme of the title, 30 years ago today, John Lennon was taken from the world far too soon. I was only four years old when this happened. My dad loved (loves) the Beatles.
Contemplate & be thankful for what you have. You'll never know when you'll lose it.
Time/Date: 1825, 01-Sep-10
Location: Still in Ouaga...
Seems my lovely Nashwaak River has been getting some press while I've been gone. Some of it is good (salmon counts), some of it is bad (littering. And more littering).
As a semi-active member in the Nashwaak Watershed Association, I spoke to the president regarding the issues of overuse & littering. I applaud the group's efforts of trying to educate users of the river system and putting forth the idea of designated access points.
I'm hoping this winter the NWAI will accept my offer of improving their website and online presence in a bid to increase membership & further raise awareness of the river system. But that doesn't mean I'm raising awareness of my fishing spots. There's 113 km of river out there, get a map, like we did.
I'm all for fun & shenanigans, but I hope some of the tubers will become active stewards of the Nashwaak. There is no place for littering anywhere in the year 2010.
Some pics of my home water & a musical interlude are below, enjoy!
Ed Abbey is one of my all-time favourites. His book Desert Solitaire pretty much ruined me for any sort of normal, 9-5 Monday to Friday existence. A typical Abbey quote:
"Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards."
He left the following instructions for his remains after his death (from Wikipedia):
He wanted his body transported in the bed of a pickup truck. He wanted to be buried as soon as possible. He wanted no undertakers. No embalming, for Godsake! No coffin. Just an old sleeping bag... Disregard all state laws concerning burial. "I want my body to help fertilize the growth of a cactus or cliff rose or sagebrush or tree." said the message.
As for his funeral: He wanted gunfire, and a little music. "No formal speeches desired, though the deceased will not interfere if someone feels the urge. But keep it all simple and brief." And then a big happy raucous wake. He wanted more music, gay and lively music. He wanted bagpipes. "And a flood of beer and booze! Lots of singing, dancing, talking, hollering, laughing, and lovemaking." said the message. And meat! Beans and chilis! And corn on the cob. Only a man deeply in love with life and hopelessly soft on humanity would specify, from beyond the grave, that his mourners receive corn on the cob.
He was that cranky on national television as well:
