Message from Don Staniford - a true Salmon warrier

"Shares in Marine Harvest are down 38 percent since salmon prices began to fall at the beginning of April. "Upside news for prices would be if the salmon lice problem turns worse than expected, though most people would see that as bad news, of course," Tveteraas said. He said a new outbreak of the parasite would likely prompt national authorities to restrict production, tipping the supply balance toward scarcity again"

Follow the gerat work Don Staniford on Facebook here

Follow the gerat work Don Staniford on Facebook here

New GREAT photo blog from New Zealand

We all know that New Zealand is a fly fishing Paradise - so I believe it's a dream for most fly fishers to travel to New Zealand just one time before we go.
But now there is a new blog out shoving some of the extreme beauty of this fantastic country, by presenting a wide range of fly fishing photographers amazing work.
So if you feel tempted to go to New Zealand for a fishing trip, then this is the places to wisit for some great inspiration to your trip.
Personally I want to go back my suitcase and drive to the airport right now, after looking at these pic's - New Zealand here I come!!!!!

Use this direct link to get to this brilliant blog of NZ photographers.

PS. here is a couple of examples of some of the photographer you will find on this new great photo blog from NZ - hope you will enjoy it as much as I did !!!!!

Photographer : Craig Somerville

Photographer: Daimen Brouste

Photographer: Chris Dore

Just a little smile :O)

Mail from Alex Morton

Hello

I am deep in research preparing for the late August aquaculture hearings by the Cohen Commission.  While I cannot speak about those findings, because confidentiality is required to have access to the Cohen documents, much of my research has taken me into the public realm.

In the first years of the salmon feedlot occupation of the waters around my home in Echo Bay I was angry at how my neighbours and the wildlife were treated.  Then I learned to take a deep breath and take a more good-natured long-haul approach.

These past few weeks I have taken a close look at the regulatory structure built to contain salmon feedlots in BC and now I am angry again.  The very highest levels of government have "assured" me and others that there were mechanisms in place to protect our coast from the most dangerous farm salmon virus traveling around the world with Atlantic salmon feedlots.  But when I really looked at the regulations I found that at every location where they could have caught ISAv there was a gaping hole.... except where trade sanctions loomed, then the proper documentation surfaces.

All the time a Minister, Member of Parliament, Direct General of Science, and Director of Aquaculture were assuring us our salmon were protected there was in fact not one single regulation or even guideline that could find.

I have explained in my blog:

http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/ 

I don't know how much anyone really cares about wild salmon, it is hard to tell at times, but we have been played for fools. This is so unnecessary, there are no losers in a world of contained aquaculture and vibrant, productive oceans. 

If you care to know read my blog and consider the action I suggest.

Alexandra Morton


PS. make sure to visit Alex's blog - SO MUCH interesting stuff to read, and this fantastic woman does an amazing job protecting and fighting for wild salmon stock - she has my deepest respect.

Bristol Bay News - June 20, 2011

News from  Bristol Bay - here is some relevant news from the SAVE BRISTOL BAY website.

In The Hill’s Congress Blog, former Alaska State Senate president Rick Halford lays out exactly what we lose if Pebble mine goes through – thousands of jobs and a whole economy:
“The millions of salmon that will swim into our bays and rivers in the coming weeks are the real gold of Bristol Bay. They have sustained the Alaska Native people, body and soul, for millennia; they create jobs and money for fisherman; they provide thrills of a lifetime for anglers. They cannot be lost to the nation.”

Alaskans weigh in on the recent visit by Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British Ambassador to the United States. Sheinwald visited the Pebble site and met with business groups, local communities and state leaders to discuss England’s interest in resource extraction in Alaska. The Anchorage Press included this Pebble tidbit: “He then suggested, ever so politely, that critics of the mine should just wait until the regulatory process was done before weighing in on the pros and cons. In other words, sit down and shut up until we're done getting this ready. Nigel, mate, I know you've only been in Alaska a week, but I'm telling you, that's not going to fly up here.”

And following that news, Business Wire reports resource-based firms’ stocks are dropping, dragging overall economic performance down in London. That includes both Anglo American and its junior partner Northern Dynasty, whose stock is down 60 percent from its high in February.

In the meantime, the EPA’s Region 10 office announced a settlement for Hecla Mining Co.  to pay $263 million to help clean up damage to water and wildlife from millions of tons of silver mining waste in Idaho.

Here’s a weekly roundup of media.
                                                                                                                                            
Alaska mine would threaten more jobs than it creates
Rick Halford
The Hill, Congress Blog
Recently, Rick Manning of Americans for Limited Government used this space to reference the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska as an example of job-killing government regulation run amok. His analysis shows that he has been badly misled about this prospect and the tension that it puts on all reasonable mining in Alaska…Click here to read more  

The Moore Report: Making Plans for Nigel
Ivan Moore
Anchorage Press 
I went to a World Affairs Council meeting the other day. Despite my international background, I just don't think I'm a World Affairs Council kind of guy, for much the same reason I steadfastly refuse to listen to public radio. They're both irredeemably stuffy and somniferous…Click here to read more

Ambassador missed irony
Andy Josephson, Anchorage
Anchorage Daily News 
The World Affairs Council recently hosted a luncheon in honor of the British ambassador to the United States, Sir Nigel Sheinwald's, visit to Alaska. I am an Anglophile, so I start out favorably predisposed to all things British. But my ears burned when he addressed Anglo-American and the proposed Pebble mine…Click here to read more

Research and Markets: United States Mining Report 2011
Business Wire
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "United States Mining Report 2011" report to their offering.  Unlike many developed world countries, the US still maintains a sizeable mining sector…Click here to read more 

Pop-and-drop stock Northern Dynasty provides lesson 
Lou Schiza’s Mail Bag
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (NDM-T8.980.516.02%) is sitting on a significant copper, gold, molybdenum deposit in southwest Alaska called the Pebble Project. They have two mining giants involved in their efforts: Rio Tinto and Anglo American…Click here to read more

Hecla to pay $263M to settle Superfund suit 
Nicholas K. Geranios, AP
Seattle Times
SPOKANE, Wash. — The largest mining company in Idaho's Silver Valley will pay $263.4 million plus interest to settle one of the nation's largest Superfund lawsuits - one of the top 10 such settlements in history, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday…Click here to read more

Fly Fishing Academy hooks Bristol Bay Youth
Daysha Eaton
KDLG
The Bristol Bay Fly fishing and Guide Academy trains young people 15 to 24 to work as fly fishing guides. They learn about traditional knowledge of ecology and culture, and more than half are Alaska Natives…Click here to listen

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Gaula and NFC beats

On my way home from Årgårds river I spend two days fishing at some of the beautiful NFC beats. No fish and difficult circumstances - but hey that's salmon fishing - it's hard work to catch a big one.
I meet a guy from Switzerland he told me that one of his friends had been fishing for 21 years in Alta - and NEVER caught a single fish!! - must be using a wrong fly!!!
Anyway here is a couple of pic's from some of the beautiful NFC beats at Gaula.

PS. While I was up there I heard that a huge amount of farmed fish have escaped from one of these "shitty places". The amount of fish which escaped equals as much as half of the wild salmon stock in all of Norway!!!!! - SO SAD how the Norwegians treat their beautiful country. I see no future in that kind of behavior at all.

Moon over Gaula.

Bridge pool - one of my absolute favorit pools.

B1 - also one of the pools I really like for fish.

B1 shoot from the water

Mortan trying to catch a fish in B1 - it made a couple of heads and tails, teasing us!!

Weekly fishing girls !!!!

Just got a mail from a good friend - she wrote "people who fish get's turned on by the most strange things in life" - I kind of liked it so if you are bored and need something to look at then here is a link to a quite special website of only weekly fishing girls :O)

Click on this picture and you will get directly to a lot more "girly fishy pic's" !!

...here are a few more examples of what you will find...

The Årgård River Camp - a salmon Paradise # 2

Jörgen Stenberg fighting a nice fish.

They say that when you have a great time - time fly's!! - and it really does up here in the Årgård Camp. It's my last day before I leave for a couple of days in Gaula. What a week it's  been. Lot's of fish, interesting conversations and great fun - I simply love it here at the Årgård River Camp.

View of the cabins from the river - shoot at 2 o'clock in the night with very high ISO. 

Typical little grills aprox. 2 kgs

Something really magic happened up here the second day. We had a little bit of rain, and relative cold weather, which equals "good salmon weather" - then suddenly the river became one big "silverish" floating stream - or to use a more precise way of telling this - we had a HUGE salmon run!!!!. Literally hundreds of fish were moving up stream, and we had absolutely fantastic fishing, and still have. It's mainly grills from 2- 4 kgs. - but they are so strong and really great fun on a # 5 - 6 rod.

Beautiful scenery 

Last night the Stenbergs invited me to a huge sushi dinner, made with fresh caught salmon of course. We were 10-11 people sitting on their porch drinking GT's and cold beers, telling stories from the global fishing scenes. What a night, rounded up by fishing from 23:00 - to aprox. 2 o'clock (catching several fish around 2-3 kgs) - this place truly is MAGICAL!!

Deep concentration 

Right now it's early morning and I'm sitting on the porch of my cabin, the birds are singing, it's a bit cold with a few clouds, and I just know that when I arrive to the river there will be fish jumping all over the place - and tomorrow I have to leave!!! 

Angela Stenberg with her early morning catch - our sushi dinner by the way!!

So today the plan is to shoot a lot of video all day and try to capture some of the Årgård magic.

Then I have to pack everything, clean the cabin - and get a "little depressed" because it's all over for this season.

Morten was a very keen fly fisher and we had some interesting discussions about the future environmental problems our world are facing!!

But do I have to add, that I can't wait to get back to this little salmon Paradise again. Just enjoying the superb company of the Stenberg family and friends - and of course to catch some of these beautiful and very “fresh Årgård silver salmons”.

For more information use this link : Årgård River Camp

The Årgård River Camp - a salmon Paradise #1

Finally I got a relative stable connection to the internet. It’s funny because I’m so used to go online every day, that I don’t even think about it, just take it for granted and then suddenly I’m totally “cut off” from cyber space!!! - crazy stuff!! - I’m probably addicted to that shit......

View from my cabin over the rainy wally.

Anyway the trip up here was a colorful experience, since the rain had completely drowned  the E6 freeway several places. All of the Guldbrands wally was totally closed, so I had to drive on a lot of smaller roads instead to get around the whole area, which of course took a bit more time. 12 hours - 650 km to be precise!!

Finally I arrived here at 8 o’clock in the evening, I was very curious to check the water temperature and color of the river.

Because of all the rain the river was of course “brown’ish” - not at all perfect!! - but amazingly already the next morning everything was perfect, and totally fishable.

Jumping fish closely - very motivating !!

The Årgård river Camp is one of my absolute favorite places, it is a truly amazing place. First of all the accommodation are sublime, the nature surrounding the place are stunning, and the fishing is very unique, with so manny fish jumping around you all the time. 

This is a place with so manny good memories and I always carry it with me in my heart and soul.

"Fergshäften" - my No 1 choice of pool at River Årgård.

Time runs so fast when I’m here, I could easy spend to months... no the whole season here, every year. The moment I drive away from the Camp I start to plan my next trip to the Årgård fishing Camp - it’s like a drug, an addiciton - I have to have MORE - SOON!!!

"Strømmen" - also one of my favorite pools at River Årgård.

Here is a couple of shots from my first couple of days here, where I already have caught plenty of salmon - as a matter of fact, I just made my self a fantastic dinner - fresh caught salmon, with grilled veggies, avocado, fresh backed bread and ice cold milk - a truly delicious meal.

More jumping fish - I simply can't get enough of that!!! 

Now I have pored myself a glass of nice red wine, then fix a new tippet - and then off to my favorite beat called “Fergecheften” (don’t ask me what that means, but it’s a dream of a pool - with SO manny fish) for some night fishing untill 2 o’clock i guess (it never get dark up in the northern part of Norway this time of the year)

Take care & Tight lines

M.

I'm on my way to Norway for some salmon fishing.

I'm sitting in the conference room on the DFDS ferry, checking the weather forecast for the following week. And it looks very challenging with some of the worst rain they ever have had in the history of Norway's weather observations. The news are filled with pictures of flooded rivers and road covered by mud slides - I don't what it is with me, it seem that every time I plan a trip to Norway the weather Gods go completely crazy.I don't even know if I can get up to the Årgård and Gaula river!!?? we will see!!! ???
Anyway - I'll try to make a video and still photo diary of this "power-rain-mudslide-fishing-event" - I think it could be a quite interesting trip, since I am deeply fascinated by the powers of Mother nature - especially when "she goes goes really crazy" like in this case.

Tight lines
M. Wengler.

New edition of Ten & Two fly fishing magazine out now

This is one of my personal favorite e-mags, so my advise is this - Sign up ASAP :O)

Click on the front page picture for a direct link to the sign up section

...and this some of the brilliant photo's you will be exposed to!!