CONSERVATION

Take a moment and think back to your youth. There are many milestones that we all remember, our first day at school, our first kiss, and the first fish we caught

For the majority of us, whether we choose to still pursue the sport of fishing, we have been fishing and have caught a fish at least once in our life. One can vividly recall the tug on the line, the excitement of knowing something that lives in a world unbeknown and foreign to us, a world under water, had succumbed to the attraction of our bait, or lure and was now locked to us through our fishing line. Recall how the handle of the reel was furiously turned so that a view of the fish can be seen and what a moment of joy, success and accomplishment it was to see the magnificent fish that we caught. Ah, yes the first. Now recall the moment when we held the fish in our hands and removed the hook from its mouth. Invariably, we turned to our parent, or other elder that took us on our first fishing adventure. What the majority of us did next is perhaps, regrettably, forgotten. What we did next was to look at our father, or elder and ask a simple question, “Can I Keep it?“

Much is written on the topic of conservation of our natural resources. Each genre of fishing has its own conservation cause celebe. Whether it be those that seek the bonefish amongst the dwindling population, or the sport fisherman of the Gulf of Mexico and the recent devastation caused by the horrific Deepwater Horizon drilling rig disaster and oil leak, or trout fisherman and bass fisherman who are drastically loosing a battle to save precious freshwater resources from exploitation. We all have one thing in common. It is that phrase that we first spoke upon catching our first fish; “Can I keep it?”

 

This seemingly innocuous phrase carries with it a deep meaning that underscores all of our valiant conservation efforts, to wit: a trust and an implied permission to utilize and even harvest from our natural resources. In our youth, permission was sought from the parent or elder who took us fishing, Such person was a source of an “ancient natural wisdom”. With time and experience, we came to understand that this implicit permission comes from an even higher source; our pact with nature and the fish we pursue. Many of us practice catch and release. We also harvest a fish when it is appropriate and not wasteful to do so. But overriding our decision to catch and release is the silent question we continue to ask ourselves, “Can I keep it?” The answer we receive from our sense of nature is “Yes, you can.” To which we agree but choose to release nature back to nature.
This sense of internal implicit permission and decision further instills in us a foreboding sense of responsibility that caring for the fish itself is no longer sufficient. We realize that we must care for, protect, nurture and foster the resource itself in which the fish dwells, be it a small mountain brook, a gurgling stream, a formidable river, or the mighty ocean itself. These resource, we have come to understand, are not limitless. Rather they, as are we, are mortal and finite. It is to this overriding concern for nature and all its creatures that this page is dedicated.
I hope to post links to various causes and organizations of which I become aware that would warrant your attention. Please take a moment and visit these websites and ponder their dilemma, for in the end, their dilemma is our concern.
In the meantime, enjoy fishing and when you feel that tug at the end of your line, remember that first moment of innocence when you asked “Can I keep it?”

SENSEI JOHN

KUDOS TO SALT RIVER TUBING & RECREATION (ARIZONA) for sponsoring their Salt River Tubing Litter Free Heros. These guys clean up the litter YOU leave, so make it easy and pack out what you bring in. Thanks guys for a job well done!

Salt River Tubing Litter Free Crew ever vigilant (July 25, 2010).

Arizona - July 20, 2010 Tempe Town Lake is drained when a rubberized dam ruptured.

You may wish to view the following links:

 

 

Coming Soon