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Here’s what’s worth reading today, Wednesday, August 14, 2019:
Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Passing of a saltwater legend: One of South Texas’s most renown fishing guides has made his last cast. Richard Moore takes us out on the Laguna Madre for a tribute to a true saltwater legend. My friend Captain Terry Neal has passed after a lengthy illness, and has made his final wade into the sunrise on the Lower Laguna Madre. Captain Neal was a renowned fishing guide working out of Port Mansfield for more than 30 years, and was recently inducted into the Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
6 Mineola residents arrested on illegal hunting charges following game warden investigation: A game warden investigation into a group of Mineola residents and their alleged involvement into deer hunting at night with a spotlight and from public roads has led to six arrests. Jacob Thomas Blair, Dustin James Hartley, Kaleb Lee Brown, Aspen Lynn Umphries, Dalton Jeronimo Robles and Hilario Lynch Garcia are facing multiple charges separately, including hunt white-tailed deer with the aid of an artificial light, hunt white-tailed deer at night and hunt white-tailed deer from a vehicle. According to arrest affidavits, game wardens interviewed the suspects in February and each, at some point, admitted to illegal hunting over the previous two hunting seasons. The affidavits detail how each suspect would go out with one or more of the other suspects at various times and hunt at night using a spotlight.
Convicted poacher who killed bear fined, stripped of hunting bow: The Olathe man convicted of multiple wildlife offenses for shooting a sow bear with a bow and arrow vowed on Monday to write the governor and his congressional representatives over what he alleged was witness perjury and prosecutorial misconduct. Jon Joseph Miller was convicted in June of felony destruction of wildlife and aggravated animal cruelty for shooting the she-bear, who had two cubs, and leaving her in 2017. Members of Miller’s own camp called Operation Game Thief to report what wildlife officials called “egregious” violations, wildlife officials said after Miller’s conviction was announced. Miller was also convicted of two misdemeanor animal cruelty counts; one count each of hunting big game without a license; illegal possession of wildlife; failure to locate wounded game and failure to dress game.
Texas hog hunting can be done without a hunting license in September
FWC: Undercover officials bust illegal multi-county hunting, fishing ring: An illegal fishing and hunting ring in Ocala has been busted after nearly two years of undercover work, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. Operators of the ring are accused of hunting and fishing out of season and then selling what they caught or killed. Several varieties of fish, deer and even threatened gopher tortoises, were all part of a two-year undercover investigation. According to authorities, James Smith led a network of poachers that worked in several Florida counties. “The motivation is monetary gain, they have no regard for conservation, or having a sustainable fishery or resources for future generations to enjoy,” Maj. Grant Burton, of FWC, said.
Houston-area volunteer firefighters on fishing trip rescue capsized boaters: Three members of the Monaville Volunteer Fire Department in Waller County who were out on a weekend fishing trip in Galveston ended up reeling in a trio of capsized boaters. According to a news release from the Monaville VFD, the firefighters were boating just off the ship channel rock pier at R.A. Apfell East Beach Park in Galveston on Saturday when they noticed a small pleasure craft on its side against the end of the pier. As they checked on the capsized vessel, they found three people in the water hanging on to the boat, according to the release.
When did using a dropper become taboo? The ethics of fly fishing can get pretty sticky, or at least I’m gleaning that from social media, where some folks aren’t afraid to scold fellow anglers for teetering on the edge of angling impropriety, whether that impropriety is real or perceived. For instance, when did using a “dropper” become taboo? Recently, I did a short blog post for Trout Unlimited on the merits of the Prince Nymph—it’s a great all-around searching pattern for trout, and, in my estimation, an excellent pattern to use in heavy water where trout don’t get a lot of pressure. In other words, it’s an attractor fly that seems to work for fish that don’t see a lot of flies.
Pioneer Potluck: About Alaska summers — fishing, camping, traveling, visitors and mosquitoes: You are truly an Alaskan if you smell like mosquito repellent and fish. Or campfire smoke and mosquito repellent. A weekend on the riverbanks of the Kenai River or subsistence fishing on the beaches means daylight most of the time — not knowing what time it is — or for that matter not caring. Summer has arrived and so has the fishing and traveling, camping and, oh yes, the mosquitoes. Or for some, it means your relatives and friends come to see you from the Lower 48. Taking your visitors to see Homer is a three-hour drive if you stop at the mouth of the Anchor River for lunch. It takes about four hours from Anchorage to Kenai because of the traffic and motor homes on the road. It takes that long from Kenai to Homer if there is heavy motor home traffic. It also takes three to four hours to Seward from Kenai. If you dillydally along the way, it may even take five hours!
Simple summer fishing pleasure from a backroad bridge: With his slip bobber set shallow and a small leech hooked to a panfish jig, Colin Burris cast his line as far as he could in whip-like fashion from a backroad bridge in Cass County. The line sailed 25 feet into a clearing in the lily pads. Bull’s-eye! He hit the honey hole where hungry bluegills were shoaling in the midsection of a tiny lake shaped like an hourglass. On a sunny afternoon last week in Thunder Lake Township, three cousins took turns hitting the target and nailing big sunfish. They cheered when any sunnie was retrieved all the way to the railing of the bridge. Eighty maybe? All were released. “I hate this game,” Colin joked after losing yet another fish that escaped by veering into the lily pads and tangling his line. The outing was a simple summer pleasure and a reminder of how much fun anyone can have catching a bluegill the size of a small dinner plate.
Conservation groups plan legal challenge over Endangered Species Act: From the jaguar to the Mexican Gray Wolf, right now there are more than sixty endangered species living in Arizona. Randy Serraglio says he’s worried about every one of them. “Well we weren’t surprised, the Trump administration has never seen an environmental law that it likes or a handout to industry that it doesn’t like,” said Serraglio. On Monday, the Trump administration proposed a series of changes to the decades-old Endangered Species Act. The changes would allow officials to attach a cost to saving a particular plant or animal and disregard the potential impact of climate change.
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