I was recently asked by April Vokey to craft a few words for an article on her platform; Anchored Outdoors.
Being a sticker nerd with a bad fly fishing habit, I chose to opine a bit about them:
Surely you have seen stickers for sale at a fly shop, picked up a few at a show or have been given one or two by a friend. While mostly viewed as a promotional item (even though most times you pay for them), there is a secondary market that exists for these colorful, uniquely identifiable pieces of vinyl.
Beyond their intended purpose of building a brand, promoting products or memorializing an event; stickers are themselves a form of currency in the fly-fishing community. A few years back I flew out West and joined a friend for a few days’ worth of adventure and the concept of their value really gelled in my mind.
There are a broad array of issues swirling throughout social media these days regarding conservation. Whether it relates to Everglades Restoration, Opposition to Pebble Mine or improving water quality in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River Lagoon, we can all agree on something; each issue is important.
Too often there are bombs being thrown by advocates for what many of us perceive as the right side of the issue. The bomb throwing serves little to change minds or create solutions, yet the air raid sirens sound almost daily.
Much of the rhetoric comes from charity organizations, 501 c (3) designated companies that are “not for profit”. Don’t lose sight of the fact that they are companies. It matters.
Choose Wisely
While we all very much want to do something to improve our environment, we should make reasoned decisions on how its being done.
One of the best things you can do in life is be involved in causes you care about. The simplest, and often most effective is through personal action.
One of your choices is to invest in a company that you believe will give you the best return on investment towards the goal you value in conservation efforts. The second, is rolling up your sleeves and creating some sweat equity for your cause the good old fashioned way, with boots on the ground.
Direct action is often the most impactful.
Making an Impact is the Goal
Simply writing a check, swiping a credit card, plastering a sticker on your rear window of your truck or re-posting the latest shocking post on social media may be all you have time to do if that’s all you have to invest. If you’re confident in the company you’ve invested in is making every dollar count, go for it.
There in lies the challenge. Do some due diligence before you invest. If you were buying stock, you would want to know how revenue was being spent. What does the “leadership” make?
Has this “not for profit” business simply become a source of income for a couple of individuals?
You might be surprised if you looked at salaries in the “not for profit” space. Very surprised.
If you’re the sweat equity type, its easy to provide real results that are meaningful. Volunteer to join a clean-up group, commit to cleaning up a section of your neighborhood or a shoreline and make it yours. Often the larger conservation companies are only interested in broad strokes at the policy level and their impact may happen, if ever, in timelines measured in decades.
A completion timeline of 28 years provides lots of fundraising opportunity.
Projects like The Everglades Agricultural Area Storage Reservior have been in planning since around the year 2000 and won’t be completed until 2028 at the earliest.
Thanks for wanting to be part of the positive solutions for coastal conservation issues. Now, make an informed decision on how you’re going to do it and make an impact!
Our family had the opportunity to support Images this year by being a Patron for the event.
We thoroughly enjoyed the entire weekend.
Absolutely beautiful weather was the backdrop for an amazing first day of Images.
We spent time walking the exhibits and found a new piece for our home on the first day.
We found the perfect piece of art for our home and presented the artist with a Patron’s Choice award.
We enjoyed the hospitality of the Patrons Lounge.
Hospitality at the Brannon Center was top notch.
We picked up some small sculptures for our mantle on day two.
Our small school.
We awarded our second Patron’s Choice award to the artist, Matt Maher.
His work is amazing, you can find it by visiting Mojo Metalworks.
The green fish once lived its life as a wheelbarrow.
Throughout the event we, we were amazed at the vast variety of art, the pleasant crowds and how clean and tidy everything was kept by event staff and volunteers.
If you have the opportunity, jump at the chance to be a Patron at Images 2021.
The Atlantic Center for the Arts is part of the fabric of the New Smyrna Beach community and we could be more proud to have supported them this year!
We don’t get to control the weather, we deal with it. That fact is a constant in life and often impacts when and where we fish.
Long ago, I resolved to worry less about ideal weather conditions and seize upon the idea of making whatever was happening work for me.
On a recent morning I had the opportunity to get on the water, but it was already sketchy with fog, low clouds and light showers filling the sky.
I went anyway.
Only one at the landing, a good omen.
I was joined by a good friend who was equally optimistic. We spent the morning hugging leeward shorelines as we hunted for a hungry fish to feed.
Despite finding a few, we were rolling snake eyes.
As we finished a long stretch of shoreline we emerged at a point of land where we could see to the south. It was not pretty. A wall of rain was working toward us across the middle of the lagoon.
No problemo, we knew exactly where to go.
Keeping the powder dry.
Once we were reasonable sure we had a window of opportunity, we made the final push up to our local joint, JB’s Fish Camp, for a little sustenance and a cold beer.
When we emerged, things had changed.
Afternoon Delight
We spent the next little bit spooking fish and blowing shots. The lull in wind soon evaporated as a northeast wind began to set in.
As we motored back to the ramp, we got a little wet from the light sprinkling that had begun to envelope the area.
As I drove home thoughts filled my head.
This Guide
Had we let the weather stop us, we would have never explored a new area, seen a juvenile bald eagle or spent a few hours completely ignoring the static of everyday life and the challenges it offers.
The next time you’re waiting for perfect weather to head out, don’t.
Since moving to New Smyrna Beach, my wife and I have enjoyed getting to explore all the great locally owned and operated food options it has to offer.
Our home is a short two block walk away from the center of Downtown.
We recently had the opportunity to check out one of the newest additions to Canal Street, The Local Pearl.
Chef Henry Salgado is a neighbor and we were excited to see what he had created.
We started with an order of calamari while the final preparations were being made to open the raw bar. (oysters arrive fresh daily)
Lightly fried along with jalapeño slices, it was delicious.
We started with a dozen Texas oysters that were being featured for happy hour ($1 /oyster). They were followed with another TX order and a third that were a combination of oysters sourced from the Florida panhandle.
Kyle was on the oyster knife behind the bar & he was very efficient and a pleasure to talk with about our selections. It’s clear he enjoys his ambassadorial role and is well suited for it.
If you have fresh oysters on your mind in New Smyrna Beach, head down to Canal Street and visit, you won’t be disappointed.
There are local oysters you can have on the menu as well. The are raised just a few miles away in the backwaters of Mosquito Lagoon by the Indian River Oyster Company.
Actually filmed during 2019 MLB Spring Training , Orvis just released a short vignette profiling Rick Porcello and his love for fly fishing.
Rick and I have been sharing the water together in Mosquito Lagoon and SW Florida for around eight years, so when he asked me to come down to help by running my skiff in support of the effort, it was an easy yes.
Working around his daily workout at Fenway South, we managed to spend a fair amount of time in the afternoons and evenings on the water.
My skiff makes a cameo appearance in the back half of the video.
Here is the result of David Mangum & Cavin Brothers work behind the lens.
Thanks to Simon & Tucker from Orvis for taking good care of me while I was there!
Have you ever had the pleasure of poling a remote shoreline in Mosquito Lagoon early in the morning while being serenaded by the buzzing of thousands of wings?
No, not the insects for which the area earns its well deserved name; honey bees and bumble bees are omnipresent when mangroves are blooming. So much so, their collective buzzing nearly drowns out all other sounds in the area.
The next time it happens, slow down and poke your nose into the shoreline and watch them work. It’s a fascinating service they perform as they glean nectar from blossoms and collect pollen.
The lagoon is an amazing place, down to its smallest detail. Just like these little overachievers, we all need to do our part to make sure we’re acting in a manner that contributes to its sustainability.
Our responsibilities lie in how we treat it today and how we leave it for tomorrow.
There is something about Charleston… The entire place has a vibe about it that is unmistakable. It’s the kinda of place where everyone is welcoming, happy and looking for the good in every situation.
After working the first half of the week in Washington, DC it was a welcome place and change of pace to wind down the week and ease into the weekend.
My family loves the place as much as I do, so they welcomed the chance to meet me there.
The next few days were spent eating, skating, fishing, drinking and being merry.
This is what Good Clean Livin looks like:
While we were there we made sure to get our yellow lab, Cabo, a session with Bre Williams. She takes amazing photos, check out her latest work on Instagram or click here.
For a couple of years, I would get a call from time to time to fly right seat over to the Bahamas with a good friend who was working in South Florida as a charter pilot.
We would take folks over for the day and while they did whatever they were there to do, we would harass the local bonefish on the “airport flat”.
Getting there and back was also a lot of fun.
Get out there and seek adventure, even if its just for a day, or a few hours!
