President’s Corner
Dr. Aaron Adams gave us an informative, science based presentation about the state of the Indian River Lagoon at our last general meeting. The news was not good but Dr. Adams is optimistic that we can help save the IRL. We all know that the IRL is rapidly deteriorating. Without sea grass and clean water the wonderful environment we all love to fish will be lost forever. Dr. Adams wants each one of us to go to the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust website and sign the petition to advocate for the inclusion of habitat in marine fisheries management. It is easy to do and only takes a few seconds. One small step… Please go one step further and tell everyone you know to sign the petition. Joe Sherer and I went fishing together this month. We could not make the group trip on Saturday to fish the IRL in the Melbourne area so we went out that Sunday in the Port St. John and NASA causeway section of the IRL. I was so excited to have an opportunity to fish with someone as experienced as Joe. If you want to watch a great caster go fishing with Joe. We left the dock, as every fisherman does, full of optimism. Unfortunately the area we fished was almost barren. The water was cloudy. We could see only a few inches below the surface. Everything Dr. Adams had discussed at the general meeting was happening before our eyes. It was sobering. We need to work together to protect and restore the IRL. I know everyone in our association is committed to it. We should not need to venture any further than our county to enjoy great fishing. Please sign the petition and encourage everyone you know to do it. There is strength in numbers. The next group fishing trip will be the Little Econ River. It will appeal to anyone that wants to fly fish from a kayak in a waterway that is known for producing fish. The water level is finally up so get ready to catch some fish. The fly tying class featured fly patterns best suited for success on the trip. If you could not make it to the class check our website for patterns. Our next auction will be here before we know it. It is time to look through all of your gear to see what you can donate to the auction. Every dollar we raise supports the Association’s activities. This auction will also have a mystery prize in a separate raffle. The prize will have a set value that you will be told before the raffle. It will not be a gag gift so if you do not find something you want at the auction you can enjoy a game of chance. I hope to see you at the next general meeting on August 27, 2019. Aldo has done an outstanding job lining up another great presenter. We need to show our appreciation for Aldo’s efforts and those of the speakers that volunteer to spend their evenings with us. Our association cannot expect top tier presenters to volunteer their valuable time if we cannot muster more than a handful of members to show up. Show your appreciation by showing up. You will not be disappointed. We will all benefit.
Steve Moon