President’s Corner
Welcome Fall! The rain and wind has not been conducive to fly fishing recently but we will be enjoying cooler temperatures soon. The few times I was able to get out on the water this summer were marred by heat and poor water quality. Each trip started at sunrise and was over well before noon due to the heat. With luck we will have a mild fall with calm winds. Board member Jim Glass was kind enough to pinch hit for our last presenter who was unable to visit with us. Jim spent his childhood fishing in the Florida Keys with his family. Trout, permit, bonefish, and goliath grouper were plentiful. The photographs were wonderful proof of what a healthy environment can produce. Jim has witnessed the decline of fishing in the Keys first hand. He has also witnessed the restoration of Tampa Bay and the improvement of fishing there. Jim has dedicated much of his time to protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon. We need to follow his lead and make our lagoon great again! The auction will be here soon. 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 surprise. Officer Brandon Kearney of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was the presenter at our last general meeting. He brought us current on the new and proposed rules for fishing in Florida waters. The best part of his presentation was the question and answer session. He was full of advice and happy to stay late. If you did not attend you missed a great opportunity to get to know a fine officer that truly wants to help each of us and our beautiful resources here on the Space Coast. I was disappointed with the low turnout and hope that things will improve with the Auction at our next general meeting. If you miss that one it will be a huge mistake! The great gear is piling up with each of your board members. For those that have donated already thank you! For those that have not yet cleaned out their closets please do so before the auction. We will need to set up early to give everyone a chance to find something they need. All proceeds will be returned to your association! A definite Win/Win!
Steve Moon