The first Islamorada Fishing Film Festival, scheduled for Sunday, May 22, at Founders Park (mile marker 87 bayside) at 6:30 PM will honor Billy Pate Jr., who died April 18 at age 80. The event is a fundraiser for the United Way of the Florida Keys. The event, which benefits United Way of the Florida Keys, will feature showings of "The Challenge of Giant Tarpon" and "Tarpon," a 53-minute film capturing the essence of fly-fishing for tarpon in the Keys in 1973. More info is available at ifff.eventbrite.com.

Late to the party but with typically excellent coverage, the Financial Times offered its take on the hackle-feather-hair-accessory craze this morning. Tim Neville describes ecstatic salon owners, tiers repurposing old saddle hackle, and wives turned suddenly curious about what their husbands have in their fly tying kits.

“I have never in 10 years of marriage looked in his box,' says Andrea Benedetto of La Pine, Oregon, who 'raided' her husband Rick’s fly-fishing stash to find materials for an extensions business she launched with friend Cindy Beckwith last February."

On Sunday, May 1 at 8PM ET/PT, PBS will a air a 30-minute Nature special titled "Salmon: Running the Gauntlet." From the show description: "Nature goes beyond the ongoing debate over how to save an endangered species to expose a wildly creative, hopelessly complex and stunningly expensive approach to managing salmon." See the preview here.

This press release and photo were just forwarded to me by a friend of mine in the media. Hooray for Don! ...


FIRST STEP, FIRST CHECK — St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Director Pat McKeown presents a first check to angling expert Don Meissner to kick off the FIsHCAP Project. The project is an alliance of public and private partners aimed at promoting the St. Lawrence River Valley as the sport fishing capital of the world. Meissner is the project manager. McKeown and Massena Town Supervisor Joseph D. Gray are spearheading the effort. For more information, contact the Chamber, 315-386-4000. (Nesbitt Photo)

I have only one thing to say to the blizzard of folks who are buzzing about President Obama supposedly banning recreational fishing: Congratulations. Now grow up. ...

Within the past couple of days, after a long winter of waiting for ice-out (snow-out?), I finally made it back to one of my favorite fishing spots. I did not fish. ...

(Jun 7, 2013) New York's bass fishing season kicks off on June 15, and North Country tourism and business leaders are banking on it being the biggest ever.They've lured one of the ten Bassmaster Elite tournaments this year. They're the premiere professional bass fishing events in the country, televised nationally on ESPN.The tournament is August 8 through 11 on the St. Lawrence River in Waddington.Angler Don Meissner helped land the event as a part of St. Lawrence County's FISHCAP project. At a press conference broadcast on WQTK earlier this week, he said to expect the scale of a NASCAR race, except with fish and boats. He called it the St. Lawrence River's chance to have a "showcase for the world.""I was down in Texas and I saw what this is about," said Meissner. "There were 34,000 people that came cheering and yelling and raving for their favorite anglers. This is a lot more than just fishing. This is our way to show the country and...

(May 1, 2013) The water levels in Lake Ontario have a significant impact on the economic and environmental viability of harbors in upstate New York and Canada. As a result, a proposed plan to change the management of those water levels has raised some concerns in waterfront communities. [full story]

(Mar 18, 2013) The state Adirondack Park Agency voted unanimously Friday to approve the controversial use of a chemical herbicide to kill invasive plants in a lake in Warren County.The Town of Chester plans to disperse 1,500 gallons of Renovate OTF in the southeastern corner of Loon Lake this spring. It's an herbicide used to kill Eurasian watermilfoil, which has clogged waterways across the Park and has been a nuisance to boaters and swimmers. This would be only the second time Renovate has been used in the Adirondack Park. [full story]

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Alaska Hooksetters Lodge, (www.alaskahooksetters.com), an all-inclusive lodge in Kenai, Alaska is spearheading a catch and release program, Spawn On, that is now mandatory on the famous Kenai River, with an opportunity to spread to other locations around the world. [PR.com]

Jerome W., Michigan resident and inventor, recently contracted invention assistance leader NewProductHelp.com to create an exciting online presentation for his Wartella Fishing Aid invention. An innovative and effective new product sure to appeal to trout fishermen everywhere, the Wartella Fishing Aid features a unique design that considerably simplifies the tying of spawn bags without thread or scissors. The Wartella [PR.com]

More than $60,000 in Cash And Prizes to be Awarded to Amateur Bass Anglers [PR.com]

SureCatch World launched a new retail concept for anglers known as Catchbay at their international headquarters. [PR.com]