Fly fishing without flies. What are we doing?

[TicTokCroc]

Masters 2022: Solving the mystery of Augusta National's missing (?) birds

The seeming absence of birds at Augusta National during Masters week has been a source of curiosity for many.

www.golfdigest.com

I didn't read this one either, but there's a long standing conspiracy theory that there's no bugs/birds wildlife at Agusta.

 

[longputt]

I had an "eccentric" neighbor who collected butterflies and frequently went to truck stops to pick butterflies off of grills of heavy trucks. I can't imagine the discussions he had!

 

[Brian in OR.]

I guess its all how you interpret the numbers.... In this article they suggest some populations are increasing

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/insects-worldwide-study-enviroment-biodiversity-change/

 

[adamcu280]

I guess its all how you interpret the numbers.... In this article they suggest some populations are increasing

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/insects-worldwide-study-enviroment-biodiversity-change/

A select passage from that link:

"They estimate that land-based insects, which make up the majority of species, have been declining at nearly 1% per year, or almost 9% per decade. But during the same period, the small proportion of insects which live in freshwater experienced a 1% annual increase, or just over 11% per decade.

Does this give us cause to be relatively cheerful (or at least, less miserable)? Hardly."

There's obviously a lot more going on in that link, including a link to the actual study. I'd be cautious about thinking it's just about "how they interpret the numbers." Kind of like a snowball in Congress.

 

[Matt B]

Anecdotal—who grew up out East? Remember lightning bugs aka fireflies? There’s not nearly how many there were. Hardly see them now, and not in numbers like I remember.

 

[Tallguy]

Anecdotal—who grew up out East? Remember lightning bugs aka fireflies? There’s not nearly how many there were. Hardly see them now, and not in numbers like I remember.

Super true! I grew up in NH, and last time I visited, I took my son out on a warm night to see them. None observed, and reports were that few are around. I used to catch many every night when I was little.

 

[Cabezon]

Super true! I grew up in NH, and last time I visited, I took my son out on a warm night to see them. None observed, and reports were that few are around. I used to catch many every night when I was little.

Well, there's the problem, obviously - over harvesting...
Steve

 

[Canuck from Kansas]

Well, there's the problem, obviously - over harvesting...
Steve

... for their luciferase ...

cheers

 

[TicTokCroc]

Aren't fireflies poisonous to fish(trout)?

 

[cody-]

Super true! I grew up in NH, and last time I visited, I took my son out on a warm night to see them. None observed, and reports were that few are around. I used to catch many every night when I was little.

Tennessee here. We never really caught them as hitting them with wiffle ball bats and watching the resulting streak of light was more our game growing up

 

[Evan B]

Tennessee here. We never really caught them as hitting them with wiffle ball bats and watching the resulting streak of light was more our game growing up

You're the reason none remain. I hope you feel good about it.

 

[Matt B]

You're the reason none remain. I hope you feel good about it.

Or if you could catch a few and schmear their abdomens on a stick you could build up a little dimly glowing torch. And no I don’t feel good about it but it wasn’t anything like what I did to the writhing buckets full of tent caterpillars aka bagworms.

 

[DanielOcean]

Masters 2022: Solving the mystery of Augusta National's missing (?) birds

The seeming absence of birds at Augusta National during Masters week has been a source of curiosity for many.

www.golfdigest.com

I didn't read this one either, but there's a long standing conspiracy theory that there's no bugs/birds wildlife at Agusta.

Depends how bad of a golfer you. Sure i could get a bird or two on a few holes.

 

[swimmy]

Does this give us cause to be relatively cheerful (or at least, less miserable)? Hardly."

This is not intended for you as I don't know you.

But 'miserable to less miserable' kind of sums up the disposition of pretty much every person I know who is way into climate change. They generally look at life through a negative lens and climate change is the perfect issue to dwell on. I kind of feel sorry for them.

Put me in the "Ain't Life Grand" camp.

 

[Wadin' Boot]

This is not intended for you as I don't know you.

But 'miserable to less miserable' kind of sums up the disposition of pretty much every person I know who is way into climate change. They generally look at life through a negative lens and climate change is the perfect issue to dwell on. I kind of feel sorry for them.

Put me in the "Ain't Life Grand" camp.

I totally agree, if you are by and large oblivious, you are less miserable. Then again misery can be a potent catalyst for type 2 fun. A journey towards solving a problem need not be miserable....

 

[swimmy]

A journey towards solving a problem need not be miserable....

Totally agree.

 

[adamcu280]

This is not intended for you as I don't know you.

But 'miserable to less miserable' kind of sums up the disposition of pretty much every person I know who is way into climate change. They generally look at life through a negative lens and climate change is the perfect issue to dwell on. I kind of feel sorry for them.

Put me in the "Ain't Life Grand" camp.

There's a reason the saying is "ignorance is bliss."

Most of the scientists (that I personally know) that study endangered species and/or otherwise depressing subjects like climate change are pretty positive people. If they thought there was no hope there's no way they'd continue. The problem is getting their points and possible solutions across to those that are either willfully ignorant, or just totally self-centered and oblivious. It's much easier to not care and go about your business as if nothing is wrong "here's a snowball/here's a picture of a hatch so there's no problem."

Looks like Wadin' Boot gets it. The journey towards solving a problem need not be miserable.

 

[longputt]

A journey towards solving a problem need not be miserable...

Unfortunately, misery is easier to sell and more profitable than pragmatic planning and optimism.

 

[adamcu280]

Unfortunately, misery is easier to sell and more profitable than pragmatic planning and optimism.

I can't tell if this is a sarcastic statement or not so I'll take it at face value and disagree completely!

Otherwise, I've got some trophy trout fishing trips to the middle of the Sahara I'd be happy to sell you!

 

[longputt]

The one thing I think about often when I fish are the number of rivers or lakes that are actually natural with native fish. How many of the hatches we like are a result flow regulation of the rivers? So many of our best fisheries are tailwaters for non-native fish.