MOLDY CHUM

Breaking News - AEG Resignations

With just over thirty days to the launch of the 2009 edition of the film tour, Thad Robison, Chris Owens, and Justin Crump have resigned from AEG.

Atlantic Salmon Flies Step by Step

North Shore Fishing Adventures offers 138 step by step Atlantic Salmon fly tutorials along with another 166 tutorials covering  trout, pike and lake trout.  LINK

Biologists, PGE crew save 900,000 Clackamas Hatchery salmon

Oregon state biologists and a Portland General Electric crew worked through Christmas Eve to save up to 900,000 young spring chinook salmon at a state hatchery destined for the Clackamas and Sandy rivers. LINK  (Via: Oregon Live)

Making a Difference

An NBC Nightly News profile of One Percent for the Planet and co-founders Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews.

Transporting juvenile salmon hinders adult migration

                                          Salmon transporter

Juvenile salmon that are transported downstream on boats can lose the ability to migrate back to their breeding grounds, reducing their survivorship and altering adaptations in the wild.  LINK  (Via: Science Codex)

So Powerful It Was Banned In 2 States!

Dear Saltwater Fisherman,

It's shocking how these "old school" fishermen have managed to keep this Saltwater catching secret for so long.

You know the guys I'm talking about, there is a few in every town. Guys that absolutely murder the game fish... and they have done it every single time for decades. They never come home without their limit.

Guys like me and you just can't understand how they do it. Most of us have even asked them, and they usually give us some good tips that help a little...

But they will never tell you the "big" secret. And who can blame them? It makes them the envy of every other fisherman in their town, and they catch fish at will. Why not bask in the glory, and keep it to themselves?

But I knew they were holding back something, so I spied on some of these guys... and I found out exactly what they are doing! But that wasn't enough... I wanted to know the "science" behind the secret.

LINK

A Minion is one who is highly esteemed or favored

A Blackguard is low, a thoroughly unprincipled and contemptible person, prone to foul language.

A Mountebank ensnares or prevails over through trickery.

In other words a highly esteemed, S.O.B. of a website that sucked us in with the smell of bacon.

LINK

Steel Study

I Suck at Fly Fishing

I Suck at Fly Fishing is a High Def video and movie production company. LINK

Yellowstone Report - Off the Richter Scale!

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Probably nothing to be alarmed about.....

Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come.

Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.

LINK (Via MSNBC)

Oregon ocean conditions best for fish in 50 years

After several years of poor ocean conditions that left birds starving and fish dwindling, this year brought a healthy influx of cold, nutrient-rich water along the Oregon Coast that likely represent the best year for fish in decades, scientists say.

LINK (Via: Oregon Live)

Thousands of Atlantic Salmon Escape BC Fish Farm

About 2,500 Atlantic salmon have escaped from a Vancouver Island fish farm, the second incident involving a Mainstream Canada operation in a little more than a year. LINK  (Via: The Peterborough Examiner)

The problem of Atlantic Salmon escapes was serious enough that Fisheries and Oceans Canada ran/runs an Atlantic Salmon watch program. There is no information on escapes after 2002, but from 1991 - 2002 there were 452,049 reported escapes from BC aquaculture facilities.

Please report all captures of Atlantic salmon  to the toll-free ASWP Reporting Number 1-800-811-6010.

You will be asked where and when you caught the fish and if you wish to donate the fish for research purposes. Donation is not mandatory but it does provide valuable samples for our scientific study. For donation, the whole fish, including entrails, should be frozen or kept on ice. ASWP staff will arrange for transport of the fish carcass. 

LINK

48 more hours!

Yellows on a dry fly

Feds' Casitas appeal for steelhead has local support

This opinion piece from the Ventura County Star has particular meaning for Patagonia. The Ventura River runs right behind Patagonia HQ and Friends of the Ventura River was one of the first enviro groups to get funding from Patagonia back in 1973.

There used to be a thriving steelhead run on the Ventura River, and there can be again. The question is whether the Casitas Municipal Water District, which has a dam that blocks steelhead migration on the river, is going to keep standing in the way, demanding public dollars in exchange for protecting the public's resources.

LINK

The steelhead run on the Ventura River is estimated to have numbered over 4,000 returning adults prior to the construction of Matilija Dam in 1948. LINK (Via: Ventura River Ecosystem)

Sunday Funnies

Science Fact: Fish Have No Memory

Na-noo, na-noo!

Sister K8 joins the Slab of the Month festivities with this giant whitey.

Friday Pin Up

A Tribute to George Grant

An excellent tribute to the life and times of conservationist, writer and fly tier George Grant.

LINK (Via: ecoriver)

Wonder if African Clawed Frogs Adhere to Sticky Rubber?

The Montana wildlife agency has been asking that people with frogs acquired through kits called Grow-a-Frog give up those animals. The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks says tadpoles in the kits become African clawed frogs, a species prohibited in Montana.  LINK

Merry Christmas from Christmas Island

Chum contributor and photographer Tim Pask, dug up some photos that have 2 things in common.  All the photos were taken on Christmas Island over the Christmas Holidays, and each of them ended up being Photo Chum....

Sonya Pask being released by a Giant Trevally.  She barely made it out alive.

Angler Eddie Sadvar, with a Golden Trevally.  He later went on to star in all the GIECO "Even a caveman can do it" commercials.

This GT eventually ended up stealing the rod.  Hey Mr. Giant, if your seeing this I forgive you and you can keep the rod, but please return my Tibor.  I miss it.  Angler Eddie "Caveman" Sadvar.

Before Eddie got his GIECO roll, he spent time portraying Popeye the Sailor.  He never mastered the squinty eye thing, but the GT's were amused.

Photographer Tim Pask displaying a small GT.  Photo by Eddie Sadvar.  Note: Tim Pask now uses Allstate insurance.

So to all of us LOSERS who are not spending Christmas on Christmas, this L's for us!  Sonya Pask, and the world famous Simmon Corrie.

"The Adventure Continues"

Virtual Christmas Gifts - 2008 Edition

To Pete @ Fishing Jones, a tweed fishing suit. Now he can personally prove that people do actually fish in tweed.

For TC at the Trout Underground, who did such a bang up job pimping the Orvis Helios rod he ended up with a link in Business Week, his very own lightweight Orvis private plane.

To BWTF, who inspired us to make this short in the first place, a new title, Leave it to Buster.

To Lee @ Fly Fish Magazine, a reprint of a Ringo Starr autographed photo.  Those of you who frequent Lee's site will get it.

To Marshall @ MidCurrent, whose praise for the Orvis Helios Rod  made the front cover of their catalog, an autographed picture of another famous Marty.

To This is Fly, who rule when it comes to abstract fish art, a Picasso rendition of a woman with a fish on her head.

To our dear friend and colleague Straq @ Way Upstream, some Cloudveil wading pants....inside joke. They are on sale everywhere by the way.

To the boys @ AEG Media, AKA the Trout Bums, AKA the Fish Bums, a kick ass trademark attorney.

To the gang at Sweaty Waders.......A REALLY BIG STEELHEAD.

To our dear friend and partner in crime Ebun, who was the very first to title a blog post, "Popped a Boner", his very own expandable trouser trout.

To G_Smolt at the Neil Creek Chronicles, some stylin new shades.

To the Loop Army, a case of the finest limited edition Multi Herradura.

To Steve and Dave @ Rollcast Productions, a big helping of Brat and Wood.

To Pat @ Recycled Waders, some waders you definitely don't want to recycle.

To all our readers and other on-line friends, a heartfelt thanks for all your support!

We Want Santa! We Want Santa!

Pinchin the Grinch

T'was the Night Before Caddis

A Chum holiday post tradition.

Twas the night before Christmas when down by the stream
The full moon looked out on a chill winter scene.
A lone trout was sipping a midge in his brook,
Untroubled by worries of fishers with hooks.

Then from above a small sleigh did appear
Pulled by a brace of eight tiny reindeer.
It swerved of a sudden and down it did glide,
Settling its runners along the streamside.

The fat, jolly driver dove into his sled
And emerged with his three weight held high over head.
"Thank you my elves for this wand smooth as silk.
This break will be better than cookies and milk."

LINK

Makin' it in the biz - Hareline Dubbin Factory Tour

Like Charlie in the Willie Wonka story, Matt Stansberry finally got his golden ticket.  Provided by The Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

White Brown

While filming TU's show, On the Rise, Frank "The Talent" Smethhurst stuck this White River freak.  Look for the full episode on The Outdoor Channel this spring.  Photo sent to us from Chum connoiseur, Mark Hollan, owner - Little Red Fly Shop.

Justice Department reconsidering bull trout stance

Should make the Matadors happy.

A recent report by the Inspector General has the federal government reconsidering its prior position on bull trout habitat.

LINK

Catch and release my azz.. We're eating it

We were going to leave this one for Santa, but decide he was FAT enough.

Rogue Angel Jenny coming at us with some holiday artwork to feast upon.  Grabbed from K8's Angels LINK

Further proof there is no such thing as "clean coal"

A major environmental disaster is taking place in Eastern Tennessee.

A retention pond broke through a dike at TVA's Kingston coal-fired plant in Roane County Tennessee releasing over half a billion gallons of potentially toxic sludge. The spill swept into the nearby town of Harriman and contaminated tributaries of the Tennessee River.

LINK (Via: The New York Times)

A Video Response to the Wunder Boner

Sebastion Letelier has dedicated half his life to fly fishing and fly tying.......

....... and the other half to fine art.  LINK

93% Distance, 186% Feel, 279% of the Soul!

Bamboo Bob  -  Feel the love!

Legendary Steelhead Guide Bob Clay has been building some of the worlds best bamboo fly rods on the banks of the Kispiox River for the past several years.  What caught our eye was the fact that Bob is building some amazing double handers that cast both modern Skagit style lines and the more traditional lines.

93% of the Distance, 186% of the Feel & 279% of the SOUL....  Check them out HERE.

This Mold's for YOU!!

Keeping with our Christmas theme we have searched far and wide to bring you some of the worlds greatest mold.

Merry Christmas

Livin in a van...

...down by the Animas river.  Here's a view from David Porterfied's boat just outside of Durango. 

Damn we miss him -

Chromer T-Shirt Goodness

Get one over at Chromer Sport Fishing and they'll give $5 of your purchase to the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

LINK

Go ahead, Mako my day

Sent to us by a true Chum junkie, Dave Worthington - looks like the Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle crew finally found the source of their leak.

We knew Brendan Mason should have never released that son of a bitch.

More proof of Mako insanity can be found here.

Common Waters of Oregon

Yeah, we live in Washington, but Oregon has our heart.  Which is why we're keep our fingers on the pulse of this.

Please help make the legislators aware of Common Waters of Oregon and let them know we would like to review any bills that involve public river rights.

If you could send a note to Senator Bates and to Senator Atkinson asking them to get any information on river rights bills to us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Rivers of a Lost Coast

Just chatted with Palmer from Rivers of a Lost Coast and they're up and running with their blog.  The Chum is keeping this one on the radar as this film's trailer is suckin us in.

Happy Hanukkah

LINK

Sunday Funnies - Santa Edition

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J*** in my pants

This shot of Owens and his genetically superior friend inspired thoughts of this vid:

Chilly Willy - Bait and Hook

Join the Chum Nation on Facebook

 

The Moldy Chum Facebook group is a forum for the Chum Nation to network. So get to networkin!

Friday Pin Up

From Russia with Love

Eric Rauch threw mice to entice this commy rainbow and lost his SOTM virginity.