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Will Government Do The Right Thing? Time To Save The Pitt
Earlier this year the government of British Columbia ruled against a proposed gravel mine on the river, and many thought the Pitt - which has been called North America’s greatest fishing river - had been saved. But this spring a logging camp that had been closed reopened on the Upper Pitt, and helicopters began cutting the last pockets of old growth in the valley. The loggers are after the margins that were left behind, the steep slope timber and anything else they can cut down for a profit. Parks surround this great river on three sides. To the North is Garibaldi Park, Pinecone Burke to the West and Golden Ears to the East. To the South lies Pitt Lake, which offers boat access the fly fishermen, who come from all over the world to chase the river’s big coho, steelhead, bull trout and rainbows. Left unprotected, however, is the rich valley bottom - where the river runs. While logging is no stranger to the Pitt River Valley, what is proposed now is a full onslaught. Plans prepared by J.S. Jones Timber show they want to increase the cut in the valley by 40% this year to more than 140,000-cubic meters (an increase of some 40,000 c.m. from past years) and they have begun preparations to put an 80-man logging camp in place for the next 5 years. Alliford Bay Logging and Hayes Heli Logging will be doing the work. J.S. Jones holds the TFL. They will head into the forest later this spring and use a mixture of conventional logging and heli-logging. New roads will be built, increasing siltation problems. Among the areas to be logged are Boise Creek and Red Slough. Danny Gerak the owner and operator of the Pitt River Lodge and one of the fulltime residents in the area isn’t opposed to logging, but believes the valley should have its own sustainable yield logging plan so that tourism and logging can coexist in the valley.
We believe that’s the least the government can do. But they could do so much more. The Pitt is one of the world’s truly great fishing rivers - and it should be saved. Why not extend the parkland to include the valley bottom? That’s where the salmon and trout are, that’s where the bear, deer and cougars are. And that’s where the people who want to camp, hike and fish are. The continual battles for the Pitt River have to be brought to a close. We say make the area a park, and then let people get on with enjoying one of nature’s wonders. Do you think the government should be taking action to protect one of North America's best fishing rivers? If you do, please let the following politicians know that you favour saving the Pitt River, by halting logging and by cleaning up the garbage dump. You might suggest that the area be turned into a provincial park.
What do you think? Visit our online discussion area and post your views. Letters can be sent via e-mail to: letters@ariverneversleeps.com
A River Never Sleeps: The Editors: Watching what others have tied and evaluating any patterns' catchability. Hmmmm. Kind of a spectator sport, it seems to me. With, "Are Dognoblers and Epoxy taking the Fly Out of Fishing", comes a wise perspective but a hint of my old man. It would be hard for me to criticise the writing of Raif Mair, for I do enjoy his style; easy flowing, persistantly melencholy, springing from upstream, long-time tribs. But, it's easier for me to compare his style to that of my Dad, who refused to be obsessed with trivial matters. In your article, you say, "...decide who is a fly-fisherman and who is not." I would not suppose you be a Halford desciple, or anything, but I do think you really are a purist after all. And that's OK. Matter of fact, I'm one too. I tie flies. All Kinds. And I fish with them too. I like to be inventive. OK, enough about where we come from. What I wish to offer briefly, is hope and sharing, the foundation of angling, and what you wrote here seems like more of a cry for help as any thing elese. Rafe, you gotta get out more, buddy. Find out how to tie patterns for yourself, and then create, yourself, what works for you. Is it the design? Is it the moment of the rise or take? Anything else in between, is only "in between". Tight lines I love the format and art work. Keep up the good work. Marshall DeMott Waterville, ME., USA marshtd@qsilver.net The Editor: I was reading your June 2000, issue and the story on the Keogh River was very interesting. I have wondered if this is not a more common problem that many of us realize with many salmon and steelhead runs being depleted for a number of reasons. Historic spawning runs must have added tremendous loads of nutrients to the systems, helping to produce an abundance of food stuffs for fingerlings and smolts. Has there been any follow up on the story? I would be very interested to find out if the study was expanded, and what the results have shown. If not, who might be a contact to learn more? Ken KCrane@agri.state.id.us Hi Ken: We haven't followed up on the piece yet, but a conference is coming up soon here in the Pacific Northwest, which will draw fisheries scientists together to discuss the topic. Your perception is correct.....we are just beginning to realize how important salmon are in fertilizing the water. In our April issue we have an article that is related, in that it discusses how lakes become unproductive when they are "cleaned" of their nutrients, to produce sparkling, clear waters. We will be watching the issue, and will report on any further developments in future issues. A River Never Sleeps: I read the letter about the photo of the "Elk" which another writer suggested was "St. Marys." As one who grew up in Kimberley and fished that river almost daily through summer I would have to argue that it does not appear to be the St. Marys River to me. For one thing it is an upstream photo which would be facing the Purcell range and not the Rockies which is where Fisher Peak is. The flat broad valley is also similar to the Elk near Fernie. I hope I am right on this. I left Kimberley in 1989 and wish I lived as close to the St. Marys as I did before. It will always remain my home river though. Please let me know the outcome of this little debate/question. Kevin Hill Sorrento, BC, Canada hilkevin@hotmail.com Kevin: We will get this sorted out. In the meantime, no sympathy from here...Sorrento is in pretty good fishing country! You may be a distance from the St. Mary’s, but you are a heck of a lot closer than most of us. -Cheers, Mark Hume G'day Nick : My name is Peter I'm from Melbourne Australia. I found your site by accident while searching for a pattern that I'm tying for my club's annual fly tying comp. The first thing that struck me was the great photos that you take for the site. I always carry a camera when I'm on the water, and take as many pictures as I can but they are lacking the flair that you have. I have a good eye for what is a good shot, but my pictures don't quite measure up. I applied once for a photography course but they looked at me in a strange way when I said that I wanted to take fishing pictures. Can you please tell me how you started with your craft and if it's not too much what equipment you use. Thank you for your time. {E-mail letters may be edited for clarity, taste and brevity. It is understood they express the opinions of the writers, not the editors.} |
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