Hi Gary- Thanks for copying me on your dialogue with Dan . I did not have a chance to return Dan’s letter to me so he will get a copy of this one . I am of the mind that today’s technology is not the problem , it is a tool that I use very effectively to market my business . Good or bad my customers demand to know the facts . The bad press perception is not the fault of the conservation groups , they are not in the outfitting business , and I don’t think they should be sugar coating the facts, good or bad the story has to be told.
There are many rivers in the world that have recently ( in the last 100 hundred years ) lost their wild fish and have since rebuilt stocks and recreational fisheries to the benefit of all .There are many instances of success stories . We have a unique opportunity to save what is left of our precious wild Atlantic salmon but unfortunately it is going to take more than what we are doing now . Hook and release is not going to do it nor is cleaning out a few beaver dams . If we allow ourselves to think outside of the box for a change we just might save our salmon.
We can’t control what is happening in the vast North Atlantic but we definitely can control what we do in this pristine healthy river. Our river could be raising millions of juvenile salmon and thousands of adult salmon. The technology is readily available but in my opinion the biggest challenge is the deep rooted mind set of a few privileged but very influential users .
I hope that one day our river will again provide enjoyment , income and especially a food source for all users .
Regards, Keith