Thursday, September 02, 2004
Bill Cochran's Field Reports: State duck stamp a beauty
Bill Cochran is a Roanoke Times outdoors columnist.
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Waterfowl hunters well know that they must have a Federal Duck Stamp in addition to their regular hunting license to hunt ducks and geese. What many probably don’t know, there also is a Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Stamp.
The state duck stamp isn’t required for hunting. Its purpose is to raise money for projects designed to enhance wildlife in Virginia, particularly waterfowl. The program is operated by Virginia Ducks Unlimited and licensed by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The 2004 stamp features a pair of goldeneyes winging across a Back Bay setting at dawn. It is the work of well-know Virginia artist Spike Knuth, a major illustrator and writer of DGIF publications. I think this is one of Knuth’s best works.
A mint stamp costs $5; an artist-signed stamp, $10. I’d recommend a signed and numbered print for framing, which comes with a stamp. The cost is $155. Ordering information is available at 757-220-3144.
Knuth isn’t just a prolific artist, but also a generous one. Since 1967 he has donated more than 500 original paintings to Ducks Unlimited.
BILL
Support low for mandatory life jacket use
A public forum conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board found little support for mandatory use of life jackets by recreational boaters. Nearly every sector of the boating community present either expressed strong opposition to a government mandate or failed to embrace the idea, according to BoatU.S.
Life jackets would save lives, no one is questioning that. Across the country, there are approximately 700 boating fatalities each year. About 400 of these are drownings in which the victim was not wearing a life jacket.
From Jan. 1 to June 1 this year in Virginia, there were 12 reported boating fatalities. All but one was a drowning. Only two of the 12 victims were wearing a life jacket.
The response to mandatory life jacket use at the safety board meeting reflects the philosophy of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (See Cochran’s June 24 column.) The agency strongly promotes life jacket use, but has reservations about forcing people to use them.
A study by BoatU.S. Foundation revealed that the No. 1 reason boaters don’t wear life jackets is the comfort factor.
"Hunters and anglers believe that life jackets are too hot, too uncomfortable and too bulky," said Chris Edmonston of the foundation.
When many boaters envision a life jacket, they think about one of those boxy orange foam ones that chafed their neck as kids. Few consider the new inflatable jackets, which weigh as little as 13 ounces. They come in camouflage and nautical colors, are comfortable, yet provide more buoyancy than a traditional foam-filled jacket.
Manufacturers are creating styles that don’t interfere with shooting or casting, Edmonston said.
BILL
Best tent camping
Take it from a guy who has done a bunch of tent camping, adventure is part of the sport, but it’s also nice to know what lies ahead in the form of camping facilities. Especially if the day is getting short and you have restless kids.
That makes the new Second Edition of "The Best in Tent Camping: Virginia" an important offering for people who like to peg a tent, from the mountains to the sea. It contains information and ratings on about 50 campgrounds across the state.
The authors are Randy Porter, best known for his book titled "Mountain Bike Virginia," and Marie Javins, a travel writer. The publisher is Menasha Ridge Press, which has produced several Virginia guidebooks: www.menasharidge.com . The book sells for $14.95.
BILL
Smith River report
Saturday afternoon I fished along the upper end of the hayfields of the Smith River near Basset. I started casting to a run that routinely produces a double-digit catch and this time hooked a single fish. It was a nice brown trout, which measured 14 inches.
This turned out to be the largest fish for the weekend. By the time I reached a good exit point I had struggled to catch eight fish.
I guess success has spoiled me. A few years ago I would have been very pleased with that number of fish. But the number and quality of my catch Saturday compared poorly to a month or so ago. Fishing has definitely slowed on the Smith River.
Sunday morning I was the first angler to fish up through the riff area at the lower end of the Special Regulations Section. I was by myself and took my time. I went a long way before catching my first fish. Things did not get much better. I threw caution to the wind and experimented with a double nymph set up. That didn’t last long, because I don’t have the patience to untangle the inevitable tangles.
By the time I reached the easy get-out point adjacent to the old filed, I had caught 18 trout. Not bad, but not good either.
I was surprised to see that at least one third of the fish I caught were rainbows, which were holdovers from last spring’s stocking. It was disappointing to note that at least half of the browns were less than 6-inches long. The water was very clear both days. I noticed the beginning of the leaf drop, which makes for frustrating fly-fishing. Good thing deer season is just around the corner.
AL KITTRIDGE
Web site
Outdoor briefs
Weekend Sportsman, a West Virginia-based business operated by outdoor writer Bill Anderson, has done a brisk business the past 16 months in Internet sales of fishing tackle and outdoor books and videos. Anderson now has a 40-page mail-order catalog that can be received from www.weekend-sportsman.com. While you are there, take a look at the columns on the site.
Looking for a place to take a hunter-education course? You can visit the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Web site and enter your zip code to get a schedule of classes in your region.
A Legislative Review Committee in Maryland has voted not to support that state’s Department of Natural Resources recommendation to hold a bear hunt. During a committee hearing, about 20 people spoke in opposition to the hunt, some representing major animal-right’s organizations. Only two spoke in favor. The committee’s action was sent to the governor.
The Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA) has endorsed Virginia Congressional incumbents Virgil Goode, Bob Goodlatte and Eric Cantor. The organization’s Web site is saova.org.
Data released by the National Safety Council shows that unintentional firearm-related fatalities are the lowest in the council’s history, having declined 45 percent during a recent 10-year period.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel has been listed as one of the top 10 bird watching spots in the country by Bottom Line Personal Magazine. Birders can call ahead for a special permit that gives them access to spots they can pull off and watch birds. See www.cbbt.com/birding.html.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recently won national awards for a TV public service announcement on hunter safety and a guidebook of the new Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail.
BILL
Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament
There are new leaders in the gray triggerfish, king mackerel and wahoo categories of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Here are the standings:
BLACK DRUM: 95 pounds, Joseph Roub, Baltimore, Md., Hog Island Bay.
COBIA: 88 pounds, James Neill, Lanexa, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.
CROAKER: 5 pounds, Jarvis Taylor, Richmond, lower York River.
DOLPHIN: 43 pounds, 6 ounces, Steve Richardson, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.
FLOUNDER: 14 pounds, 4 ounces, Betty Smith, Chesapeake, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.
GRAY TRIGGERFISH: 4 pounds, 12 ounce, Justin Hurst, Suffolk, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.
GRAY TROUT: 12 pounds, 12 ounces, Greg Thayer, Gloucester, upper-eastern Chesapeake Bay.
KING MACKEREL: 52 pounds, Cecil Smith, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.
KINGFISH: 1 pound, 14 ounce, Bobby Smith, Portsmouth, lower-western Chesapeake Bay.
POMPANO: 2 pounds, 1 ounces, Richard Michael, Norfolk, lower-eastern Chesapeake Bay.
SEA BASS: 6 pounds, 14 ounces, Mark Fueller, Rio Grande, N.J., off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPHEAD: 19 pounds, 3 ounces state record, Jeff Hutton, Virginia Beach, lower eastern Chesapeake Bay.
SPADEFISH: 13 pounds, 10 ounces, Jake Mapp, Franktown, upper-eastern Chesapeake Bay.
SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, Ann Barse, Cambridge, Md., off Eastern Shore.
SPECKLED TROUT: 13 pounds, 12 ounces, Walter Kellum, Hayes, Mobajack Bay.
SPOT: 1 pound, 8 ounces, Susan Davis, Petersburg, lower Your River.
STRIPED BASS: 63 pound state record, Carolyn Brown, Virginia Beach, off the Virginia Coast.
TAUTOG: 22 pounds, 9 ounces, Julie Ball, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.
TUNA (BLUEFIN): 164 pounds, Matthew Abell, Pocomoke, Md. off Eastern Shore.
TUNA (OTHER): 207 pounds, William House, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.
WAHOO: 107 pounds, Chris Miles, Virginia Beach, off Virginia Beach.
BILL
Meetings/Events/Seasons
Eastern Regional Championship of Virginia Big Game Contest, Sept. 11 and 12, for deer, bear and gobblers taking east of the Blue Ridge during the most recent hunting seasons, Southampton County Fairgrounds, details on www.vpsa.org.
Smith River Trout Unlimited meeting, 7 p.m., Sept 13, Rania’s Restaurant, Martinsville, program by Ben Cochran, executive director of the Central Piedmont Development Corporation on revitalization of Smith River fishery. Visitors welcome. More information from Ted Tomczak, (276) 629-2962.
Return To Nature fundraiser banquet, features NASCAR driver Ward Burton and "Survivor" all-star "Big Tom," Sept. 14, Lynchburg, tickets $60, information and tickets from www.ballowx.com.
Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoors Festival, Sept. 17-19, Richmond/Petersburg, information from dugof.com.
Virginia Outdoors Weekend, Sept. 17-19, for families, Westmoreland State Park, information from dgif.state.va.us/events/.
Triangle Bowhunters of the New River Valley three 3-D archery competition on its property between Christiansburg and Blacksburg: Sept. 19. Information from vfaa.org or from Jim Overfelt, jimo@vt.edu.
Western Regional and State Championship of Virginia Big Game Contest, Sept. 25 and 26, for deer, bear and gobblers taken during the most recent hunting seasons, Rockingham County Fairgrounds, information from www.vpsa.org.
Striped Bass Show & Super Seminars, Sept. 25 and 26, Airtime Watersports, Virginia Beach, proceeds fund CCA VA programs, admission $3.
Smith Mountain Striper Club fall tournament, Oct. 9., information from Rex Smith, smithrex@charter.net.
CITGO Bassmaster Open tournament, Oct. 14-16, Smith Mountain Lake.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA Banquet, 5:30 p.m., Oct. 16, Salem Civic Center, $30 single, $50 couple, mail ticket requests to Roanoke Valley FNRA, P.O. Box 463, Daleville, VA 24083, information from Dennis Mizack, 540-774-2289. Special bonus for purchasing tickets prior Sept. 13.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net
