Uh-oh. . .here comes Doug! Three times I began to respond. . .three times I deleted it.
The only portion of this discussion I am competent to comment on is the claim that our natural environment is God-given. If that is true - which may be debatable - then simultaneously we accept the responsibility for good stewardship of that resource. Practicing good stewardship - call it conservation, fish management, ecology, whatever - is not optional! It is a requirement of everyone - EVERYONE - who takes advantage of the resource! Here is a tip I learned from a guide in Colorado who overcame the problem of gaining access to private land. He showed up at the owner's door with an inexpensive fly box and a couple dozen flies he had tied himself. It was a gift to show that he was sincere about the sport of flyfishing. He gained access. Each time he fishes there, he leaves a plastic bag of garbage he cleans out of the creek and off the property and another dozen flies on the owner's front porch. He has done a lot of stream improvement and fish management. He taught the owner how to fly fish. The owner is now a member of the local TU chapter and allows members ONLY to fish his property because of the trust that was built over time. Just a thought. . . Doug
