A Quintessential Spring Day in Connecticut

What an absolutely spectacular day I kept saying to myself over and over again. It is days like this that make me fall in love all over again with New England. I have been doing a lot of Exploring and Pondering over the winter and it has lead to some breakthroughs in my spirituality.

Part of that journey has been exploring why I fish and how my forays into wild places can and do have an impact on the ecosystems that I find so much joy and peace in.

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Walking to the brook through a grassy meadow...

I read somewhere, I am not sure where, that for every second a fish is out of the water increases its mortality chances by 10%. So five seconds out of the water for a quick photo or to deal with a stuck hook and the fish now has a 50/50 chance of dying. In a world ravaged by climate change and our ecosystems being destroyed in the name of capitalism and "progress" protecting the environment is taking on greater and greater importance.

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A stunning spot...

As a result of these thoughts I have felt more and more guilt at my actions as an angler. For years I would take photos of every single fish I caught. I would traipse through gravel banks in the stream without a second thought (possibly destroying fish nesting locations). When I lived in Japan I had a fairly popular tenkara blog Fallfish Tenkara (I know I know it really does need a facelift.) but I did nothing with my platform to highlight ethical fishing practices. With my new site - I love to fish, I have begun exploring and recognizing that with climate change and in conjunction with an increase in fishing pressure as well as habitat degradation and destruction it is crucial as an angler to take a closer look at my impact on the ecosystems that I love. What are some ways that you practice ethical fishing? Let me know by reaching out on Instagram.

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