By Patricio Segura

Without the support of any public agency, residents from the small Aysen town of Puerto Guadal achieved an important citizen victory after Chile's environmental court on Friday declared illegal the construction and eventual future operation of the Los Maquis hydroelectric power plant in the emblematic waterfalls of the same name.  The sentence thus revoked a resolution of Chile's environmental authorities last December that rejected the complaint of part of the local community that claimed that the project should first enter the country's environmental impact assessment system.

 Photo: Coty Perry

By Coty Perry

With issues such as overfishing gaining more attention day after day, recreational and professional anglers are in the hot seat. People are starting to notice that fishing can actually be quite hazardous to our environment. 

Hunters have been front and center for years now while fishermen (and women) were able to fly under the radar but that’s quickly changing. With as much as 90% of the ocean's fish stock depleted, it’s time to take notice. As a recreational angler, it’s time to take conservation seriously and realize that one person can make a difference. We must protect the water we love and become an advocate for respecting it. 

If I can change one person’s opinion in this article, I’ve done my job. It’s time to make a change and recreational fly anglers have the power to do so. 

Tranquil fishing on the river. Photo: Coty Perry

Fish stock - You’re respecting the fish stock and realizing that you can only take so much for a reason. Every country and location within that country has a catch limit referring to how many fish you can take for consumption. Follow those rules and encourage others to do so. 

Leave No Trace - The “leave no trace” principles were created not only for fishing but for outdoor recreation in general. Through science and education, this organization was able to produce seven principles that everyone should follow when outdoors. They’re self-explanatory but very important. 

Effective management - While this point may be above most of our heads, conservation managers have a crucial role to play in protecting the water. They need to enforce the laws put in place and ensure that no one is taking more fish than they’re supposed to or using illegal fishing methods to deplete the fish stock. 

The short answer is, no. But, after years and years of abuse from hundreds of thousands of people, yes. It’s all about awareness. When you’re aware of something being done improperly, you can then start to implement the changes in your life in the hopes of trickling that down to someone else. Soon we have a generation of ecologically responsible anglers who understand the importance of protecting the water we fish. 

"Handle your trout as little as possible." Photo: Coty Perry

Lead-Free - Go lead-free with your flies and swivels. The lead in the water can cause health problems for fish and the wildlife that drink the water. Lead-free materials are becoming more popular thus easier to find online and in stores. 

Handle properly - It drives me insane when I see someone holding a rainbow trout by the mouth like they would a largemouth bass. What you’ve done is actually broke their jaw because it’s not meant to bend back like that and now they’ll slowly die because they can’t snap on their prey. You NEED to know how to handle a fish properly and do so as little as possible. 

Take only what you need - Just because you may be able to take six trout, doesn’t mean you should. Will you eat that many? How will you store it? Do you have freezer space? Will you actually eat it or just leave it in the freezer until it’s time to clean it out? Ask yourself these questions and don’t just take fish simply because you can. 

Clean up - One misconception about a lot of anglers is that they’re only there to drink beer and cause trouble. Some people love the sport and are actually out there to catch fish. There’s nothing wrong with having a good time but you need to clean up after yourself. Don’t throw anything in the water and whatever you brought, goes home with you.