Anglers #LeaveItBetter and Protect Birds
By George Butts, Boise Valley Fly Fishers Board member, Fishing Line Collector Lead and #FillTheNet Coordinator
I joined Boise Valley Fly Fishers (BVFF) in 2020 and volunteered for some conservation projects. I wanted to do more and volunteered to take over the #FillTheNet program from BVFF President Tom Old. Tom had been inspired by past club member Zeke Willard's #FillTheNet efforts. My role was to motivate anglers to use their nets to pick up a little trash each time they went fishing and to recognize them on our BVFF Facebook page to help make their efforts visible, with the hope that others would follow suit. Four years later our #FillTheNet program is going strong, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has Filled Their Nets! Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) even took notice and made an anti-litter advertisement in the fishing regs that asks anglers to Fill Their Nets!
Fishing Line Trash Snags Birds
Over the first couple of years of the #FillTheNet program, our members started posting photos of discarded fishing line and trash. In 2022, BVFF joined the Golden Eagle Audubon Society during one of their Boise River clean-ups and we found numerous trees and bushes with tangles of fishing line. Sadly, members and local birders have also found dead birds who got caught in the broken-off fishing line.
Clearly there was a need for fishing line collectors at local fishing spots. John Cassinelli, the IDFG SW Regional Fisheries Manager at the time, encouraged us to use a bird-friendly design, as birds were getting trapped inside commonly-used fishing line collection tubes. Birds thought they would make good nesting spots. Members of the Golden Eagle Audubon Society shared designs that had a slit rubber cover over the opening, and although that slit cover solved the bird nesting problem, it created another because people are less likely to put their hands into a "jar of sharps" when they cannot see into the container.
More Than One Problem To Solve
We found several fishing line collectors at a few local ponds that had been installed years ago as part of an Eagle Scout Project. They were getting used but were often found overflowing. Full fishing line collectors were another problem to investigate. While doing fly casting demos at Eagle Island State Park, we saw they had several fishing line collector tubes around their pond and we talked with them about their experience, which was the start of a wonderful partnership. The Park Rangers told us the current designs were difficult to empty, and they wished they could hold more. They gave us feedback on our designs, and four versions later we have something that is safe for birds, easy for users, has more capacity and is easy to service.
The new collectors have:
· A bigger 6” tube, to hold more fishing line;
· A flip-cover to prevent birds from nesting but is easy for users to open;
· A clear main tube, which shows users the intended contents and helps the park easily check the fill level;
· And a removable bottom to make it easy to empty.
New Educational Sign Too
The old fishing line collector design had boating related stickers that didn't match the needs at Eagle Island State Park, so we are working with the park Rangers on a small informational sign that can be mounted with the collector.
Strong Partnership Gets Results
In December, 2024, with the help of Eagle Island State Park personnel, BVFF installed three of the new fishing line collectors around the pond. While doing the installation we picked up a lot of fishing line and noticed even more fishing line and lures in trees. Later in the month club members returned with ladders and an extended pole cutter and retrieved dozens of bobbers, hooks, lures, and tons of fishing line from the trees. We also removed an oriole nest that had a lot of fishing line and would be a danger to birds next season.
A special thanks for Johannes Giessen, Eagle Island State Park Manager, and his staff. It has been a pleasure working with a professional team wanting to do the right thing. Eagle Island State Park has been the perfect place for us to install our new fishing line collectors.
1. They have a significant issue with broken off fishing line, from newbie fishermen;
2. They are in a location along the river with lots of birds, wildlife, people and dogs that could get caught in the broken off fishing line or hooks;
3. Their professional staff are able to monitor and regularly service the fishing line collectors.
Volunteering for BVFF is a rewarding experience. There are many opportunities to help our mission of Fly Fishing, Conservation, Access, and Education. Visit our webpage to find out how you can get involved.