Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced two public listening sessions to garner input on ways the agency can advance goals outlined in the “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” report. The public comment period will be open for 60 days, through Dec. 28.
On Jan. 27, President Joseph Biden issued an executive order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The order directed the secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the secretary of Agriculture, the secretary of Commerce, the chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and the heads of other relevant agencies to produce a report to the National Climate Task Force that recommends steps for conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. It also directed NOAA to “solicit input from state, local, tribal, and territorial officials, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen and other key stakeholders in identifying strategies that will encourage broad participation in [this] goal.”
In response to this order, the federal departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and the CEQ released the report as a preliminary step. It recommends a decade-long national initiative to advance locally led conservation and restoration in public, private and Tribal lands and waters to address three threats — disappearance of nature, climate change and inequitable access to the outdoors. To guide implementation, the report includes eight core principles and six areas for early focus and progress.
Instructions on how to submit a comment as well as the specific topics on which NOAA is seeking input are available at https://www.noaa.gov/america-the-beautiful.
Public Listening Sessions are scheduled for 2-4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, and 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Dial in (required for audio): 888-324-2609, with Passcode: 727-5932. Webinar (optional to view slides): Visit above the web address the day of the meeting — no advanced registration. (Conference number: PWXW2474478; Audience Passcode: 727-5932).
Fly-tying classes on Mondays
Now is the time to enhance or learn fly-tying skills for fresh or saltwater as the fishing season starts to wind down.
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday nights through Dec. 6, both beginner and advanced classes on the art of fly-tying, are to be held in the Cold Spring Community Center at 38 Beach St. in North Kingstown.
The classes are sponsored by the state Department of Environmental Management’s Aquatic Resource Education Program and cost $5 per session. To register, contact Kimberly.sullivan@dem.ri.gov or call (401) 539-0037.
Where’s the bite?
Striped bass, bluefish and false albacore. “The pipeline is still loaded with stripers,” said Steve Anderson of the Saltwater Edge in Middletown. “Reports have been coming in from as far north as southern Maine of sizable schools of stripers from 20 inches to 20 pounds. Come a little further south to Plum Island and there are 30-pounders in the mix; by the time you get to Plymouth Rock, 40-pounders are in play. Closer to the shop, we’re seeing a broad mix of sizes and good numbers throughout Rhode Island. Surfcasters seem to be leading the way again — no one seems to be boat fishing after dark. But the night-crew surf guys are doing very well from Newport to Narragansett to Napatree Point, Westerly, with many reports of fish that are mostly slot-size and above.” Peter Nilsen, president of the Rhody Fly Rodders, said: “Last week, the striped bass and shad bite was pretty good at Narrow River, Narragansett. Anglers were hooking up with shad as large as 22 inches, as well as school and keeper striped bass mixed in at Sprague Bridge as well as at the mouth of the river off the sand bar.” Matt Conti of Snug Harbor Marina Bait & Tackle in South Kingstown said: “The coastal beaches experienced striped bass and false albacore blitzes with reports of the west side of Block Island loaded with false albacore this week.”
Tautog fishing. The tautog bite was still good when anglers got out to fish in between high seas and stormy weather. “The fall tautog bite has been really hot in Newport,” said Aquidneck Island shore angler John Migliori. “It does not take long for one person to go through a quart of green crabs as I have been doing; of course, there are many missed bites and undersized fish, but I have been doing very well. This weekend, I caught a good-size fish close to 8 pounds. All of my fishing has been from shore on Aquidneck Island in the rivers on both sides of the island on green crabs.” Conti said: “The water is still very warm, so tautog are still in low water, like they are in summer. Some anglers are catching a lot of shorts, so you may have to move around a bit to find keepers, but overall the bite is pretty good.” Sam Toland of Sam’s Bait & Tackle in Middletown said: “The tautog bite has been outstanding this week. Customers are catching them everywhere in bays, rivers and out in front along the ocean coastal shore. Both conventional rigs and jigs are working. Anglers are catching a lot of shorts to get their limit but, overall, everything is working.”
Bluefin tuna and cod. The bluefin bite is still very good. “Customers have caught giants the past couple of weeks right off Scarborough Beach at the 70-foot break fairly close to shore,” Conti said. “The bite has been very good there for a couple of months now. With the bad weather, anglers are just getting out now to fish for school tuna. Cod fishing has been the same. Weather has been too tough to go to Sharks or Cox Ledge so both cod and bluefin fishing should start to pick up.”
Freshwater fishing has been fair. “Freshwater fishing for largemouth bass continues to be good. Top-water lures as well as shiners are still working for anglers,” said Tom Giddings of the Tackle Box in Warwick.
Dave Monti holds a captain’s master license and charter fishing license. He serves on a variety of boards and commissions and has a consulting business that focuses on clean oceans, habitat preservation, conservation, renewable energy and fisheries-related issues and clients. Forward fishing news and photos to dmontifish@verizon.net or visit www.noflukefishing.com.
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