As I was sitting here thinking about how much trash can be seen washed ashore on Ft. Loudon Lake when the water is dropped, I recalled two experiences that really bothered me last year. More... First, I was fishing in a very popular area of the lake called Prater Flats (or Ish Creek) and I saw a dead kingfisher and a dead osprey that had become tangled in discarded fishing line. They were on opposite sides of the bay. The kingfisher was hanging from a tree and the osprey was hanging from one of the nest sites that have been built in the lake for them. After all the heat that fishermen take from environmental groups, I cannot believe that someone would leave fishing line behind like that. Sure, we all break our lines now and then, but there is a big difference in leaving behind 5 feet of line accidentally and intentionally discarding 150 feet of line.
The second thing that really got under my skin was during a tournament. Just as we were launching, I happened to look over and see an older man in a small, aluminum fishing boat dump out a small garbage can into the lake. There were soda cans and snack wrappers floating away in the current and he didn't even think twice about it! Give me a break!
All that I ask is for fellow fishermen to be responsible, dispose of your trash properly, and if you see something on the ground you can pick up and put in the trash, then do it. Also, it's not a bad idea to cut your old fishing line with scissors so it cannot create tangles before you discard it. Or you can take it to one of the tackle shops with a recycling bin for old fishing line.
Remember, it is up to us to protect our lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds for future generations. If we don't, there are always special interests groups that will have more leverage to stop us from doing what we love.
