The beginning of the end
 

Folks,

Looks like parts of the Pembina is following Falls Creek. Closed to all fishing - logging, land distruction and quadding continues.

Looks like the Pembina is the next step on the road to fishing loss.

Always wondered what would happen to fishing after we got to zero limits.

Now I know.

Don

In a few years people who see waters closed to fishing will just assume there are no fish there and there probably won't be any fish.

Our species has a continued history of destruction.

Very sad and depressing.

Yeah maybe they should stop logging and road construction, then see what happens.

To me, the worst part is that closing it to fishing only delays stopping the real problem, HABITAT LOSS. Closing it to fishing won't change anything and it gives the illusion that we care and are trying to help. It's completely ridiculous. So much for our Pembina River grayling...

Where are you guys reading this? I did a search and did not find anything, that being said I haven't got my new regs booklet yet. It must be in there? Post link if possible!

Yes human activity and industry can negatively affect fish populations as it trickles down. Of course angling has a very direct affect on it. I find it curious how the fish are so important to you Don that other groups are pure evil to you and must be stopped...but once restrictions affect you personally it's all of a sudden a load of bullschit. Yeah, your true colours are pretty easy to see.

Can? C'mon, it is industry. This regulation, to my understanding, is to protect the last of the Pembina River grayling. It is industry and roads that has wiped out these fish, not the grayling feasts fisherman have been having... Silt on the typically gravel stream bottoms negatively impacts the grayling's ability to reproduce. This is the problem and this is caused by dusty gravel roads and streamside erosion caused by industry.

albertaregulations.ca

I recall when you could hunt caribou in Alberta, and also Sage grouse. Shutting down the hunting 'take' didn't do squat. Without controlling habitat damage caused by voracious industry, populations have continued to tumble for both.

I fear the same for the Pembina fisheries. Shutting down fishing is only a symbolic, hollow gesture. There's no stomach for anything that could be interpreted as impeding industry.

Ah yes. Those dastardly wading anglers. They're the issue. Lol.

Smitty

Point completely missed. Like next time zone kinda missed...

Yes they definitely are one of the issues. Nice to see ISB helping others, bring him an apple tomorrow Smitty.

Aw crap what am I doing? I came to figure out a few things in the bug and sell and got sucked in.

I'm more than happy to miss the point, when the point is creating false equivalencies between various activities and their impacts...

Like I said...missed the point. If that's what you got read it again.

The plan includes habitat restoration measures.
https://albertawilderness.ca/awa-nr-...overy-actions/

EAP can't win, it appears. They do nothing and get criticized. They do something and get criticized. Problems caused by decades of industrial development are not easily undone. The trade offs involved in restoring a watershed are likely huge. Industry has tenure via leases and agreements. If this government revoked agreements and took affirmative action, I expect the outrage would be noticeable.

Well said wind drift.

When you look around, is it dark and something smells bad?

Yeah you bet "new guy". I haven't been around much lately or I'd who you are. I know this...you're a returnee. I'd explain it to you but I know it's a waste of time. Good luck sticking this time.

And wind drift, you are correct.

Our best bet of preserving great habitat for the animals we all love to interact with is to expose more people to the most addicting, euphoric, free drug we all take for granted; Alberta's great outdoors. You do not accomplish this by closing fisheries, this just makes it more difficult to get people on board with conservation. I don't feel the need to supply any evidence of this, as it is common knowledge among most of the hunters/fishermen. At least the ones that actually give a damn about nature and not drinking beers and smoking reefer pretending to be an OUTDOORSMEN.

Ishootbambi, are you serious? Why inject your opinion is this forum if you can't input it understandable mannor? You are portraying yourself to appear to have no idea what the hell you are talking about, whether you do or you don't you sound like a millennial. I don't know, maybe I too am in another time zone than you. But I get the feeling what ever time zone you are in, is definitely more east than most of the people on this forum.

There is nothing hypocritical about what don said at all, he is just one of the many true outdoorsmen that understand the relationship between our sport and conservation.

I thought I explained this pretty well but for the slower folk I'll try again. Don Anderson has a long history of attacking fellow outdoorsmen on this forum for enjoying outdoor pursuits that he doesn't feel fit his model of conservation. ATV use in particular. Constantly screaming that they be banned because he doesn't approve. Have a look at his threads started and you'll quickly see what I mean.

Now here we are with a ban alright, but this one wipes out a form of recreation that he partakes in. To post it here is a public statement that he disapproves and is looking for support. No doubt he will find some. In fact if you read close you'll see I stated that I disagree with the decision to close that section of river.

Thing is that in the past others have pointed out that yeah, industry could do a better job of mitigating environmental impact. It has been noted that quad use also could be less damaging, but all we here from ole Donny is ban ban ban! It has also been pointed out that fishermen wading streams kick up a boat load of silt and damage reeds during spawning times both spring and fall. Facetiously it has been thrown back that maybe fishing ought to be banned. Well here is an example where it has and now the God of pristine wilderness had his knickers in a knot over it. It's ironic that he starts a thread looking for sympathy. Do you suppose he would be concerned had it been quads banned in that area? My guess is he would start a thread with his holier than thou attitude while rubbing his hands with glee mumbling mwah-ha-ha. I'm sure you've all heard the story of dividing and stomping out hunting methods one by one until they are all gone? Here we go. One form of environmental impact gone.

My guess...and hope is that the quad crowd will fight this alongside the fishermen. I guarantee Don would help them though. That's a little irony for ya.

And again...logged in to send some pm's for the buy and sell and got sucked into the AO vortex of stupidity. I can't be any more clear with the message so with that I'm out. If you haven't grasped the point yet I'm wasting my breath anyway. My initial post here really had next to nothing to do with the topic at hand and everything to do with a hypocritical outdoorsmen filing a complaint looking for help that absolutely would take that help from a group that he would stab in the back any other day.

And Joel. No posts for that long and all of a sudden a flurry of activity is also a typical sign of multiple accounts. ISB out.

Your point is caught in the event horizon of the black hole of ignorance. But I respect your opinion, regardless of out there it may be.

But on a serious note is the greyling population in that bad of shape in the pembina? It wasn't 3 years ago me a my buddies were slayin em. Haven't been back in a while because we all caught bull fever. walleye fishing has always been productive for me in the sangudo area.

This news sucks, love the pemby. It sounds that it must be in bad shape to move to ban fishing, hopefully it is not permanent. the crap job old timers did of making their voices heard 30 years ago, now it's my generation that has to deal with sleeping in the beds they made for us. Good reminder to not let this happen to other fisheries.

I never fished the pembina river did a person have to go a long ways from the athabasca River before you could catch grayling.

I get it now! This is not about the pembina issue at all, is it? It's about your issue with Don Andersen.
tell you what, when the day comes that you can say you have done half of what DA has done for Alberta fishing in particular and the outdoors in general, then you have earned the right to criticize. Until then, show some respect for the man and what he has done for all of us on this forum.
PS. I've never met the man, but i have read much about him and seen a documentary or two on his work as well.

Don, the Pembina River, at least the part below the Elk River Trunk Road junction is in fine shape despite the false and misleading ideology spread by a faction in AEP fisheries management.
In fact it may just be THE BEST BROOK TROUT RIVER IN ALBERTA!!
My best day last year was 23 in three hours. All on a dry fly.
The meadow section from the Forestry Trunk Road crossing to the Lovett forks is an entirely different case. But that's strictly a random camper/enforcement/regs issue.
The fish population was assessed with angling by a guy who, from his dismal catch rate, clearly can't fish and apparently had to be back in his Edson office by quitting time. (No evening rise)
Not unlike the bogus AEP sturgeon population estimates on the lower NSR that our buddy Shane Hansen made a mockery of.
These "conservation" closures will become endemic on the Eastern Slopes once the species at risk recovery plans really kick in. Read Darryl Smith's AFGA convention report for a clear and chilling insight into the future.
On the Coal Branch there are already permanent angling bans on Eunice, Deerlick, Wampus, MacKenzie and Luscar Creeks.
Now add Paddy, Rat, Nelson, Dismal, Zeta, the Lovett River and a bunch of feeders above the Forks. Plus the main stem Pembina.
While at the same time a coal mine proposal is going to obliterate the top end of the Erith River.
But somehow only us barbless, catch-and-release fly anglers are to blame.

^ 2

I see you that you PM'd me with a full page of anti Don and now anti Neil diatribe...but when i tried to PM you back i received a notice that you do not accept PM's. Why is that, i wonder?
Anyway, your lack of respect for Don and neil and this forum in general is noted.
BTW, you clearly missed MY point.:thinking-006:

Do you have any links to info about this?

Oh please, get off your high horse with the "respect" thing. All Don has EVER done is criticize OHVs while conveniently ignoring abuse by fishermen. All ishootbambi did is point that out.

Funny how poaching or poor fish-handling habits are never blamed for decline of fish stocks, considering how many fishermen there are in this province compared to how many water bodies there are.