Tippets: Autumn in the Bones, Saving the Brook Trout of Maine, Matchbook of Midges, Landowner Conservation Easements

September 24, 2012 By: Erin Block

  • Summer slips away, and its “foliate armor,” too. But stripped to its bones, autumn reveals the true nature of things. And Mike Sepelak can feel it coming.
  • Maine boasts 97% of the remaining wild brook trout streams and populations. However, introduced  species (such as smallmouth bass and smelt) are threatening these wild trout waters. “The bigger debate, however, should continue: how much value do we place on our wild and native brook trout, and do we have an obligation to protect them for future generations?” writes George Smith in the Morning Sentinel. “Frankly, for 150 years, we have failed these colorful beauties.”
  • Handling small midges is difficult under the best of conditions, let alone if your hands are cold, or as Kirk Deeter writes, after a few cups of coffee. But with a little pre-planning, John Gribb’s “matchbooking” method will help make the process much easier.
  • Of America’s top ten landowners, six have recently put their land into conservation easements. Monte Burke lists the owner names as well as acreage and location in a recent issue of Forbes Magazine.