Spectacular! That is the best adjective I can come up with to describe East by North East, produced by Matt Stanton and Carter Davidson for Gray Ghost Productions.

I’ve seen my share of outdoor films, from hunting, fishing, kayaking and an myriad of good movies aimed at teasing the senses, creating fidgety in your pants and to get you off the couch. East by North East is really in a league of its own. It’s hot!

Let me first be a bit forthcoming in that some may think my review of this movie would be influenced by the fact that I know many of the players. In another life, I coached a little soccer, baseball and skiing. Carter Davidson, Luke Gray, Nathan Harvey, Jen and Stephanie Percival and Mitch Cummings all at one time or other were a part of my life and I coached them in various sports. At times some of them might have wished I wasn’t part of their life (as coaches sometimes can be) but I have to admit, I stand in awe of their accomplishments and the lives they lead.

Little did I know at the time, some 15 or so years ago, that Carter Davidson would find his passion behind the lens of a camera, that Nate Harvey would be navigating some of the most exciting white water in his kayak, or that the Percival girls loved fly fishing and Mitch Cummings would be the master of landing the big one.

What sets East by North East apart from other fishing movies is simple really. ExNE is original, creative and complete. ExNE isn’t like “all the others” but you need to get a copy to view for yourself.

Creativity begins with the title itself and never quits through 70 minutes of fun and adventure. Davidson and crew have captured the thrill that drives all avid fishermen, through unique shots, camera angles and the presentation of one-of-a-kind characters, all in some of the finest fishing waters in North America.

East by North East is a movie that isn’t afraid to expand the limits of fly fishing. The DVD begins with a trip to the British Virgin Islands, fly fishing for bonefish. Through the journey on film, the cast wets lines on the Upper Magalloway River with Rick Estes, hits some isolated back country native brook trout ponds with Erik Lippman and dazzles us with bass fishing with Mike Jones.

But it doesn’t end there. I laughed so hard I nearly spit on my computer screen watching Bill Pierce and Mike Jones trying to net a huge pike caught in downtown Lewiston, Maine on the Androscoggin River, a place that once was famous for toxic fumes peeling paint off houses.

Jump from there to Winterport, Maine and you’ll find the McKay brothers, Tait and Jax, all of perhaps 8 and 10 years of age, wielding their fly rods like pros and hauling in fish seemingly with little effort. Davidson says the two boys were born with fishing rods in their hands. I believe it.

The show isn’t all about success with every cast or fishing only. As Luke Gray physically headlocks and drags “Stoo” Mason from his distillery at the Sunday River Brewing Company, they head for Canada to do some Atlantic salmon fishing. They soon find out why the Atlantic salmon is called the fish of 1,000 casts as Luke exclaims, “It should be called the fish of 5,000 casts!” as he and the others got skunked.

Adding even more variety for your viewing pleasure, Davidson explains that Nate Harvey, an accomplished whitewater kayaker and instructor, finds fish for him while spending time upside down in some pretty wild and deep pools.

Of interest to me personally was a segment of the movie that touched on the history of the Androscoggin River. The Andy begins in the Rangeley Lakes area, meanders into New Hampshire for a spell, returning to Maine and eventually merging with the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay on the coast.

I grew up on that river many years ago. At one point of the film, Rocky Freda, a Maine guide and outfitter who utilizes the resources of the river in his business, tells viewers that few houses can be found built directly on the river because it once was so polluted, nobody wanted to live next to it. I did. I played on the banks of that river as a kid. I watched as the river went from one of the 10 filthiest to what it is today. It’s an incredible success story achieved mostly because the people wanted it to happen.

East by North East gives all a chance to witness the bounty this spectacularly scenic river now brings.

Still not complete, you’ll be entertained with legends and characters like Charlie Lowe, Will Gilson, Lefty Kreh and Rik Dow. There is nothing more entertaining than listening to Dow’s unique and often bizarre perspective on life in general, say nothing about fishing. Combine the two and you’ll walk away either scratching your head or laughing it off.

If all of this isn’t enough to capture your attention and hold it for 70 minutes, no other fly fishing film breaks between scenes with fishing tales as told by noted Maine humorist Joe Perham. I have to admit that the stories told in this movie are more on the line of “Tall Tales and Damned Lies” than the more believable fishing yarns often spun by some of Maine’s more colorful characters.

And to polish things off on a very complete and expansive movie, the camera zooms in on Charlie Lowe, to a face that has seen many years on the water, slipped on more rocks than most people see in their lifetime and caught more fish than………well, let’s just say he’s caught a lot of fish. His parting words to the camera, “Fish more and you’ll live longer.”

Now that’s complete!

If you would like to purchase a copy of East by North East you can find it at the following locations:

Online:
(soon) at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Store and,
Maine Guide Fly Shop

In Maine:
Aardvark Outfitters, Farmington
Eldredge Brothers Fly Shop, Cape Neddick
Fly Fishing Only, Fairfield
Maine Guide Fly Shop, Greenville (online available)
Sun Valley Sports, Bethel
Bear River Trading Post, Newry
Bethel Historic Society, Bethel
Tackle Shop, Portland
Van Raymonds, Brewer

In New Hampshire:
North Country Angler, Conway
WS Hunter, Concord
Fox Ridge Outfitters, Rochester

East by North East will be available at other fine tackle shops and outfitters, so check with your favorite store and see if they have a copy.

Tom Remington

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) along with co-sponsor Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) have introduced their own version of the House’s bill called, Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act. According to a press release by Sen. Whitehouse, the Act will accomplish three things.

The bill would direct the federal government to develop coordinated national strategies to identify, monitor, and protect or restore wildlife populations and habitats that are likely to be harmed by global warming;

It would also create a panel to advise us on what we should do.

The bill would create Advisory Boards, with members appointed by the President of the National Academy of Sciences, and a new National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center within the U.S. Geological Survey, to conduct research and provide scientific and technical advice on strategies to help wildlife, oceans, and coastal ecosystems adapt to global warming. A special panel would also be convened to look specifically at the impacts of climate change on endangered species (emboldening is added).

The bill would also provide funding in order to further study wildlife, oceans and habitat that are being affected by global warming. This money would also be used to implement programs to protect wildlife and habitat that are being affected by global warming.

We have certainly pressed the panic button in this society over global warming which is being proven time and again, day after day that it is just not scientifically supported. This is a hoax that is sure to bring billions of dollars into the pockets of scientific research and with this new proposed act would also distribute money to organizations to “implement programs” to counter global warming. And just where do you think that money will go?

I’ll give you one hint. The Defenders of Wildlife think this Act is a terrific idea and I’m sure other extreme environmental groups and animal rights groups will be jumping on this bandwagon.

This act is troubling in other ways as well. First of all, this appears to be another back door attempt to get federal government in control over state’s wildlife management programs. For decades the feds have, for the most part, recognized the 10th Amendment when it comes to managing wildlife programs and has butted out of allowing state sovereignty to prevail, with one exception being the Endangered Species Act.

Now all of a sudden because we have a group of emotionally charged people jumping on the global warming train ride, the state’s wildlife management programs are not good enough to deal with changes? State’s wildlife officials should be insulted as well as concerned. The feds want to take control over their wildlife and lands that provide the habitat.

The Endangered Species Act, as much as I think it is now outdated and in dire need of being revamped or axed, has sufficed lawmakers to this point in protecting threatened species. This act sounds like another way to put more power into the hands of the feds to further reduce hunting and fishing opportunities as well as outdoor pursuits all in the name of establishing habitat they claim is disappearing because of global warming.

Along with this grabbing up of more land for habitat protection comes the loss of individual property rights, say nothing of the millions of dollars that will be lost because of restrictions put on logging, mining and other businesses that rely on these lands.

Climateatrisk.com writes of the introduction of Whitehouse’s bill and describes the powers that would be granted to the appointed, not elected but appointed panel that would be in control.

The national strategy identifies specific goals and methods to protect, acquire and restore wildlife habitat in order to build resilience to global warming, and provide habitat linkages to facilitate wildlife movements in response to global warming. The National Strategy would also protect natural communities most vulnerable to global warming, and restore and protect ecological processes that sustain wildlife populations.

Does this language sound at all familiar? The Wildlands Project is an organization whose goals are to take land away from private landowners in order to create vast areas of land closed to humans and left for the “natural” use of wildlife at the expense of human productivity and freedom. The want wildlife to have the freedom to move about unimpaired by you and I owning land.

The Wildlands Project’s work to reconnect the continent begins with “MegaLinkages”–vast pathways that tie natural places together.

Within each continental MegaLinkage we propose regional systems of core protected areas connected to one another by “wildlife linkages,” mosaics of public and private lands that provide safe passageways for wildlife to travel freely from place to place.

Private land owners within proposed conservation planning areas are not bound in any way by our recommendations, but are encouraged to participate in voluntary actions to protect landscape linkages and native species.

It is not coincidental that the use of the word “linkages” is used in describing both goals by the Wildlands Project and the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act.

But it doesn’t stop here. Rocker Carole King, a wildlands/wilderness advocate, who I am told is friends with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, got her chance to meet with the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, to promote her agenda of creating more wilderness – described as the biggest wilderness creation act since the Alaska Land Act.

King is pushing the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act.

The bill, sponsored by New York Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays would designate as wilderness nearly 7 million acres in Montana, 9.5 million acres in Idaho, 5 million acres in Wyoming, 750,000 acres in eastern Oregon, and 500,000 acres in eastern Washington.

Another three million acres in Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks also would become wilderness, where no logging, road-building, motorized use, and new oil and gas drilling or new mining could take place.

Now that the Democrats, notorious for being environmentalists with little concern for economic welfare and property rights, are in charge, this is the kind of legislation they are trying to push through and it all goes hand in hand.

This Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act is unnecessary and will needlessly cost taxpayers billions of dollars. It will further inflate an already overinflated government that does not need more power over the states. We have brilliant scientists and biologists working all across this land protecting our wildlife and doing a commendable job. Let’s keep big government out.

This act will further tie up land deemed as critical habitat all in the name of global warming, a theory never proven scientifically to be valid. With those in charge fostering ideas that we need millions of square miles of unaccessible wilderness lands for animals is absurd and scientifically unfounded. This is Disney biology at its best.

We as hunters, fishermen and trappers witness first hand how our opportunities are shrinking on a daily basis when governments, pushed by environmental and animal rights groups, tie up land we use to hunt and fish on because of political hard balling.

To some this act may appear to be one that will work toward guaranteeing that we will continue to have game to hunt and fish. It is far from that. We have seen what an abuse of the Endangered Species Act has done for us and this Act will enhance the powers of those who administer the ESA. Is that what we want? Do we want left-wing environmentalists fear mongers further stripping us of hunting and fishing opportunities and taking land out of the hands of private citizens?

This act is not grounded in good scientific reasoning. It’s a means by which power hungry politicians can control the people using the fear of global warming to take away our land, our freedoms and our opportunities to prosper and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I would encourage everyone to contact their senators and congressmen and tell them the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act is nothing our country needs. If you believe your state has the ability to handle your wildlife management and that you believe the American dream is to own land and have the rights to use that land, speak up now.

Tom Remington

Well, we have finally decided to do it. Maine Fishing Today is happy to announce that Maine’s newest fishing forums are now open for discussion. We would like to invite everybody to swing on over and join up and jump in on the discussions. We also look forward to meeting a lot of you over there. Just click on the following link to visit. From there you must register in order to post. Enjoy!

www.mainefishingforums.com

Steve Remington

Got this heads-up from Murdoch at FlyFishMagazine. Take a look at it and follow the link over to FlyFishMagazine and get more details.
Tom Remington

A story about New Hampshire’s enduring tradition of coastal smelt fishing will be featured on The Outdoor Channel’s national broadcast of “Fish & Wildlife Journal” at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday,
January 17.

You can read more at Maine Outdoors Today’s, New Hampshire News section.

Tom Remington

Moldy Chum has the link to this much sought after video.

Tom Remington

Go here for more information.

East Bay Anglers 21st annual salt water fishing seminar – Barrington High School Auditorium, 7 p.m., January 10, 2006

Providence Boat Show – January 12-15, 2006

Fly Fishing Show, sponsored by the Fly Rod and Reel Magazine – January 20 -22, 2006, Royal Plaza Trade Center, Marlborough, MA.

Somerset Fly Fishing Show – Somerset, NJ – Garden State Exhibit Center, January 27, 28, 29, 2006.