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The Fly Fishing Film Tour - F3T

The Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) is back after a very successful year last year, which was highlighted by a 40 percent growth in attendance. This year's tour is scheduled to stop in over 100 cities, offering individuals all over North America a chance to view some of the finest fly fishing films in production. Show proceeds will benefit further fly fishing film making efforts by donating over $30,000 to film makers.

Fly Fishing Film Tour

This year, the tour is currently featuring 7 films with more expected as the tour progresses. The tour kicks on January 26, 2012 in Ventura, CA at the Majestic Ventura Theatre. The tour will conclude almost a full year later on December, 12 in Providence, RI, though there is currently a six month gap in the schedule after the Boyne Falls, MI tour date on June 3rd.

Pennsylvania State Capitol Building

Advocates for tighter regulations and appropriate taxation of drilling operations within the State of Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region have announced plans to rally at the State Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg next Tuesday, January 17th. The goal of the rally is to urge legislators, who will be returning to work after a winter break, to reject House Bill 1950 and Senate Bill 1100. Both bills have been sharply criticized by environmental and conservation groups for failing to set adequate regulations on drilling operations, failing to adequately tax energy companies and for removing from local governments the power to regulate drilling operations.

Organizers of the rally also have plans to hold a virtual rally online for those who are unable to attend the rally in person. As an alternative to the two rallies, organizers are asking supporters to call their representatives on the day of the rally, urging them to reject HB 1950 and SB 1100, both of which may potentially come to a vote this month.

Best Fishing Sunglasses of 2011

It's not everyday that you begin a feature with a definition of one of the words in the title. Still, here we go. Best [best]: (adj.) A standout amongst counterparts; of the highest quality, excellence or standing. Now that you know what we think "best" means, take note that these are our opinions. None of us are opthalmologists, optometrists or otherwise experts on optics, nor can any of us every recall claiming to be so. That said, we wear a lot of fishing sunglasses and consider it very serious business. Trust me, if you're otherwise obsessed with gear -- and you're not currently obsessing over sunglasses -- boy, are you missing out.

Frivolous obsessions aside, however, sunglasses are one of the most important and crucial pieces of gear in a fisherman's arsenal. While it's certainly not always true in fishing that you can't catch what you can't see, vision is one of the key aspects of the game. Sunglasses play a key role in how good your vision on the water is, so there's a lot to be said for getting it right.

The few selections that follow are our favorite of the glasses we tested during this past year. Some of these are new to market, some are not.

Blake Klopfenstein of Cleanline Sportfishing Tofino releasing a winterrun steelhead on a remote system in Clayquot Sound, BC.

For the second time in recent months, the results of a study testing samples of salmon collected in British Columbia has shown alleged evidence of the lethal salmon virus, Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA). Results released late last year, from a study at Simon Fraser University, showed evidence of ISA in two wild sockeye salmon collected from the waters of Rivers Inlet, British Columbia. Most recently, results of a tests at Canada's Pacific Biological Station were made public at an evidentiary hearing at the Cohen Commission in Vancouver and reported by the The Westerly. As detailed by the station's head of molecular genetics, Dr. Kristi Miller, test results indicate that ISA - or a variation of it - is present in British Columbia salmon.

The test conducted by the Pacific Biological Station inspected samples of Chinook salmon from farming operations in B.C., which exhibited evidence of the ISA virus. In fact, Dr. Miller indicated that 25% of all samples tested positive for ISA. Dr. Miller also indicated that ISA-positive samples from 1986 were also detected by the test, indicating that ISA has been present in B.C. waters for over 25 years.

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