About

Conservation & Stewardship

WHY MIND THE REDD?

More and more people are angling along treasured streams, lakes, and oceans. Other industries and environmental factors pose risk to our finite watersheds. These trends suggest a collective impact that poses an ever increasing threat to the fisheries we love. As a global community of  anglers, may we all work collectively to politely inform novice anglers about wild fish reproduction, and to pass on a legacy of conservation and stewardship in hopes that we all mind the redd. To paraphrase President Theodore Roosevelt: They are our fish, but they are not all our fish; they belong to the womb of time.

Wild Alaskan rainbow trout – Mind the Redd data-recalc-dims=" />
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Redds are the nests fish make to provide safety for their eggs & alevins. By learning to spot and avoid walking on or among areas ripe with redds, anglers can dramatically reduce mortality percentages. Creating gravel nests amid current, laying eggs, competing with other would-be suitors, fertilizing eggs, and remaining wary of predators are each and all a taxing set of tasks. Both male and female fish expend tremendous amounts of energy during the spawn. These fish are also likely to take flies, lures, and bait to defend their nest – making them especially vulnerable to being caught. By choosing to hold our casts and leave fish be in these situations, anglers can dramatically reduce negative impacts on wild fish reproduction.

Mind the Redd – for future generations data-recalc-dims=" />
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“Holier-than-thou”

What Mind The Redd Is Not

Mindtheredd is not about creating a set absolute rules or expectations for every watershed, species, nor situation. Rather, our intent is to encourage awareness, thoughtful consideration, and respectful dialogue around angling practices beyond governmental regulations. The only fine lines are the regulations. We understand and respect the many “shades of redd” in the wide world of angling.

Mindtheredd is not a message with a “holier-than-thou” spirit, nor a way for one angler to “call out” another using social media. Much the opposite, the message was very intentionally built with an inclusive and positive spirit of respect for both the fish we pursue and the anglers with whom we share the water. We started the hashtag because we were tired of the shame games on social media and the conflicts on the water. We were equally exhausted by watching uninformed anglers unknowingly doing damage to our treasured waters. We saw a need for a common message to more immediately and politely alert novice or uninformed anglers to the matter. Trust us, in terms of ethics, tradition, best practices, and common sense on all these matters, we’ve made about every mistake in the book. Our position is anything but high and mighty, but our goal is honest. And we hope it builds ongoing strength.