This summer we asked a couple of our youth anglers who were going on some conservation-based trips to write a brief paragraph on why conservation is so important in the upcoming generation. Below are the answers to our question from both Silas and Karson as well as some photos from their trips. Alaska's next generation of fly anglers are dedicated to fly fishing and they know we have to protect and care for our fisheries so they will be strong for years to come. Alaska Fly Fishing Goods is so happy to help support our young anglers as they grow up chasing their dreams.
Silas : Costa Rica Tarpon, Trout and Paccau
I was fortunately blessed to have the opportunity to go on a 100% free fly fishing and conservation trip to Costa Rica. But I needed help before hand. I'm extremely grateful to have Alaska Fly Fishing Goods as my local fly shop to always have equipment and advice to help me pursue my young fly fishing journeys. They truly helped me understand and love the passion more for conservation and fly fishing. Whether it's picking up old fishing line at the creek in town or its trash cleanups after fishing for jungle tarpon I will always be a part of conservation no matter because its important to give back to the places we fish no matter where, when or why. Taking my angler skills into a foreign country for the first time was a little overwhelming but I know I had support from AFFG and that made all the difference. From flies to gear or just simple advice it went a long way. Ill always be grateful for this opportunity and my local fly shop that truly supports young anglers like me.
Karson : Klamath River TU Restoration
I chose to participate in the Trout Unlimited expedition trip to the Klamath river because I thought it was very interesting how fast fish species made a comeback after the largest dam removal project in history. I hoped to get more knowledge on why conservation is important and why is it even more important for younger generations. What I got out of it is I learned the process of what needs to happen after a major dam removal, what we can do to try and improve our environment and how important beavers are to the ecosystems. And the big question, “Why is conservation important for kids my age?” Well younger generations are going to inherit the consequences from degradation and will have to learn to manage a world with limited resources. So the more that younger generations see how important conserving our environment is, the better chance we have in the future to keep a clean and healthy ecosystem that everything can live and thrive in.
