Fly Fishing In The Environment

OK, fly fishers -- this one’s for you... I live with a few fly fishers. They are a passionate bunch. Passionate about their waterways, their love of nature, and they are passionate about how they fish -- catch and release. On any given day during the season, lifesize suspendered waders and heavy wading boots hang dripping from the rafters of the garage. Hooks, feathers and fishing line find their way into their tackle boxes and deposited onto the floor around their fly-tying spaces.

When this New York Times article, Fly Fishers Serving as Transports for Noxious Little Invaders flew across my computer, I ran to see if their boots were felt-soled. According to the article, “Growing scientific evidence suggests that felt, which helps anglers stay upright on slick rocks, is also a vehicle for noxious microorganisms that hitchhike to new places and disrupt freshwater ecosystems.”

Apparently, going feltless comes at a cost to the fly fisher. Rubber is slippery and dangerous for those who wade on rocks. Some fly fishers are reluctant to give up their felt (yay, not my guys), despite the havoc that “rock snot” imparts on the environment.

This may seem incidental in the scheme of our recent environmental disasters, but all of these small environmental threats caused by humans add up. So, let's join Orvis, the biggest fly-fishing retailer in saying, “Change your boots and help fight the spread of invasive species.”

(Also, anyone want to share more about "rock snot"? I'm a bit out of my league here.)

Credits: Ben Scott

Set Adrift: Driftwood Projects For The Nest

There’s something nostalgic about driftwood. It’s already lived a whole other life before it was uprooted from the ground and set adrift to sea. The sand, wind, water and waves have a way of uniquely weathering the patina of fallen wood like no manmade finish can do. Driftwood Rack

The DIY Driftwood Rack from Sunset is simple, beautiful and free. It’s the same idea as this coat rack.

Driftwood Headboard

This rustic handcrafted headboard lined up next to the linen bedding, created by artisan Trisha Rose, sets a calming bedroom mood. Doesn’t it?

Driftwood Table

This one-of-kind table made from a piece of driftwood we found along the shores of the Hudson River (see, you thought I was only partial to the ocean), sports a slab top of black walnut from a downed tree found on our property. Here’s a tutorial for making driftwood tables. We left out the polyurethane and used Gorilla Glue, which is non-toxic after it dries.

Driftwood Wall Art

My Uncle Danny was a master of reuse. His renditions of eco-art could be found all over the nooks and crannies of his seaside home that my cousin, Amy and her family now live in. He created this piece in the 1960’s, and it is still displayed on an outside wall of the home.

Note: Before you head out beachcombing for driftwood, check your local state beach authority for regulations about collecting scavenged wood.

Credits: All Driftwood Furniture, Sunset, Cabin On The Water

More beach-inspired projects: Beachcombing With a Purpose: 2 DIY Shell Projects DIY Decorating With Nautical Knots What The Sea Left Behind Sun Senses: Beach Inspired Home Decor

Close To The Nest

I recently published an article, For Every Bird An Empty Nest: A Knitted Nest To Make with the knitting pattern for the nest above, and a peek into my feelings about my own empty nest. While in the process of creating that post, I came across so many vibrant images of nests, both real and imagined. Here are a few:

Andy Goldsworthy Nest

Leftover Yarn Nest via Flickr

Knitted/Felted Nest

Felted Nesting Bowls (pattern)

Lotus Nesting Bowls

Lucinne Day Vintage Fabric Nest

Nils-Udo Nest

What's happening in your nest?