Bob Boese: Lead Sinkers and the Environment

[Fatman]

Being one that followed the whole non-sense from the beginning I couldn't agree more. I still have the original document from the Federal Register for the public comment period. And the amount of lead they say is lost?? well lets just say I have the same 1/2 oz sinker that was on my catfish pole during the season.

As Bob said the studies were WAY flawed and it has come out that they were, but it hasn't stopped the non-sense. Up here in Vermont sinkers to be lead have to be 1/2 oz or more, jigs are okay (but the small pure lead panfish ones they want you to use something other than lead).

The original study went on to say that cost to home molders of sinkers, jigs, split shot etc. wouldn't be more than $40 a YEAR, yes YEAR!!!!! Yeah well I got news for them, just pricing to get a NON_LEAD mix of
70% Bismuth/ 30% tin which will mean a 1/2 oz sinker only weighs about 2/3rds of a real lead sinker the cost per lb is about $17, but you have to buy a minimum of 5 pounds with some companies, and others have a minimum of 50 lbs because they have to make that mix it's a special order.

I've switched the split shot to tin cause here in VT we have to and my less than 1/2 oz sinkers I have to buy cause I don't have the money to switch to Non-Lead yet, but my large sinkers and jigs are pure lead or tire weight lead. If my state bans it I'm in BIG TROUBLE as my stock of clean lead will be worth about 35-45 cents a lb.

Fatman

[Rawthumb]

It is another instance of people with an agenda trying to manufacture some scientific basis to support it and achieve a ban on what somewhat else does.

Voodoo justification.

[Buddy Sanders]

Nice to see a different prospective on this issue.

Seems like everyone always wants to jump on the environmental bandwagon, regardless of little things like the truth or common sense.

Fatman,

Don't give up. If it gets bad up there in the peoples republic, you can always relocate to someplace where personal freedom is still a possibility. We fish all year here in Arizona, and LOTS of custom jig and lure makers do well out here selling to the bass guys....

Buddy

[hap]

Last fall during the Alaska Fly Fishers' Kenai River Clean-up a friend and I worked a short section of beach right at the mouth of the Russian River. I personally picked up about 30 pounds of lead. Jeff picked up almost as much. We did not dive for the lead, either. I cannot imagine how much lead must be just offshore...

The idea the lead is not there on heavily fished waters is false.

But the idea the lead is active is a whole other notion.

The lead settles downriver and to bedrock on the Kenai River and will corrode when different metals settle in contact. The motion on the bottom will certainly reduce the ability of the lead to maintain an oxide coat and resist corrosion...

By way of explanation, the Russian River is one of the most heavily fished waters in the World. Fly-fishing only during the red salmon runs with a standard rig of a #2 coho fly with a sinker at least 18" above. Rubber core, slinky and tubing leads rule with 1/2 oz a common size. It is tough on good rods.
art

[Mato Kuwapi]

Ha...I started mine around the same time you started yours. I didn't hit the send button until much later though...computer crashed.

here's the link http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=26289