On August 23, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was petitioned by the Center for Biological Diversity and four other organizations to ban all lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This includes sinkers, jigs, weighted fly line, and components that contain lead such as brass and ballast in a wide variety of lures, including spinners, stick baits and more. click to submit your opinion I highly suggest that you send this to everyone you know. This is one way they will try to stop fishing and hunting. Put this on all the fishing forums you know of. This has to be stopped.
Actual story minus the BS
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCramAIeFnoLFi0z49hPQAC6CrPQD9HSOB100
I got that story from Keep America Fishing.org The EPA refused to consider the ammo ban, but it IS reviewing the lead lures, weights etc… from FISHING.
They backed off the ammunition portion earlier this week. But they are still considering the fishing. Gotta love the EPA and the man running it, eh?
Lead is in just about all crankbait, flies, weights, bobbers, hooks (besides steel hooks used mostly in salt water)…swivels, spinners, splitters, you name it…it would virtually wipe out conventional anglers, and put the hurt on many fly collectors as well. Many flies we have are weighted with lead. However there are some that are going to another way to weight their flies, like tungsten…the prices for such a change are astronomical compared to lead. To go to stainless steel wiring or something would really raise prices through the roof. I have a ton of brass beads I use for fly tying. Those who have stockpiles of tying beads etc…would be up a creek. Hopefully they will see this will put people out of work, and they will not push this issue.
Interesting. I have been trying to use non-lead sinkers and weight on flies I tye. This past week when I was fishing the Eastern Sierra, I must have picked up 5 lbs of lead sinkers that were dropped or discarded along creek and river banks, not to mention all the fishing line left behind. If we just police ourselves the Feds wouldn’t have to get involved. My 2 cents.
Here’s what they do in Vermont
It’s not that hard to live with
if i collect them, frame them and dont use them, whats the harm??
if they are made of brass or tungsten, whats the harm here also??
stainless steel wire probably cant be wound around the diameter of the hook shank as easily as lead or tin wire thus it would be unusable.
I’m not a big fan of over regulation, but in this case, I tend to agree. Lead in the water is not good and there are suitable alternatives. There are probably fewer alternatives to lead in amunition and the NRA is a lot bigger than any fishing organizations. Maybe would should start the NFA (National Fishing Association) to lobby for us.
here we go again.
Anyone wanna chime in on the lack of real science in the harm of cast-off lead? Or should we just post links to all of the posts which have covered this in the past.
Tungsten is expensive because it is less used. If it became the only option, prices would come down as more people wanted them… Economics 101.
A lot of brass has small concentrations of lead in it. It is possible to get lead free brass. One of the stories I read included brass in the ban. I was not aware of this until today. Fly collecting…I meant those with huge amounts of flies for fishing…like me…a few boxes of flies, and the amount keeps growing. I was thinking of spinners when I said stainless steel wire. I have ss wire for some things, and they do make a lead free weighting type wire for your flies if you choose. I think if they want to phase it out in the future, fine. But to ban it no. Why not just stop selling lead fishing stuff in the future, but all the old stuff is grandfathered in? Otherwise people who have large collections of lures and flies won’t have wasted a ton on money on them. Just a thought. (By in the FUTURE…I mean once our country gets back on it’s feet…the economy is too bad to even CONSIDER such a ban right now, in my opinion)
banned or not, people will still use whatever they want! cant police every single sportsman 24-7-365!
lead police
feather police
whats next
A perfect example is Hevishot used now in many Turkey Loads. $35 a box vs $12 a box for standard shot. They can keep their over-regulation.
It’s “feel good” legislation. It makes the politicians/beauracrats and their constituents, think they’re actually doing something. Meanwhile, corporations can still get away with putting toxins in our water. I think i’ll stick with my lead eyes, lead shot, lead core lines…
I understand the issue, but not the Government’s singling out sportsmen. My point: lead mines, mostly in the American West, leach tons of lead tailings into ground water, lakes, and streams. And, unless things have changed, the Feds won’t force mine owners- if said owners still exist- to clean up their mess. A couple of split shot don’t do a darn thing compared to them.
Chuck
Actually, I think they know it’s “feel good” legislation but it will get favorable press with the non-outdoor crowd and they think it only affects a few hunters and fisherman who were the first of their family to walk upright.
Don’t forget the felt police!
Being that I’m not a purist Fly Fisherman GASP!!! I’m directly concerned about bans on lead. I pour my own jigs and sinkers and I’ve been doing it for well over 30 years. What we do in Vermont isn’t too bad as it still allows us to pour our own jigs, but states around us are tougher.
The anti’s are gonna get behind this big time!!! If they can ban the lead in fishing it’ll wipe out many business’s that can’t afford to switch to different materials.
Fatman
Hopefully
I agree completely. Thanks for t he thoughts. To even consider something like this in THIS ECONOMY right now is just ludicrous. I have all kinds of lead products too.
So when do they ban lead pencils??? Next, regulate how much toilet paper you may use at any given time