Last night I got a call from a friend who asked me to check out a website. "Make sure you're sitting down" he said. What I saw was humorous at first but then began to set me off. The unnamed writer(they're always unnamed) mentioned "a well known Millers River guide" who has a Millers River Online Fly Shop (guess that's me)and derives income from it. Well, he got that right. Now for the bullshit:
"A person that I personally never seen involved with any groups to make the Millers River better, help stock the Millers River, be part of cleaning up the Millers River or for any other productive activity involving the Millers River other than his selfish gain".
To the nameless writer who didn't bother to fact check. Here's my Millers River Resume:
President, Deerfield/Millers Chapter of TU 1987-1990.
Signed the original petition for C&R on the Millers.
Organized volunteers to work with the DFW in electro-shocking sampling on the Millers in 1989 and 1990.
Conducted a joint effort with the Millers River Watershed Council to sample the ENTIRE RIVER for oxygen content for two years running.
Conducted creel surveys to support brown trout stocking of the proposed C&R sections.
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, Millers River Watershed Council 1993 to 1996.
Organized the above mentioned oxygen study.
Conducted two "clean up" days along the Millers.
The MRWC found the source of an illegal spill on the upper Millers. Our work was rewarded by a court ordered check for $7500 which was part of the penalty.
Worked on the MRWC DAM SURVEY - an inventory of every dam in the Millers Watershed.
Got the MRWC involved in the Atlantic Salmon Spring stocking of the Miller.
President and Vice President of the Millers River Chapter of Trout Unlimited 2003 2006.
Realized in 2002 that the DFW had stopped stocking browns in the Millers because of "pcb's". I told them that issue was addressed and resolved in 1991(I was there!) and that ending the brown stocking without public notice may have been an illegal act. They agreed to continue stocking browns in 2003.
Organized, with Ken Simmons of the DFW, the first TU/DFW brown trout stocking in the two C&R sections. Actively involved in this effort until 2008 when I moved out of the area.
So there you go, unnamed writer. That's 25 years of environmental activism in that watershed, which I'll measure against any other effort, and I'm still at it. And stop saying that the Millers was a polluted river "20 years ago". You know nothing about the Millers 20 years! Nothing!!! Your comment is insulting!! Why would TU volunteers and the DFW fight for C&R classification, let alone stock, a polluted river 20 years ago!!! What are you thinking??????
Unnamed writer - come out of the shadows and send me a private email. My address is on this site. Show me and my readers what you're made of. Maybe you'll be enlightened. If you don't "come out" then SHUT UP!!!
Enough of this. Time to scout the Millers!!
Ken
18 comments:
Ken,
Good for you to speak up on this. I'm sure we're all dying here to know of this other website.
PM me, I'd be curious to check it out!
Thanks- BT
BT,
Shoot me an email. I can't find your address. I'll give you the skinny on this.
Ken
Ken,
I would not want worry about this clown. Keep up the good work.
Bob
Thank You Bob!
Ken
Sir I have been following your blog for over a year now and can honestly say that fellow is not worth your time. You are a steward of the Millers and Swift rivers. Please keep up the great work!
Ken,
I had no idea of the depth of your involvement on the Millers. Good for you! I simply appreciate you for the good naturedness of your blog, the substance of your posts, and wisdom handling all comers. Keep up the good work.
As I read it I don't see it as an attack on your resume, that was a tiny part of the theme. It is about childish behavior of throwing stones at other peoples efforts from your past post. I guess you can't expect people to not respond when you do that. From what I gathered you left in bad terms and truthfully it shows in your writing.
Anonymous,
It was a lame attempt to say that I benefit from the Millers but have never done anything to help the Millers. I quoted the writer and proved him wrong.
If someone decides to toss history into the trash and starts renaming pools on the Millers I'll speak up. If I believe that I see questionable activities then I will report them. It may not make me popular but I don't care.
When I first published my Millers Guide in 2008 I had come to a conclusion: If I wanted to help this river I needed to find more friends for this river and that meant introducing more fly fishers to the river. And that meant going beyond the local watershed because there are not that many fly
fishers there.
It worked. On any given day the majority of cars at the popular spots are not local. They are long distance fly fishers and they got there by reading this blog, seeing my slideshows on the Millers and by reading the Guide.
How does this help the Millers? If there was a threat (like in 2002, please read my post)I can sound the alarm on this blog and post a link for an email attack to correct the situation like we did on the EB of the Westfield last year. I can send an email to close to a thousand fly fishers asking for help if need be. This certainly beats working in the slow motion confines of a "Group" where most want to talk about raffle items and waging war against beavers or having to do it all yourself as in 2002. I lost my patience with groups. That's where the "bad terms" come from.
Ken
P.S. There's nothing "childish" about maintaining the truth.
As an avid reader of your blog and the utmost respect for all the work you have done for the Millers River.
BUT I am very surprise with your kneejerk reactions towards any group that mentions anything contrary to your opinions. It’s as if you've conceded that the pie is only so big, and that you need to defend yourself to stay afloat.
And, by the way, all this “my information is better than yours” is a moot argument, apparently this is what started it all.
It’s short-sighted. There’s still plenty to go around whether you agree or not.
We all have to tune into the real issues, like conservation, access, and good fishing. We need to protect this, and make the Millers River better, together.
Let’s put the turf wars aside, and do what’s right for all by working together…
Anonymous,
I agree BUT when my record is distorted in print I will react!
When a rivers historical legacy is changed because someone wants to rename pools I will react.
When someone writes that the Millers was a polluted river "20 years ago" I will react.
The above are examples of recent falsehoods. I could be politically correct and just let them go but I'M NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT. I tell the truth and have done so since 1985 when I first started working for this river.
Ken
Ken, your Miller's resume is impressive. Even if you had done none of this, there is nothing wrong with deriving an income in the manner that you do. You do so in a respectful and environmentally responsible manner. NEVER worry about someone who complains anonymously. These cowards always have balls the size of a #28 midge. Your reports and observations further the enjoyment of the sport for all that read here. Thank you for your hard work and I hope to hire you for a day this Spring. Scott
Scott,
Thank you. Yours is a majority opinion. Looking forward to meeting you.
Ken
I've been fishing this river for 32 years. I love the Millers and I explore new spots all the time. I did join TU a while ago and I don't think it's fair to take shots at TU as a group, if a member says something, it's that members voice, not the whole group.
I work details, stock fish, clean the river on my own, and will continue to do so. I do it so I can enjoy the fishing, and others can as well. Ultimately, that's why we fish. To enjoy the outdoors and the wildlife. Stop the bad comments about Groups, such as TU.
Don't you guys who call yourselves "Anonymous" have any names??
TU - I know TU (President of two different chapters) and I stopped thinking of it as a sacred cow long ago. The local guys have the best intentions BUT the upper levels don't have your interests at heart.
Ken
Sorry, My name is Raymond L.Y.
didn't mean to upset you by not adding my name.
Ken,
Thanks for all you do. I would have never discovered the Millers if not for this blog, your guide and the usefull hints published.
Toby
Hi Ken,
I lurk here occasionally, but this is my first post. I no longer fish much, just don't have the time. But I fell in love with the Millers River about 18 years ago, after I returned from a trip visiting a friend from Montana.
I guess I was looking for a place in the area that reminded me of my friend (she lost a battle to cancer shortly after our trip). The Millers did it for me. I didn't catch anything, I didn't care. I was happy just wading, truth be told.
When I retire I do plan on getting back to fishing again, and the Millers is where I'll start. In the meantime thanks much for this site, especially the pictures.
-Jim G, Westminster MA
You're the man! Keep it going buddy.
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