Reel Deal Anglers

We cannot allow this type on mining to poison our rivers!!!!! See link below.

http://jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=8225

Please see this link to further explain how the Phosphate mining is polluting our rivers.

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2011/02/phosphate-mining-sealing-southern-idahos-fate.html

Pollution from a phosphate mine in southeast Idaho and near Star Valley is causing deformities in fish populations, including two-headed trout, conservation groups say.

Images of two-headed cutthroat trout and other deformed fish come from a 1,200-page report by J.R. Simplot Company that the company produced in an attempt to skirt Idaho Department of Environmental Quality selenium pollution rules, said Marv Hoyt, Idaho director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The fish were found in tributaries of the Salt River, which drains into Palisades Reservoir.

Simplot officials deny knowledge of the photographs.

The element selenium is a byproduct of phosphate mining. The element is an essential human nutrient in small doses but is a known toxin at higher doses. Selenium has been blamed for a number of livestock die-offs near phosphate mines in southeast Idaho, including 600 sheep and 18 head of cattle, Hoyt said.

The deformed fish come from Sage Creek and Crow Creek near the Smoky Canyon Mine, about 10 miles west of Afton, Hoyt said. Crow Creek is one of the major tributaries of the Salt River.

The Smoky Canyon Mine is a Superfund site, and Simplot hoped the report would help the company avoid paying the “tens of millions of dollars to clean it up,” Hoyt said.

Just before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality signed off on the Simplot report, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Joseph Skorupa reviewed the document and found serious problems, Hoyt said. Skorupa, an expert on selenium pollution, found that “in a nutshell, [Simplot scientists] misapplied a lot of the data, they failed to appropriately use … models and therefore, their conclusions are very questionable,” Hoyt said.

Indeed, in a 154-page critique entitled Technical Review: Smoky Canyon Mine Site-Specific Selenium Criterion Report, Skorupa found Simplot researchers underestimated how many fish would be deformed in waters adjacent to the Smoky Canyon Mine. The research on trout was “systematically biased low and [used an] environmentally unrealistic quantification of larval deformity rates,” Skorupa said in his critique. In other parts of the critique, Skorupa calls specific techniques used by the Simplot researchers “highly questionable” and said they used “confounded data.” Simplot refused to supply raw data for Skorupa to review, he reported. Three independent peer reviewers agreed with more than 94 percent of Skorupa’s conclusions.

Skorupa’s review shows there were more deformities than Simplot researchers were willing to admit, Hoyt said. “There were literally hundreds and hundreds of deformities in fish subjected to selenium concentrations in those streams, streams that are directly affected by the Smoky Canyon phosphate mine,” he said.

Simplot officials denied knowledge of two-headed fish.

“We’re not aware of any two-headed fish near our facilities,” Simplot spokesman David Cuoio said. “I’m not sure who took those pictures or where they were taken.”

Please click on the link below to enjoy some great shots from recent fishing trips with our friends/clients, Mike, Matt and Wes.

https://plus.google.com/photos/101032726990656499862/albums/5701745697809265649?authkey=CPe8stSkpZPh8AE

A water supply specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service says recent snowfall has improved the snowpack in the state.  Lee Hackleman says snowpack is 92 percent of normal statewide after sitting at 80 percent earlier this month.

As always Fish Creek is still producing the finest quality cutthroat this Fall.

And It’s always nice to spend the time on this creek with great fishers like Jody and Stan Reiman!

We are all about the finest quality fishing here at Reel Deal Anglers.

Here is guide Allen Riley with a 24″ New Fork brown!!

Check out this extremely colorful monster of a Brookie caught on Fish Creek by  Stan Reiman!

The badass Johnny Chase with a football of a Cutty!

Jody Reiman is one of the finest women casters I have ever seen and caught several fish of this quality.

Ben Sessions seemed to enjoy around a 25 fish day his 1st time on the Snake River .

We both could not have come away from the river with a better feeling!!

Fishing with Karen and Roy on this day was truly exciting.

After lunch we were hailed on with a little lightening that put our rods down.

But once it passed the weather was beautiful and fishing was on!!!

This was yesterday with Tess who seemed to have out fished her husband Brad by a long shot.

Especially with this 17″ to end the day!!

The fishing on the Snake River has been magical this weekend with May Fly hatches in full swing

I have to say it has been two of the best days of my season spent with Jeff, Sean, and Matt.

We celebrated They’re combined 40th birthday by fishing hard for 2 days and had a blast!

Beautiful genetically pure Cutty!!

Here we have Matt Costello holding a fatty of a Cutthroat on Fish Creek.

Fish of this size and larger are being caught regularly!

This cloudy afternoon on the New Fork with the Statter’s was fantastic and brought on some great fishing!

Another gorgeous day on the Snake and we are finding more and more fish of consistant size and color,

God I love the Snake in September!!

Fishing with clients Ben and Gary for a couple days reminded me once again why I’m a fishing guide.

They were so appreciative of the experience and they caught big fish!

Just another beautiful day out on Fish Creek at the Snake River Ranch!

Another classic catch of a Cutthroat from out behind a boulder on Fish Creek.