I mean, really. Are we so hard up for consumable news that we have to look into every little possible twist we can get in order to drum up some bad press about one of America's favorite traditional pastimes? This is a stretch at the very least, and I'm surprised at the people jumping on that particular buzz bandwagon. Really.

It would be easy to say that this strategy of spreading a fictitious ban story is all about trying to get Obama out of the White House. But I'll bet it's really much simpler and more primal than that. I think, like so many things, it's about money. Fox is in the business of selling space. The space they sell surrounds news. The more people who read, watch or listen to that news, the more valuable the space is around it, and thus the more money is made on that space being sold. In my work, I recommend that my clients try their darnedest to do this sort of thing all the time. I call it building audience, and Fox is really expert at doing so.

While we're on the subject, it seems that both sides of the argument are benefiting from this bit. To entertain yourself, do a quick Google search on "Obama Fishing Ban". You'll find there is no shortage of news articles covering this issue, all selling the audience generated by this buzz storm. Genius. Absolute genius.

Panic sells, and it doesn't matter what the topic, you can always find someone willing to panic about it, and they will always be willing to tell their panicky friends about it as well. There is an art to creating stories that incite panic, but once you've found the formula, it's easy to do it over and over again, like leaves falling from the money tree in a perpetual Autumn media forest.

In the meantime, the folks getting their panties in a bunch about this might want to settle down and get a grip. It doesn't take much to see what's going on here. So don't be a part of the media's latest realization of how they can become a part of the multi-billion dollar, multi-million consumer/audience fishing industry - one of the only industries in America that is growing during the recession. 

April 1st, the season opened for trout. That date is somewhat arbitrary, yes. After all, most of the good water around here has at least one or two good stretches of all-year, catch-and-release fishing. Not only that, but the water level, speed and temperature puts a damper on most fishermen's plans well into mid-April. So what about that date?

In the end, April 1 is one big sign of Spring trout fishing, along with small green plant sprouts poking through the dirt and snow, Robins bouncing around my very small yard, and this:

The appearance of a beaver lodge and his dam are not necessarily signs of Spring. However, being able to see his artwork, and also the level country he left behind as he cropped and milled the territory he claimed for himself are all a result of the snow having disappeared pretty well for good. We can now see the handywork that was, for a long time, under white camouflage. 

This critter is a new resident here on the river. He got a lot of work done, presumably prior to winter, in preparation for a pretty long and what I would imagine would be warm and cozy nap.

The way the ice creeps up over the banks in big chunks, digging up the surrounding ground is often fairly violent. But I guess he had a plan that worked out. His little hut was in tact, untouched by the destructive ice from the river.

Two dams, two new ponds, a nice yard and a muddy lodge with an underwater driveway and indoor plumbing. What more could a little beaver ask for. Nice work, buddy.

In the area? Wanna have a look for yourself? Here it was: