On Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:33:51 -0600, Willi Loehman
wrote:

I was walking along the river and saw what looked like a bird hovering
in a strange manner over the water. I got out my camera to get a picture
and while taking the picture I realized it was a bird stuck in some mono.

I went down the bank to try and get it loose. It was hung up fairly high
and I couldn't reach the bird so I used the butt of my flyrod to pull
down the limb. The bird was thrashing fiercely caught by a loop of
knotted mono leader around its wing. The wing was bleeding as well as
it's mouth where it was trying to bite the line. The bird was frantic
and I gave the bird my rod to bite while I used my nippers to cut the
mono close to its wing. I was wondering what I was going to do with this
injured kingfisher but when I cut the mono, it flew off before it hit
the water. Hoping it will be OK.

We've all heard of the dangers to wildlife caused by discarded mono but
this was the first time I saw the results in person. It looked like the
fly fisherman had snagged his fly up in the tree and when he broke it
off, a good portion of the butt section remained in the tree dangling
down in a loop. The kingfisher must have gotten its wing caught while
diving for a fish.

I've left mono in branches with snagged flies before (sometimes there's
"no" choice). Made me think and will make me be more careful.

Willi

This is one of the reasons I've been against "light tackle" for years,
when "light" means marginally-light or too light for the targeted
quarry, which some consider sporting. It's bad enough breaking off at
or near the fly/lure/hook, but breaking off a bunch of mono is never a
good thing. FWIW, there are devices that you can use to get as close as
possible to an underwater snag and cut the line - you lose the "lure"
you were going to lose anyway (although sometimes they can free a stuck
lure - not so much smaller flies, but...), but you keep as much mono out
of the water as possible.

When mono is still attached, it's fishing line, when it isn't, it's just
more dangerous trash that ought not be left behind.

TC,
R