APRIL - What's on your work bench?

Dave.....love that carving......how deep did you relieve them?.....got anymore pictures of it?.....I'd love to try that myself....like you I collect driftwood and am always looking for something to do with it that neat.....


Steve
 
Dave,
Very cool, Like Bob I'm always collecting flat prices of drift wood. Now you got me thinking.


BTW, for any of you East Coast fisherman the book "Menhaden.. The Most Important Fish In The Sea" is a must read. After reading it you will better appreciate the lowly bunker and it's importance in the ecosystem.
For bass it's not just what's for breakfast.


Phil
 
Thanks for the kind words gents. I volunteer a lot of time doing fisheries conservation work and menhaden are really getting the short end of the stick in this region. I donated this carving for a Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland Chapter banquet. It did well that night and now on May 5th in Alexandria VA, I'll be testifying on behalf of these fish, and will hopefully be supported by a number of fishermen in the room. the long and the short of it is one company is allocated 80% of the entire atlantic coast's harvest and the managers don't take the ecocsystem based roll of menhaden into account in the management scheme.

I did my initial carving with a foredom, then finished it with a gouge and a knife. The wood burner came in handy too, and of course I did some sanding.

it's not a very cleanly finished piece, but I thought that matched the wood.

The paint is goldens heavy body acrylics and I added some pearl iridescence as well.

Glad you all like it.
924122_992572087433429_977560481_n.jpg


11055826_805538842834165_482166081_n.jpg



11015566_1423123214650120_596001124_n.jpg


11023234_670984203006106_826360539_n.jpg


11055950_821570407918416_36122171_n.jpg

 
Good homage to the mossbunker-the most overly exploited and least regulated/protected in the fishery. Without them, i think the rest of the fishery would begin to collapse. They deserve more than being chummed into fertilizer!
 
Nice job Dave. You are right, menhaden, bunker or pogies, are a very under appreciated fish. The Franklin book on Menhaden is great. I think that book says that between menhaden and oysters that all of the water in the Chesapeake Bay was filtered every day in the time of Capt. John Smith and Pocahontas. They reported the water was clean and clear. Menhaden were the foundation of most of the productive fisheries along the coast from Maine to Florida. They've been over harvested to the point that they can barely sustain the population. So nice job also defending the fish.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks guys. Oysters are worse off than menhaden, and they both play VERY important roles in the ecosystem. It's funny, I can take about 30 seconds and explain menhaden to people, and they all reach the same conclusion, but we have one hell of a time explaining it to the fisheries managers and scientists.

Aint politics a funny thing???

I'm more than happy to be involved in the fisheries management game, too few people stay informed and engaged, so I figure I better stick with it while I can.

-D
 
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st7/ecosystem/workshop/2005/documents/kirkley.pdf


Thanks guys. Oysters are worse off than menhaden, and they both play VERY important roles in the ecosystem. It's funny, I can take about 30 seconds and explain menhaden to people, and they all reach the same conclusion, but we have one hell of a time explaining it to the fisheries managers and scientists.

Aint politics a funny thing???

I'm more than happy to be involved in the fisheries management game, too few people stay informed and engaged, so I figure I better stick with it while I can.

-D
Click to expand...
 
Appreciate the additional pictures Dave.....they answered all of my questions....


We see the same issues with depletion of Pogie stocks in Florida though currently our biggest problem is nutrient pollution though out the entire Indian Lagoon River System which is one of the most important nurseries for not only Florida but the entire Atlantic Coastal Zone......Wonder how I can do a driftwood carving of the nasty "drift algae" and present it as nicely as your "pogie" rendition.....


keep up the good fight....every fighter counts...


Steve
 
Last edited:
I guess we've officially hijacked the April workbench thread!

We have all sorts of run off and water quality issues in the Chesapeake as well and it is the most important mid atlantic nursery for just about all of our economically valuable fish and shellfish species. here are two good articles from other parts of the coast.

http://www.reel-time.com/articles/conservation/of-menhaden-stripers-threshers-and-whales/

http://www.talkingfish.org/protecting-ocean-ecosystems/menhaden-recovery-still-incomplete-in-new-england
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top