OUTDOOR NOTES / RICH ROBERTS : What Do You Know About Wetlands?

Where there are wetlands there will not always be waterfowl, but that’s the best place to look. And when there are no wetlands, no waterfowl.

Americans haven’t always applied such common sense to the protection of wetlands, 80% of which were gone before most understood what was happening.

First to notice were the hunters. They are still the only ones who do much about it. Many people aren’t sure what a wetland is:

(a) A marsh; (b) a swamp; (c) a bog; (d) a soggy meadow; (e) a farmer’s flooded grain field.

Right. All of the above.

Ducks Unlimited was organized in the Dust Bowl days of the ‘30s by hunters who were concerned that their sport was drying up. Now it has 500,000 members and, according to a new survey, only 42% shoot ducks.

Joan Edmundsun, D.U.’s public relations manager for the Pacific Flyway, based at the regional office in Rancho Cordova near Sacramento, made up a quiz to make some points with either shooters or nonshooters. Answers below:

1. Wetlands help to (a) purify water; (b) control floods; (c) boost economic activity.

2. The estimated minimum number of animal species that use wetlands: (a) 600; (b) 200; (c) 90; (d) 1,000.

3. What percentage of those are hunted in California? (a) 11%; (b) 14%; (c) 22%.

4. How much money did hunters contribute to California wildlife habitat programs through fees, gun taxes and permits in state fiscal year 1989-90? (a) $8,555,762; (b) $12,888,595; (c) $16,993,974.

5. How much did nonhunters contribute through use fees and contributions to the California Wildlands Campaign in the same fiscal year? (a) $10,765,580; (b) $1,956,000; (c) $223,771.

6. How many acres of wetlands are there in California? (a) 300,000; (b) 500,000; (c) 2,000,000.

7. What percentage of the state’s original wetlands is that? (a) 9%; (b) 25%; (c) 36%; (d) 70%.

8. What percentage of waterfowl entering the U.S. winter in California? (a) 2%; (b) 10%; (c) 21%; (d) 50%.

9. How fast are we losing wetlands in the U.S.? (a) 1,200 acres a day; (b) 1,200 acres a week; (c) 1,200 acres a month.

10. What nonprofit organization spends more than the federal government on saving, improving and replacing wetlands? (a) Sierra Club; (b) National Audubon Society; (c) Ducks Unlimited.

ANSWERS: 1. All are correct. 2. (a). 3. (a). 4. (c). 5. (c). 6. (b). 7. (a). 8. (c). 9. (a). 10. (c) $68 million last year.

Briefly

BAJA FISHING--John Talborg of Omaha never had fishing like this in Nebraska: a 154-pound striped marlin, two dorado in the 20-pound class and one sailfish, released. Talborg was fishing on the Tortuga Fleet’s Rondinallia out of Cabo San Lucas on June 9. The stripers are running only 30 minutes out, dorado from 10 to 60 pounds are plentiful and sailfish are starting to show. Inshore, there are roosterfish, jack crevalle and large pargo to 25 pounds.

The American Angler and Vagabond out of Point Loma Sportfishing returned from three-day trips to San Martin with 43 passengers taking nine yellowtail, 611 rockfish, 91 lingcod, three calico bass and one bonito. Jim Isler of Huntington Beach scored the largest yellowtail at 20 pounds 2 ounces. . . . In two days at the East Cape, Westley Dunning of Bakersfield took three striped marlin from 130 to 150 pounds and dorado at 46 and 50 pounds and hooked onto a blue marlin estimated at 500 pounds. Roosterfish and wahoo are reported plentiful.

SALTWATER--The annual Corbina Derby out of D.J.’s Bait & Tackle in Hermosa Beach starts Saturday and runs through Sept. 15. Entry fee: $5. Proceeds go to the Wish Upon a Star program and Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital’s Life Campaign.

CAMPING--Saturday is a free camping day in all U.S. Forest campgrounds. That doesn’t apply to private campgrounds or those operated by concessionaires.

GRUNION--Runs are expected four consecutive nights starting Friday at 11:15, then Saturday at 12:10 a.m., Sunday at 1:15 a.m. and Monday at 2:20 a.m.

INSTRUCTION, ETC.--At Greg Lilly’s store in Tustin: series of classes in basic fly fishing, casting and basic fly tying are offered into August. Fee: $25 to $95, depending on the class. Details: (714) 669-1006. . . . Instructors from Bob Marriott’s store will offer free instruction for “Father’s Day is Fishing Day” Sunday at Ralph B. Clark Regional Park, 8800 Rosecrans Ave. in Buena Park, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. . . . At the East Fork store in Irvine, cane rod restorer Glen Biron will show and tell on Wednesday, June 19, 7-9 p.m., free. Roy Richardson will tell beginners how to fish a stream Saturday, June 22. Fee: $50. Details: (714) 724-8840.

Angler-author Chuck Garrison will present a seminar on near-shore fishing in Southern California Thursday, 7 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Bank, 5550 Santa Ana Canyon Road, in Anaheim Hills. Fee: $15. . . . The Eagle Claw Saltwater Fishing Schools will conduct an on-the-water yellowtail seminar on the Prowler out of San Diego Sunday, fee $125; and a Catalina Island seminar featuring Ronnie Kovach aboard the First String out of San Pedro Saturday, June 22, fee $100. Details: (714) 840-6555. . . . Fly-fishing writer-photographer Ed Jaworowski will speak and demonstrate fly tying at the dinner meeting of the Sierra Pacific Flyfishers June 20 at the Odyssey Restaurant in Mission Hills. Nonmembers $20. Details: (818) 785-7306.

OPENING--A display of classic split-cane rods will be featured at the grand opening of Bob Marriott’s new fly-fishing store on the mezzanine of the Pachmayr center, 406 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena Friday, 3-8 p.m.