How do you clean up a river with Islands?

[jim bielecki]

Many times I've been on the Fox R. and have picked up trash along the way as I fish. When my bag's full that's about all I can get and still continue fishing.

 

Question is...if your out just cleaning up and you are on a far bank or cleaning up around an island, how do you get the big stuff to shore?

 

Usually it's just me out there. I can't see myself toting garbage from an island, dropping a bag of trash onto shore and then going back to get another bag....I'll get a heart attack, trip over a rock and drown! Not really but you get the idea.

 

Is there a floaty-tote bin or something I can use? (Fill it up and tow it to shore in one trip?) I have a 16 foot jboat but there's no launch where I fish.

 

On a sad note, recently I saw the remains of a hawk dangling from a tree....it was tangled in fishing line! What a horrible way to die...panic, starvation, heat, exhaustion.....really was sad to see. I cut it free.Huge wing span, beautiful feathers, and a huge claw.....birds of prey are huge when you're up close.

 

This year I've been seeing a lot more birds in the area which is a good sign the Fox is improving....it takes time....just wish it didn't take such a long time....but every bit helps right? About a month ago I actually saw a bald eagle in Aurora off of Orchard Road on the way to the Woodman's. There were 2 other cars watching it...awesome to see. It looked healthy...I thought maybe it was injured or something but it appeared fine. What a sight!

[Mark K]

Doing a clean up solo, I don't know. You could launch a canoe or jonnboat upstream, then float down hitting the islands along the way.

This is the manner we did it on the Kank years ago.

Then you still have to have someone shuttle you back. also if you pull out ceratin stuff (like tires) you will need to arrange to get rid of them.

 

Sad about the hawk. Fisherman leave ugliness in their wake. I went to a bird rehab place in the Keys. Many, many of Egrets and seabirds in rehab.

tangled in disgarded line. It was depressing.

[scotth]

Doing a clean up solo, I don't know. You could launch a canoe or jonnboat upstream, then float down hitting the islands along the way.

This is the manner we did it on the Kank years ago.

Then you still have to have someone shuttle you back. also if you pull out ceratin stuff (like tires) you will need to arrange to get rid of them.

 

Sad about the hawk. Fisherman leave ugliness in their wake. I went to a bird rehab place in the Keys. Many, many of Egrets and seabirds in rehab.

tangled in disgarded line. It was depressing.

speaking of discarded fishing line, i found some the other day at the river. almost tripped over it, picked it up and started winding it in until it got stuck, ok, follow me here, so i set my stuff down and proceeded to "follow the line" winding as i went. this had to be done purposely because it was wound about every 20' around weeds/logs/sticks whatever it could wrapped around, i'm talking 2-3 wraps around the stuff..this must have been a whole spool because i walked at least 100 or so yards..so i did my cub scout good deed for the day and discarded it properly..anything could have gotten wrapped up in this stuff and perished...

[Norm M]

I'd guess it depends on the current flow. You could rig a rope mesh over the opening on an inner tube and pull it back and forth. A back pack and a wading staff is another option.

 

As Mark said the best option is a watercraft, I remember Mike's duck boat getting pretty well loaded up. There is a picture in one of the old issues of the newsletter early 2000's as best I can recall.

[jim bielecki]

I just thought of this....if ISA has 500 members and each person picked up one pound of trash on one outing.... that equals 500 pounds of trash.

 

Now if you multiply that by 20 outings per person for one year that equals 10,000 pounds.

 

After 10 years we would have cleaned up 100,000 pounds of trash simply doing what we love....fishin.

[Norm M]

I hate to even think how much trash Zach and I have removed over the years on our private cleanup missions. Not the removing of the trash but the idea it was there at all.

 

Stick some plastic grocery bags in your back pocket and fill them on the way out. The river gods will appreciate your gift of time.

 

For the big messes by the access area a couple of empty 50 gallon trash bags don't take up much room in your trunk.