Northwest Fishing Reports

Many of us, like me, use lead weights, and I've never personally thought about the consequences of doing so until I read the following article in the Yakima Herald Republic. It really put things into perspective about the dangers of using lead weights. Here is the site: Lead Weights

It definately made me think about going out and purchasing some more environmentally friendly weight options. What is your guys' input on the article?

Beerman

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't ever thought about that. I will definately change my weights after reading the article. Thanks beerman!

Ive already started to use tungsten weights yes it sucks paying more with fuel already being high but its for something that i love to do:cheers: so whats another buck right

Remember two things, love Washington and leave only your footprints behind!

You said it in your signature enough said:-#

SPARKY101 wrote:Ive already started to use tungsten weights yes it sucks paying more with fuel already being high but its for something that i love to do:cheers: so whats another buck right

Exactly, I'm willing to spend an extra dollar to help ensure safe fishing habitats for my kids someday. And, when you go back and think to all the times you lose your gear on the bottom of the lake, that adds up to a lot of toxic lead at the bottom of the lakes we like to fish, and in turn eat fish from.... I'm glad I came across this.

Beerman

I just started thinking about it this year as well....after seeing some "green" weights at a local shop.

I still have lead split shot, but everything else in my tackle box is non-lead.

Thanks for the link!

I'm going to be heading up to Canada to go to a Family Reunion. My wife is letting me do some fishing while we're at Waterton Lakes, so I'd be dumb to take her up on it. One rule they have there is that you can't use lead weights. I've been looking for some, but I only found some at Fred Meyer (bullet weights). I figure it's about time to switch over, so I'd like to begin replacing all my lead weights now. Anyone else have a suggestion on where to find some up in the north end (lynnwood, bothell, woodenville)? One of the guys at Joes suggested a fly shop. Is that true?

Yeah...check around some fly shops. For the most part the weights they would carry would be tiny split shot or pastes, though.

Last time I was in there, I found some at wal-mart. I picked up some bullet weights and egg weights from there that were lead free. Cabela's also has them...I'm sure you don't want to make a trip to Lacey from that far north...but can order them online. Below is a list of fly shops you could contact and see what they carry. Good luck in Canada!

http://washingtonflyfishing.com/faq/idx ... Shops.html

Non-toxic fishing weights

leahcim_dahc wrote:Yeah...check around some fly shops. For the most part the weights they would carry would be tiny split shot or pastes, though.

Last time I was in there, I found some at wal-mart. I picked up some bullet weights and egg weights from there that were lead free. Cabela's also has them...I'm sure you don't want to make a trip to Lacey from that far north...but can order them online. Below is a list of fly shops you could contact and see what they carry. Good luck in Canada!

http://washingtonflyfishing.com/faq/idx ... Shops.html

Non-toxic fishing weights

Thanks! I'll give a couple of local fly shops a try today.

I asked a friend on another site who is a fisheries biologist about this question and here is his answer to me:

[quote="Corey"]
“I'm pretty damn green in most cases, I really want wildlands protected and pollution to be controlled. But I don't think lead fishing sinkers are that big of a problem.

My argument is mainly about volume - people compare fishing sinkers to lead shot from shotguns, but it's nowhere near the same. A typical duck hunter using #5 lead shot might shoot a box of shells per outing (pretty normal)]

Well, I do have kids and grand kids and until the bleeding hearts and artists get mother government to ban lead sinkers I will continue to use them.

Way to go Skizzle! Stickin' it to those damn liberals one lead weight at a time! :albino:

At first I thought that my response would be the only "non-green" one here. Oh well, it was not even the first.

So, here is my thoughts. It is now thought that the Roman Empire fell, not so much from without, but from lead poisoning from within. This is because they made everything out of lead, their cooking bowls, their cooking pans, their ............... well you name it. And even then, it was not until the "elite" started to imbibe 3 quarts of lead tainted wine a day (wine was sweetened by a past made of distilled wine - using lead cooking pots; acid wine dissolves lead). Simply, Nero probably fiddled away while Rome fell, not because he was stupid, or inbred, but because he was lead poisoned.

So, what does this mean, Rome lasted, for what, 500 years before it fell. It used lead during the entire time, because it was easy to work with and they had a lot of it. If the Roman elite had not taken to gluttony, they might still be the rulers of the world.

No fish or duck will ever get enough lead from sinkers, sinkers too big to mistake for grit, to hurt them. As for us, well I have been loading my own lead shotgun shells for 40 years, casting my own jigs for 30 years, and .................... oh ya, maybe that is my problem.

I think the moves to prohibit lead are mostly a political statement, not a move based on scientific fact. Still, I have brass weights, tin weights, tungsten weights, and of course lead weights. I'll continue to use each, each for a different purpose.

OH yes, I need to end this with the obligatory JMHO.