Abandoned hooks, lines and lures are a danger to wildlife. Photographer/activist Jann Nichols and volunteers are passionate about clearing anglers’ waste. Photo by Susan Maxwell Skinner

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - An Orangevale woman’s project to retrieve fishing gear from waterways is now in its third year.

Wildlife photographer Jann Nichols and 13 friends have cleared almost 30 miles of snagged line from popular fishing spots. Their work has also yielded thousands of abandoned hooks and lures.

“It’s a problem that doesn't go away,” said Nichols. “But when we’re retrieving fishing gear, we’re often able to talk to people. We feel we’re increasing awareness of the problem.”

Calling themselves “Project Pick Up Fishing Line,” the volunteers self-fund their own missions. Marking the project’s second anniversary, they recently displayed their unwanted harvest at Mather Lake in Rancho Cordova. Despite line-disposal receptacles, this popular fishing spot is a target for tangles.

Sailor Bar (Fair Oaks) consistently yields nylon cast offs. The American River’s Watt Avenue stretch, along with Cameron Park Lake and Willow Creek (Folsom), also warrant regular attention. Many Lake Natoma (Orangevale) anglers leave debris in their wake. 

Seasonally popular for fishing, Harrington Way river shallows (Carmichael) is another tangled spot.

Season’s harvest. Project Pick Up Fishing Line organizer Jann Nichols (kneeling, second left) and volunteers gather at Mather Lake with miles of line retrieved from local rivers and waterways. Photo by Susan Maxwell Skinner

 

“We come back from these places with bags filled,” said Nichols. “The stuff is all over the place. For many people, it’s invisible. To us, it catches the light like spider webs. Sometimes, it’s tangled underwater. Divers help us retrieve it. Fishermen sometimes help. Along with the careless culprits, many responsible people use the river.”

Nichols acknowledges that lines snag accidentally. 

“Our volunteers can usually free and dispose of fishing gear,” Nichols said.  “If we can do it, so should the anglers. We also collect masses of trash from fishing spots. Litter is not abandoned by accident.”

“In tragic cases, animals don’t survive entanglement by hooks and lines,” she said. “Pets can also come to grief.”

The volunteers recently discovered a drowning gull at Tanzanite Park (Natomas). Twice hooked, it was thoroughly entangled by line.

“Our volunteers reached him by paddleboard,” Nichols said. “Technicians at the Wildlife Care Association (Sacramento) took care of him. He was just one bird. These incidents happen all the time and often end in an innocent animal’s death.”

“We also want people to know there are experts to call when you find a trapped or injured creature,” the activist said. “I started this project when I saw a baby osprey tethered in a nest after its parents brought in branches entangled with fishing line. Thanks to rescuers, the baby ended up flying free.”

If you encounter snared or injured animals, call Wildlife care Association at 916-965-9453. To learn about Project Pick Up Fishing Line, visit www.tanglefreewildlife.com.