We had some GREAT river cleanups this year, along with our friends at VICE Outdoors, Boise River Guides, and the Boise River Enhancement Network (BREN). Our thanks to all the volunteers who came and helped take care of the Boise and Owyhee rivers!

As we move into a New Year we want to take a minute to thank the individuals who help take care of our waterways every time they go fishing by picking up some trash. You are our #FillTheNet Heros!

Tom Old, Tim DeMarco, Glenn Anders, Ken Fugate, Greg Hitchcock, Jake Heusinkveld, Daniel Macca, Dennis Moore, Johnny Rogers, George Butts, Troy Pearse, Matt Housel, Sean Read, Kelly Gunter, and Dave Spencer.

To help inspire others to take care of our waterways, we ask that people “Lead By Example” and post a #FillTheNet photo on BVFF’s Facebook Group Page. Afterall, if no one sees you do it, how can they be inspired to do the same? I know many of you #FillTheNet but aren’t into posting on social media. That’s OK—we know you are out there doing good, and we salute you too!

It is great to see like-minded organizations cleaning up our waterways, like LivingLandsAndWaters.org and FishForGarbage.org. I’d also like to recognize people who are posting #FillTheNet photos on other Facebook Group Pages. Matt Housel and Greg Hitchcock have been great at not only leading river cleanups but leading by example by posting #FillTheNetPhotos of themselves and their clients on the Boise River Fly Fishing with Vice Outdoors page. This Facebook Group page is a great fly fishing resource and I encourage you to check it out.

We know many people get angry about the trash—and we do too. But when I’m out there, I don’t think of it as picking up trash after others. I think of it as taking care of a resource I love. This year my New Year’s resolution is to pick up more “Fisherman Trash”—looking for items like worm containers, fishing lure packaging and especially broken off fishing line, as it is harmful to birds who try to use it for nesting material—like this nest we found last year at Eagle Island State Park when we did a mono cleanup.

Broken off fishing line also gets wrapped around bird legs,  necks or beaks. This summer, Brian Martin reported finding a Merganser on the Boise River with a broken off fly leader wrapped around its beak (with a fly still attached). And last year Greg Kaltenecker sent me this photo of a dead Blue Heron that he found at the Diane Moore Nature Center with fishing line wrapped around its foot. These are sad examples of how fishing line can be harmful to wildlife.

OUR 2026 #LeaveItBetter CHALLENGE TO YOU 

We challenge you all to take on a New Years Resolution to look for fishing line when you are walking the river banks (on the ground, or in the trees/bushes) and pick it up. It is fishermen's trash, and as fishermen, it is our responsibility to remove it.

Thanks for your ongoing commitment to #LeaveItBetter. Your #LeaveItBetter Team,

George Butts
Johnny Rogers
Troy Pearse