Fly Fishing
Articles/Websites
Grades9, 10, 11, 12Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
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Provided by PBS Wisconsin Education
What it is
- This article explains how climate change will affect fly fishing in southwest Wisconsin, while the video explores the intricacies of fly fishing and the current difficulties that are impacting trout fishing within the region.
- Students will learn that warmer temperatures cause stress on certain species of trout and that increased flooding in southwest Wisconsin has made it harder for anglers to fish effectively.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The video shares the perspective of a Wisconsin fly fishing guide who is knowledgeable and sincere.
- The article cites research that is specific and from a credible source.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need to understand the importance of biodiversity and maintaining the health of ecosystems.
- Students need to understand how climate change leads to an increase of severe precipitation events.
Differentiation
- This resource could support a lesson on how climate change alters ecosystems around the world.
- After watching the video and reading the article, the teacher could lead a classroom discussion on how Wisconsinites may react as climate change continues, trout populations die off, and flooding increases.
- This resource could enhance a classroom discussion on why certain states take conservation more seriously than others.
- This resource could supplement a lesson on the fragility of ecosystems and why sudden changes to an ecosystem are harmful to plants and animals.
From the scientist review
This resource shows how trout fishing has provided economic benefits and encouraged fisher-folks to preserve their water resources in Wisconsin. Although warming temperatures could cause thermal stress and discomfort to species that have already adapted to cooler water, this resource explores climatic characteristics and risk, and also provides evidence on the impact of climate change on fishing in the Driftless Area—an unglaciated landscape found in southwest Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa and northwest Illinois (which offers some of the best trout fishing opportunities in the region). Up to 54 climate scenarios were tested across each RCP, including RCP8.5 and this gave a good representation to ensemble climate projections and potential risk to year 2080, with great plausibility. It is important for students to explore these scenarios to have a better understanding of future seasonal changes and variation in climate on fishing activities from the different geographies. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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