Spring is finally making an appearance. Natures' bounty emerges from the grasp of winter. Asparagus, ramps and morels peek from the cold soil. It is time for trout, crappie, bass and gobblers. Campgrounds are not yet overcrowded, nights are still fairly chilly. Nighttime fallouts of migrating warblers peak the interest of birders. April offers something to every outdoors person. No matter what your springtime outdoor interests are, there is no denying that fishing is king of the spring in West Virginia. According to the American Sportfishing Association: 290,000 resident and 86,000 non-resident anglers fished 6,885,000 days in WV during the 2006 season.

Many of these anglers are unaware that the entire state of West Virginia is under a fish consumption advisory for Mercury and PCB's. Numerous waterways are also under specific advisories. Some water quality problems are easily noticed, such as acid-mine drainage. Nothing lives there anyway. Other waters exist that nobody possessing "A little bit of walking around sense," would never eat anything coming from their flowage. It isn't hard to figure out why Mount Storm Lake is under an advisory for Selenium, or the Kanawha River has problems with dioxin and PCB's.

The seemingly pristine headwater trout stream and Uncle Bill's bluegill pond are also under these warnings. This is what many of the states' anglers are unaware of. Where does to problem come from? There are no discharges or other obvious problems with these bodies of water. The answer is blowing in the wind. Airborne particulates are the root of the majority of our water quality problems. Prevailing winds from the northwest bring us a fine variety of particulates. Dioxins (CDDs) can travel around the world in the atmosphere. PCBs also can remain airborne for long distances. Mercury enters the water from burning coal and waste from manufacturing plants. Unisex smallmouth bass are showing up in the Potomac and Shenandoah River systems. Acid precipitation lessens the reproduction capabilities of fish and the aquatic insects they feed upon. Yes, we have a problem and everyone needs to be aware of it.

Under the general consumption advisory; published in the WV Fishing Regulations Summary (for example), you can eat two meals per month of black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted). If you weigh 150 pounds, eight ounces of precooked fish is considered a meal. It is stated that three ounces of raw fish is the size of a deck of cards.

My suggestion is that you read the complete advisories and make your own decisions, before you attend your next fish fry. Be careful, because some of these toxins can accumulate in body tissue, both in you and the fish that you consume, over a period of time. One bright spot is that fresh stocked rainbow trout are not under any advisories. The trout hatcheries are all spring fed on site.

Turkey hunters tip of the month: "If you cannot improve upon silence, be quiet."

Get outside, enjoy all that spring has to offer, but you owe it to yourself to make wise, informed decisions.