What draws me to the river is the prehistoric gar. Perhaps other readers of your site would be interested in the Gar Anglers' Sporting Society web pages. When the fish started to tire and our pace slowed to a crawl, Pete began to edge him toward a sand bar on the inside of the bend in the river where we had started. He slowly pulled and manipulated until the monster, all six feet nine inches and one hundred sixty pounds of him, was grounded in the shallow water. These are questions and comments frequently heard regarding pollution and fish in the Mississippi River.
Reality lies somewhere in between.
Some fish in the river may take in contaminants from the water they live in and the food they eat. In both Minnesota and Wisconsin, the Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the Division of Health issue fish consumption advisories that include the Mississippi River. These are developed to help you plan what fish to keep as well as how often and how much sport fish to eat. In Wisconsin, copies of the Health Guide are available at any DNR office. PCBs, were once used in such products as electrical transformers, cutting oils and carbonless paper and hydraulic fluid.