Margin

the edge of a body of water.

Mariculture

refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments.

Marsh

wet or periodically flooded treeless land, characterized by grasses, cattails, and other freshwater wetland plants.

Mayflies

the best-known aquatic insects, mayflies are members of the scientific order Ephemeroptera. All of the approximately 700 species have aquatic larvae and a relatively short-lived terrestrial adult stage.

Mending

line-manipulating skill practiced by fly anglers to position or drift a fly without drag (the influence of current on a fly that inhibits it from drifting freely and as a natural insect).

Mesotrophic Lake

a lake surrounded by slightly fertile land with sparse weed growth with mostly rock, gravel or sand basins.

Midges

these small aquatic insects belong to the scientific order Diptera, and are extremely abundant and important food sources for shallow-feeding fish in vegetated areas of streams and lakes.

Migrant

life stage of anadromous and resident fish species which move from one location, habitat or ecosystem (river, lake or ocean) to another.

Migration

moving from one area of residence to another.

Milt

fish semen.

Minnows and Bait Fish

bait fish is a generic term for any fish species that are forage for predators; the term specifically refers to fish that are used in live bait angling. Almost all minnow species are used for bait and are important forage food for many game species.

Modulus

a measure of how efficiently a material resists deformation.

Mollusks

a group of soft-bodied, hard-shelled freshwater and saltwater animals including the oyster, clam, mussel, snail, conch, scallop, squid, and octopus. May be used as bait when angling.

Monofilament Line

technically a single strand of fishing line, but in sport fishing has become synonymous with nylon line. Nylon monofilament line is a polymeric by-product of crude-oil processing, and is formed through an extrusion process in which molten plastic is formed in a strand through a die.

Mooching

the most common technique for catching salmon in the Pacific Northwest coastal waters involves the use of bait and is practiced in a way that includes a bit of drifting and subtle trolling.

Mooring

a place where a boat is kept at anchor.

Mortality

the number of fish lost or the rate of loss.

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