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Short casts: Tenkara, moving beyond trout, relocating Appalachian brookies
A desert redband caught with a Tenkara rod. I first tried Tenkara about eight years ago, and I fell in love with the simplicity of it. I also found it to be very helpful when it came time to hone some of fly fishing's more complex skills— it helped with reach casts, high-stick nymphing, achieving…
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Tough year for wildfires … and more to come
NASA satellite image showing smoke over of the Northwest as of Sept. 5. By Jack Williams This past winter was a wet one where I live in southwest Oregon. “Atmospheric rivers” brought record rain and snow storms to the region. We were not alone. Rains and snows drenched California and built big snowpacks in the…
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Voices from the River: Bullish on hope
By Chris Hunt The sun filtered through the smoky haze, casting a tarnished glow over the high-country meadow in remote central Idaho. The state’s tallest peaks climbed through the murk, showing up more as silhouettes rather than snow-tipped crags in the near distance. Ma ny miles away, both human-caused and naturally ignited wildfires consumed timber…
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Short casts: All about salmon…
Photo by Kyle Green, Idaho Statesman Welcome to the weekend edition of Short Casts, where today, it's all about salmon and the many challenges facing their recovery in the Pacific Northwest. If you haven't been following Rocky Barker's summer-long series on salmon in the Idaho Statesman, you can still catch up with it and learn…
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Gear test: Orvis Battenkill III Reel
This reel is a significant upgrade for any angler. Trading up my circa 2006 Battenkill III, to this newer model, the first thing I noticed was the more streamlined edges compared to its predecessor. The black nickel compliments any type of rod: from classic bamboo, to vintage fiberglass or even m y trusted Orvis 1980s-era…
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Video spotlight: Toe to Toe
From the Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself Department, I offer you this: A new Orvis film about a remarkable woman who had polio as a child and now goes fly fishing ... with her feet. Video of ORVIS Presents: Toe to ToeMary Loudder is pretty pragmatic about her disability. She's lived a lifetime with paralysis…
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Voices from the River: Spawn ’til you die
By Eric Booton Chrome. Silver. Red gold. All the worthy descriptions of fresh, wild Alaska salmon imply monetary value, and for good reason. Here in Alaska, wild salmon attract tourists from around the world. These trusted fish provide employment for guides, commercial fishermen, processors, chefs, pilots and many others. In the final frontier, salmon, fortunately,…
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