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Chasing the Wyoming Cutt-Slam and keeping the wolves away
Looking back, I saw Sweet, who had coyly picked a honey hole on a backwater around a small island I didn’t even notice, who was looking upriver at me and grinning ear to ear. At that moment, I remember thinking he resembled a child showing off his hard work.
Sunset on Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. Once the stronghold of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, invasive lake trout now threaten the native species in this iconic fishery. Daniel A. Ritz photo. Learning the meaning of refuge and what it means to defend it in the Cowboy State Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States…
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The elusive Arctic char of the Kenai Peninsula
Portaging from lake to lake was a unique experience while fishing the Swan and Swanson lakes in Alaska. Daniel A. Ritz photo. The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge was on fire, but the fishing was not Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to reach the Master Caster class of…
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Pursuing ‘the people’s fish’ in Alaska
“When we think about people, and the ‘habitat’ people utilize, we don’t just look at the superhighways where they can easily be seen traveling," he said. "People don’t live on the freeways, people don’t ‘spawn’ on the freeways or on their commute.”
The author traveled to the end of the road in his pursuit of Dolly Varden. Daniel A. Ritz photo. Searching for Dolly Varden in southeast Alaska Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to reach the Master Caster class of the Western Native Trout Challenge, attempting to land each of…
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The deep, dark secrets of Alaskan lake trout
“This might really, really suck,” I said to Ancans with a halfhearted laugh. We then laughed together because we knew we were already unquestionably committed
Walking to "the spot" hoping to land a lake trout for the Western Native Trout Challenge. Daniel A. Ritz photo. Chucking and ducking heavy lines to check the lake trout off the list Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to reach the Master Caster class of the Western Native…
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Mistakes you don’t get to make twice
An Alaskan rainbow trout prepares to swim away after being caught on a tributary to the Susitna River in Alaska. Daniel A. Ritz photo. Western Native Trout Challenge: Alaskan rainbow trout Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to reach the Master Caster class of the Western Native Trout Challenge,…
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Just because you can doesn’t mean you should
“Arctic grayling,” I responded without batting an eye. “I’ve never even seen one, let alone fished for them before. It’ll signify just how far from home I am on this trip.”
An Arctic grayling from Alaska. Gabby Mordini photo. Western Native Trout Challenge: Arctic grayling Editor’s note: Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to accomplish the Master Caster class of the Western Native Trout Challenge. He will attempt to land each of the 20 native trout species in their historical ranges of the 12…
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Seeking treasure in Apache trout country
Invasives and overconfidence cloud early efforts to bring an Apache trout to hand Daniel Ritz is fishing across the Western United States this summer in an attempt to reach the Master Caster class of the Western Native Trout Challenge, attempting to land each of the 20 native trout species in their historical ranges of the 12 states in the…
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