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Unattended campfires a symptom of higher public-lands use during the pandemic?
With more and more people escaping outside for safe recreation, it’s vital that people understand the impacts they’re having on public lands, not the least of which is the potential for wildfires caused by unattended campfires and careless behavior in the woods. Case in point: the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming reported a 300…
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Not all fishing buddies are great anglers
This is Maya. Shortly after she jumped in the river, wrapped around my leader, and thus caused me to lose what I thought was at least a 16-inch brown trout that I had hooked on a dry fly. Maya obviously feels no remorse whatsoever. I’m still kinda mad. But not really. For the record, Maya…
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A quick guide for fly fishing newbies
National wildlife refuges are often lightly pressured and easy to get to for new anglers. Chris Hunt photo. You have lots of options ... and lots of responsibility A lot of us fly fishers are righteously concerned with the spike in angler numbers thanks largely to the pandemic and the pressure it’s putting on our…
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Worrying about water
All is not right with Lake Meade. As of this writing, Lake Meade is almost 156 feet below "full pool." It's down almost 140 feet below its levels about 20 years ago
My partner and I drove eight hours down to southern Nevada last week for a friend's wedding. It was a classic desert affair, tastefully done, simple and a whole lot of fun. One afternoon, with time to kill before wedding events began to take up the schedule, Toni and I drove out to Lake Mead,…
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Is catch-and-release angling all it’s cracked up to be?
Releasing a nice brown trout back into the river. Kirk Deeter photo. Is catch-and-release angling overrated? It is if the only thing that matters is numbers of fish caught… In 1936, the late, great Lee Wulff said, “game fish are too valuable to be caught only once,” and the “catch-and-release” movement was born. I’m a…
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What’s your best day ever?
Could you put a finger on your best day ever fishing? I know exactly when mine was, well at least so far. My dad and brother were visiting us in Glenwood Springs to fish for a few days in early fall. The weather was cool and crisp in the mornings leading to temperatures I live…
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Put a thermometer in your pack … and use it
One of the greatest threats to the trout and salmon we love is a warming climate that comes armed with a one-two punch of declining winter snow and warming summer water temperatures. Trout need cold, clean water. Simple as that. For most trout, water temperatures that approach 70 degrees prove troublesome and often fatal. Water…
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