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A greener fly-fishing industry on display at IFTD
Perhaps the overarching theme of the 2019 International Fly Tackle Dealer show in Denver was environmental sustainability. The show itself was a plastic-free event, and according to American Fly Fishing Trade Association President Ben Bulis, there was no cost difference for the association when it came to making this determination. And companies that displayed their…
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Colorado has a water plan; now let’s fully fund it.
Finalized in 2015, the Colorado Water Plan is backed by rural and urban water providers, agricultural producers, conservationists and recreationists, and those on both sides of the political aisle. It is described by its authors as “a road map to lead to a productive economy, vibrant and sustainable cities, productive agriculture, a strong environment and a robust recreation industry. It sets…
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The hype is real: A day on the Upper Delaware
“Wait? What? You’ve never fished the Delaware River?” If you live in the East and are an avid (borderline obsessed) trout angler, this is the kind of thing you will hear from peers if you admit that you’ve never wet a line in one of the East’s most famous trout rivers. I got it again…
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The Phoenix in the Elwha River
Editors note: This piece originally appeared in the opinion section of the Spokesman-Review. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to restore wild places to their former ecological and aesthetic glory once human development has altered them. But in some cases, the vitality of wild places can be recovered. The Elwha River on Washington state’s…
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Fly fishing’s trade association on the rise
As Ben Bulis stepped up to the podium at the annual industry breakfast, the opening event of the International Fly Tackle Dealer show, he looked out at a ballroom full of people. As the president of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, Bulis had to grin. "There are more people in this room today than…
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Hard work has payoffs
Hermosa Creek surrounded by gorgeous San Juan mountains I recently went out with the Five Rivers TU chapter in Durango, Colo., to help plant willows along the banks of the Hermosa Creek. (Full disclosure: I’m on the board of the chapter). Closing in on the final steps, I couldn’t wait to get out there to see all the work completed…
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Act, then put the Tongass on your bucket list
If you want to catch a very large steelhead in a very small stream, there’s probably no better place on the planet to do so than Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The Tongass is almost 17 million acres of mountains, fjords, massive glaciers and wild rivers and creeks. With 18,000 miles of public waters that…
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