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A vision of trophy wild brook trout in WV
Thanks to federal investments, TU’s Dustin Wichterman has audacious goals for his home state Dustin Wichterman has always been connected to the wilds of West Virginia. He spent his youth traipsing through the Mountain State’s woods and waters. Fishing. Hunting. Foraging ramps and wild mushrooms. Being a mountain kid. TU’s Dustin Wichterman has been fishing…
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Puzzle season for TU Winter Flow Program
TU’s Winter Flow Program was established on the Conejos River in 2014, and since has grown to include five reservoirs and a diversity of water partners.
In Colorado, deals negotiated by TU and our partners send 600 million much-needed gallons of winter water into the Upper Rio Grande and Conejos In my family, the holiday season usually involves a healthy dose of puzzle time. Mom breaks out the ancient folding card table and sets it up close to the fireplace and…
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TU California: Highlights from 2021
In a year of exceptional drought, we're working to improve conditions for wild and native trout and salmon from the Smith to the San Gabriel In 2021, Trout Unlimited continued to deliver exceptional conservation results for salmon, steelhead and trout in California. In the face of one of the most severe droughts in state history,…
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Answering the call for help on the Upper Snake
When flows on the Upper Snake in Wyoming were quickly dropped, TU and the people of Jackson showed up to document the impacts—and save stranded cutthroats. Major drops in the Snake River coming out of Jackson Lake Dam happen each year at the end of the irrigation season, but the drastically dry summer of 2021…
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Surveying what’s left of Eklutna River’s Salmon
Standing on the edge of the bridge, staring down the dry riverbed, I wondered what the Eklutna River would look like when it was allowed to flow again.
This past fall I found myself frequenting the Eklutna River often, after plans solidified for the owners of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project to briefly return water to the river for the first time since its construction in 1955. The water release was part of the study looking to mitigate the projects impacts on fish populations.…
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’Tis the Season
When big browns are spawning, it’s a good time to stop and relish the moment What’s not to love about brown trout? They’re crafty, tenacious, mean, strong, and damn near invincible. Jason Bourne, Derrick Henry, Kaiser Soze, and Dracula all rolled into one fish. Increasingly concerned about the plight of North America’s native salmonids, I…
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Tying the Steelhead Coachman
If you were to look in the box of a seasoned steelheader on the banks of the Snake, Grande Ronde or Clearwater chances are good you'll find.
I can distinctly remember the first few flies I started fishing with. As I would imagine the case is with many people, that selection of a dozen flies was a 'who's who' of the classics. The Adams, Elk-hair Caddis, Muddler Minnow, Pheasant Tail, and Royal Wulff seem almost like names from scripture in the pantheon…
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