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Shenk’s Minnow
As baitfish imitations go, Shenk's Minnow might be the most fun to tie. While other patterns, like Norm Zeigler's Schminnow, might actually be a little easier to craft, no other simple baitfish patterns calls for baby-blanket yarn in order to put it together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BGQ7VHFsFM Above, Tim Flagler ties the Shenk's Minnow with his own variations…
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No shame
A couple weeks ago a buddy posted on social media a picture of himself holding a large brown trout with a brief caption: “No shame.” No additional information was necessary. The other prop in the photo, the one in addition to the gorgeous 22-inch brown, was a spinning rod. The fish hit a large Rapala,…
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Colorado small streams
As a son of Colorado, I can attest to the wonder and beauty found high in the small waters of the Centennial State's mountains. Chasing trout in off-the-grid creeks is, to this day, my favorite fly-fishing pastime. https://youtu.be/uIjNNxFokqA Above, Todd Moen of Catch Magazine, teases us with a trailer on a yet-to-be-completed film that focuses…
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Tips for urban angling
Several streams draining from the mountains that enhance my urban viewscape snake their way through Anchorage, paralleling urban trails, bordering neighborhoods and sometimes disappearing underground for blocks at a time. While the aesthetics and natural state of the creeks range from non-existent to surprisingly impressive, for an angler it’s difficult not to look at the flowing water, assess the potential lies of hungry fish, and subsequently…
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Tying in the dreaded bucktail
The bucktail wing is one of the elementary ingredients in a number of popular flies, from Clousers to Coachmen ... even some caddis patterns call for bucktail. But, man, can it be hard to work with or what? I've always struggled with bucktail—I either lash it too tightly to the hook shank, which makes it…
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STREAM Kids family event, a model program
Students learn about the hidden, underwater world of macroinvertebrates during TU's Annual Meeting with Headwaters Youth Program Coordinator, Tara Granke. Each year since 2016, Trout Unlimited offers a family-friendly outdoor event at our Annual Meeting. It’s a nice change of scenery from the all-indoor conference center presentations. Don’t get me wrong, I love the hospitality…
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Jeff Blood’s White Death
It's steelhead season, although here in the Northwest, most folks aren't nearly as excited about it as they used to be thanks to dismal fish returns in the Columbia River system—it's an unfortunate recurring theme for anglers in the region who are helplessly watching our prized ocean-going fish dwindle seemingly every season. But for those…
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