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Simms Dry Creek Z backpack
As the name implies, the Dry Creek Z isn't just water resistant. It's waterproof. And, the pack itself, before you put anything in it, is virtually weightless. In fact, your first impression when you open the box might just be, "Is this it?"
About 18 months ago, I had three vertebrae fused in my lower back, a significant procedure that was done in hopes of stopping the brutal sciatic pain that would start just above my left hip and eventually stop at the tip of my big toe. Generally speaking, the surgery was a success. I'm still not…
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Finesse dubbing
Using dubbing to craft fly bodies and collars shouldn't be that difficult, regardless of the material you use in the process. But, for those new to the craft, dubbing can often give them fits at the vise. Below, Tim Flagler shows us how to craft the simple dubbing "noodle," or a length of dubbing that…
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Extinction, Idaho?
Our iconic Snake River chinook salmon are down to less than 1 percent of their historic numbers. With a few real exceptions, juvenile smolts in Idaho rear in some of the West’s best habitat, but on their way to the Pacific Ocean they must traverse eight dams, including four on the lower Snake River. How…
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RIO SlickCast fly line
The new RIO SlickCast fly line is billed as the slickest line ever crafted
Billed as the slickest fly line ever crafted — and not slick as in "cool," slick as in ... well, slick — RIO's new SlickCast fly lines are designed to provide the least amount of resistance as the line shoots through the guides of a fly rod. According to the company's testing, the new SlickCast…
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The Green Drake
Here in the West, the Green Drake is the harbinger of summer. Dependably, our largest mayfly shows up within a few days of the summer solstice, give or take, and, if we happen to get some rain, this hatch can last for weeks. Patterns used for these plus-size mayflies vary, from simply Blue-winged Olive patterns…
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Old memories with Dad … new ones as Dad
My dad and my youngest son don’t know each other very well. Initially it was because my dad lived in another part of the state and visits were too few and far between. In more recent years their ability to connect on a personal level has been hampered by Alzheimer’s, and now, appropriate separation issues…
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TU’s Wood on Pebble Mine: ‘Wrong mine in the wrong place’
This week, TU President and CEO Chris Wood joined three other panelists and helped lead a discussion on the perils presented by the proposed Pebble Mine to the salmon and trout fisheries of southwest Alaska. ConservAmerica, a "right-of-center" organization that advocates for market-based solutions to environmental challenges, hosted the discussion. Wood led off the discussion…
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