-
Fly Fishers International plans first-ever Virtual Expo
Photo courtesy of Fly Fishers International. TU members can attend the Nov. 5-7 event at a big discount Fly Fishers International is hosting its first-ever Virtual Expo Nov. 5-7, and Trout Unlimited members can attend the event at a special discount. The event will feature fly-tying demonstrations, fly casting lessons from expert instructors, presentations from…
-
Texas fly fisher lands giant blue catfish … on a 4-weight
Ben Christensen with his record blue catfish from Texas' Pedernales River. Photo courtesy of Instagram. From the "holy smokes!" department, here you go... Texas fly fisher Ben Christensen convinced a 31.55-pound blue catfish in the Pedernales River to eat an olive damselfly nymph, and after 40 minutes and a couple of backing runs, the fish…
-
What’s the best polarized lens for fishing?
I get asked this question all the time. If you let the sunglasses companies answer, they’ll say there is no answer—they want to sell you one lens for low-light, one for saltwater fishing, one for cloudy days on a river, and on and on. Can’t say I blame them for wanting to make money, and…
-
Celebrating the Gila River while asking for ‘wild and scenic’ designation
Seventeen years after I first visited, I finally made my way back to the Gila River. Last week, about 75 attendees convened in Silver City, N.M., to celebrate the Gila River, expand our knowledge of the area and its extensive list of supporters, and of course, got out on the stunning landscape to renew our…
-
Success breeds success when it comes to conservation on the Gunnison
At Trout Unlimited, we aren’t always about checking all the boxes when it comes to restoration projects, but one that just happened on the Gunnison River in central Colorado does just that. It all started with a couple skeptical ranchers agreeing to partner with TU on a diversion rehabilitation project on a small tributary to…
-
Senate reviews TU-supported public lands bills
Public lands are vital for trout fishing in America. Any decent map proves this. A hearing in the U.S. Senate on Oct. 19 provided a major opportunity to highlight the importance of public lands for coldwater conservation and to advance legislation that will better protect and restore some of the most famous trout, salmon and…
-
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
Wadering up on the banks of a Pennsylvania trout stream last week I faced a dilemma. Which rod? I had three choices. An 8-foot 6-inch 3-weight that’s perfect for dry flies. An 11-foot 3-weight Euro nymphing rod that is perfect for, well, Euro nymphing. And a 10-foot 3-inch 3-weight that is perfect for swinging wet…