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How do we bring back salmon and steelhead on the Lower Snake?
So it turns out Rep. Mike Simpson isn’t messing around. In February the Idaho Congressman announced intentions to finally tackle the decades-old problem of declining salmon and steelhead populations in the Lower Snake River. Scientific consensus points to the four Lower Snake Dams as the prime culprits. In a video to the public, Simpson announced his intention to restore wild salmon…
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What was your best fishing trip ever?
Editor's note: Periodically, we'll pose questions to a " fly-fishing roundtable" of TU anglers in hopes of spurring discussion among all anglers about all things fly fishing. This week: What was your best fishing trip ever? The father-son North Woods adventure I’m lucky. Very lucky. I’ve been around the world with a fly rod in hand,…
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It’s time for bold action to save Snake River salmon and steelhead
by Greg McReynolds Salmon and steelhead are robust, adaptable creatures. They have survived across the eons, continuously adjusting to a changing ocean and landscape. Unfortunately, Idaho’s salmon and steelhead have not been able to adapt to the construction of the lower four Snake River dams. Since the 1970s completion of Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower…
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TU’s Ziemer testifies before House Natural Resources Committee
Being invited to testify before Congress is a career highlight for anyone. Laura Ziemer, over her 22 years with Trout Unlimited, has received multiple such invitations, including a request to testify at today’s hearing of the Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee on the topic of Building Back Better: Water,…
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Fishing with, and learning from, Sharon
There are so many unsung women responsible for making Trout Unlimited what it is today. In honor of Women’s History Month, I want to celebrate one woman who has made an outsized impact on coldwater conservation and me, personally, Sharon Lance.
"Whoo hoo!" The first time Sharon shouted as she brought a fish to hand on the Roaring Fork, I waded out of my hole, ran upstream, pulled out my camera and took a few pictures of her with the fish. The next time it happened, I walked to the bank and asked if she needed…
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Winter blues, cabin fever and Appalachian envy
April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. —T.S. Elliot It’s still cold and gray here in the steppe country of eastern Idaho. Snow still covers the yard. Snow is still in the immediate forecast. Winter’s not done yet. Not even…
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Jen Ripple is a force of and for nature
“Fly fishing is one of the few sports where you don’t have to be great at it or in perfect shape to enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young, or if you make the perfect cast; it’s still a lot of fun. Fly fishing is a beautiful art form, and women take to that. I think it’s a great sport for women because women are much more about the experience than they are about the catch.”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. One of the best things about working with TU is the outstanding people you meet. If you haven’t met Jen Ripple, the driving force behind both DUN Magazine and so much of what is great in the fly fishing industry right now, you should. Her easy…