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A long overdue update: bringing the federal oil & gas program into the 21st century
At Trout Unlimited, we believe that energy development and conservation need not be mutually exclusive, but it takes the right polices to strike this balance. Updating our oil and gas policies is a priority – our public lands, waters, wildlife and communities depend on it – and there is already overwhelming public support for the…
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A disappointing step backwards in the fight for Smith River protection
The battle over protecting Montana’s unparalleled Smith River continues. Located in west-central Montana, the Smith is the only river in the state that requires a recreational permit. Boaters embark on a remarkable float, totaling nearly 60 miles over several days, through towering limestone cliffs, incredible canyons, and pristine wild trout waters. We have said it…
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Are my secret streams really my secret to keep?
Anglers have a complicated relationship with secrecy.
Anglers have a complicated relationship with secrecy. We hope a secret fly or lure, or bait will give us an edge. We get a tingly feeling when a friend entrusts us with knowledge of a secret spot. But secrets also bring their own stresses and disappointments. There is nothing quite like the endorphin rush you…
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The True Cast – It isn’t about the gear. It’s about the hook.
When I first signed on as the editor of TROUT magazine, the great John Merwin—author of The New American Trout Fishing and then the fishing editor for Field & Stream—offered me some friendly advice. “Run a cover that shows a trout with a Panther Martin lure hanging out of its mouth,” he said. “That’ll get…
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New map highlights 2023 infrastructure upgrades in Great Lakes priority waters
2023 was a good year for Great Lakes coldwater conservation, marked by an influx of federal funding for necessary infrastructure upgrades. It's hard to believe that 2024 is here and I’m kicking off my 14th year at Trout Unlimited. When I was hired to manage the Rogue River Home Rivers Initiative in 2010, I was…
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After nearly two centuries, a stream is reunited
In the crisp fall air of September 2023, Irwin Run in Elk County, Pa., was about to breathe as a free stream for the first time in more than 170 years. For decades, a “waterfall” where State Route 3002 crossed the stream had been created by an 8-foot drop from a culvert’s outflow to the…
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Tip – Getting Unstuck
After some beginner tips and tricks to get you started in the sport of fly fishing, you’ve likely snagged your fly on the bottom at least once. Watch this short tip from Orvis’ Tom Rosenbauer on how to get it unstuck. Give it a try, and one of these tips doesn’t work, consider your fly…