-
What kind of trout is this?
The trick to knowing what you’re going to catch before you catch it, is knowing what lives in the river. Of course. Some people, however, have dialed it in a bit more. For example, they know the rainbows like the riffles in certain places on the Colorado River, whereas the browns hug the banks and…
-
Fly tying: Using a whip-finisher
When I got my first beginning fly-tying kit all those years ago, most of the tools made sense. But there was this weird loopy, wiry thing that just confounded me. It was a whip-finishing tool. I set it aside and when I tied my first fly (likely a horrible-looking Woolly Bugger that, on its best…
-
Video spotlight: Swing Season—the Slow Down
What happens when fishing guides come to the realization that Olympic Penninsula steelhead are in trouble? Renowned steelhead guide Gray Struznik and his community of like-minded brethren on the OP realized that, as fish escapement numbers on fabled local rivers failed to meet goals for proper recruitment that replenishes the population, it was time to…
-
Trout Tips: Hit the tail light
In New Zealand, where the waters are typically very clear, and the trout are always very smart, the exact spot where a fly lands near a trout can matter down to the inch. The Kiwis will tell you that as you are casting upstream at a fish's position, it's always best to miss to the…
-
Giving thanks
Seven years ago, I asked Marcia Woolman, the first woman to win the Ray Mortenson Award, the highest honor Trout Unlimited gives to a volunteer, what was most important for volunteers. Her response? “Chris, just say thank you.” Today, I begin every day thinking about Marcia’s counsel. How do you properly thank over 400 chapters…
-
Voices from the River: Bob Capron the “Fish Rescuer”
Bob Capron has helped move countless trout from sure death in irrigation canals back to the mainstem of the Shoshone river near Cody, Wyoming. Brett Prettyman/Trout Unlimited By Dave Sweet Any angler lucky enough to have caught trout near Cody, Wyoming, may want to send Bob Capron a thank you note. Capron, who recently stepped…
-
Video spotlight: Touching the Sun
I bought a mountain bike last spring with the intent of riding some backcountry trails to fishy haunts, and while I got out a few times, I didn't use it nearly enough. Maybe next summer. It's not an outlandish idea, biking to backcountry fishing. The video above shows two anglers who loaded their bike paniers…