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Short casts: Protecting a river in Albania; Dams coming out in MT and NC
The Vjosa is the "last big, wild river in Europe," outside of Russia, and recently, an Albanian court struck down a government effort to construct a hydropower dam on the river that would have flooded an inhabited valley, bisected important fish habitat and interrupted migratory spawning routes. The decision itself is remarkable, given that the…
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Voices from the River: Heat Wave
Finding refuge from the heat, Stanislaus National Forest. By Sam Davidson Across the country, summer is prime time for trout fishing in the mountains . At higher elevations you typically get relief from sweltering lowland temperatures and find the kind of small water-wild fish opportunities that are, in some ways, the heart and soul of…
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Comment now on Great Lakes Asian carp proposal
By Taylor Ridderbusch On Monday, Aug. 7, the US Army Corps of Engineers released the draft Brandon Road Feasibility Study, which assess options for preventing Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. The report was originally set to be released on Feb. 28, 2017, but was delayed by Trump Administration officials. Thanks to hard work…
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Video spotlight: Welcome to Iceland
Good fly fishing films not only show good fly fishing. I think a good film is more than just great eats, tailwalking fish and unreal cinematography. I think a good film makes you think. Video of "Welcome to Iceland" Full FilmIn the full version of "Welcome to Iceland," (above), the German anglers who crafted the…
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Trout Tips: Small water, long casts
Small-stream angling is generally considered the "short game" of fly fishing—it's rare that an angler would need to throw more than 20 feet or so. But that's not always the case, and it pays to "bring a driver" on small water, too—come equipped with your double-haul. Chances are, you won't need it, but when fish…
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Why do I love brown trout so much?
Let me count the ways… I think they’re smarter than other trout. Just an opinion, and granted, it’s hard to compare IQs of creatures with brains the sizes of marbles. I think they fight like champions. I love that bulldozer plowing toward the river bottom after it sucks down a grasshopper fly. I know, I…
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Short casts: Tenkara, moving beyond trout, relocating Appalachian brookies
A desert redband caught with a Tenkara rod. I first tried Tenkara about eight years ago, and I fell in love with the simplicity of it. I also found it to be very helpful when it came time to hone some of fly fishing's more complex skills— it helped with reach casts, high-stick nymphing, achieving…