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Gear test: Orvis Battenkill III Reel
This reel is a significant upgrade for any angler. Trading up my circa 2006 Battenkill III, to this newer model, the first thing I noticed was the more streamlined edges compared to its predecessor. The black nickel compliments any type of rod: from classic bamboo, to vintage fiberglass or even m y trusted Orvis 1980s-era…
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TU Business spotlight: Coy Wylie Colorado Real Estate
Like any organization, Trout Unlimited is an aggregation of people who share a common interest – in our case, fish and fishing. One of the great things about TU is the people you meet who care so much about trout and salmon in America. Take Coy Wylie, for example. Coy is a native Texan who…
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Video spotlight: Toe to Toe
From the Stop Feeling Sorry for Yourself Department, I offer you this: A new Orvis film about a remarkable woman who had polio as a child and now goes fly fishing ... with her feet. Video of ORVIS Presents: Toe to ToeMary Loudder is pretty pragmatic about her disability. She's lived a lifetime with paralysis…
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Voices from the River: Spawn ’til you die
By Eric Booton Chrome. Silver. Red gold. All the worthy descriptions of fresh, wild Alaska salmon imply monetary value, and for good reason. Here in Alaska, wild salmon attract tourists from around the world. These trusted fish provide employment for guides, commercial fishermen, processors, chefs, pilots and many others. In the final frontier, salmon, fortunately,…
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30 Great Places: Lake Tahoe region
Region: WestActivities: FishingSpecies: Lahontan cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout Where: The crystalline jewel of the northern Sierra Nevadas, Lake Tahoe, is fed by 63 creeks, yet only one river flows out—the Truckee. Leaving the northwest corner of the lake at Tahoe City’s Fanny Bridge (so named for the posteriors of tourists gaping at the huge…
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30 Great Places: Montana’s Smith River
Region: Northern RockiesActivities: rafting; fishing, hiking campingSpecies: Rainbow and brown trout Where: The Smith River flows some 120 miles in a northwesterly direction through west-central Montana, emptying into the Missouri southwest of Great Falls. Much of the river borders private lands, but a 60-mile section that flows through Smith River State Park (beginning near White…
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Fly tying: Ian’s Brass Ass
Small nymphs in the size 18-22 range are my least-favorite flies to tie—I've got fat fingers, and my vision isn't what it once was, either. But these little flies can be absolutely deadly on spring creeks and tailwaters, and hitting these rivers and streams without small, unassuming midge nymphs and attractors is a mistake. Video…