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Voices from the River: Old Blue
by Chris Hunt It was bright blue when I first crawled into it as a 12-year-old kid. Its paper-thin nylon hardly seemed sturdy enough to stop a breath of wind, let alone protect its occupants from whatever it was that wandered the woods at night. That wispy little barrier, though, provided real emotional security for…
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Fly tying: The Rusty Rat
When I first started tying my own flies, I became infatuated with Atlatic salmon flies, even though, in the heart of Colorado's Arkansas Valley, there wasn't an Atlantic salmon within 2,000 miles that wasn't lyling flat on ice in a grocery store. There was just something about the art of it all. The colors. The…
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For sale by Congress: YOUR LANDS
Congress has only been in session for a few weeks, but some members have wasted no time coming after America’s best idea – your public lands. On day one, the House of Representatives passed a rule change that eased procedural hurdles for handing over America’s public lands. Then we saw legislation introduced that would allow…
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Video spotlight: Grand Cascapedia
A few years ago, when the Outdoor Writers Association of America had it's annual conference in Lake Placid, NY, my buddy Brett Prettyman and I were lucky enough to fish for and catch Atlantic salmon. OK, so they were of the land-locked variety, and plenty small. The biggest might have been 10 inches long. But…
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Short casts: Big fish in PA, mid-south tailwaters and “getting there”
Cruising the Rio Yelcho enroute to some prime big-trout holding water. Anglers in Pennsylvania will get the chance to catch larger trout in six new waters that are a part of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Comission. How big? The Keystone Select Stocked Trout Program will have a total of 14 streams throughout the state…
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Traditions: Pig tails and pink spots
Dustin Wichterman and daughter Brooklynn quickly pose with a West Virginia brook trout before releasing the fish. By Dustin Wichterman To say that angling has always been a big part of my life is probably an understatement. It has been imprinted from both sides of my family, and after finding out that several of my…
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Video spotlight: Convergence
My friend Travis Swartz is a pretty good fly fisherman, contrary to beliefs of many, who know him only as world-renowned fly fishing guide and culinary school graduate Hank Patterson. Travis is Boise filmmaker, and the mind behind the kitschy and ever-popular Hank Patterson videos that poke fun at guides, clients and, well, fly fishers…