Voices from the River: Wader season

By Toner Mitchell The boy is back in school, the trees around his soccer field the same blazing gold as the cottonwoods alon g the Rio Grande and the flanks of the brown trout bucks I’m hoping to catch there. The aspens, now bare, were equally stunning a month ago when I hiked up in

Election losses and wins

Wild Alaska at dusk. By Chris Wood Last Tuesday was Election Day. The Democrats took over in the House of Representatives. The Republicans solidified their hold on the Senate. Buried in the shuffle was the outcome of two separate ballot initiatives . First, in Montana, Trout Unlimited worked closely with Montana TU and other partners

Alaska Program election debrief

Photo: Pat Ford By: Nelli Williams Dear Alaska angler: Some of you might be wondering, how did the results of Tuesday’s election change our ability to protect Bristol Bay and the places around Alaska that we love to hunt and fish. First, Alaskans elected a Governor for whom Pebble’s CEO himself campaigned. Thankfully, Pebble has always been an

Fly tying: Wood Duck Heron

As a utilitarian fly tier, if I can find a fly that’s both simple to tie and effective on the water, I’m in a pretty good place. I like flies that I can a dozen of at a single sitting and not feel like I’ve been hunched over the vise for hours. Video of Wood

Conserving freshwater biodiversity in California

A native Chinook salmon from California’s Central Valley. Conservation of freshwater biodiversity faces major challenges. The fragmented nature of freshwater habitats often results in species populations being highly vulnerable to extirpation. Moreover, areas managed for resource conservation typically reflect jurisdictional or landscape boundaries that have little meaning for aquatic species. Now, a team of scientists

Video spotlight: Stories from the Fountain

More than 200 years ago, the entire of state of Pennsylvania was forested. By the 1930s, the whole state had been completely logged. Today, Pennsylvania is a reforested trout wonderland—it has more miles of trout streams than any state other than Alaska. But, for native brook trout, all is not well. The state’s forest are

Voices from the River: Common water

The author’s son getting a rowing lesson on Alaska’s Skilak Lake. Photo by Nelli Williams. By Nelli Williams Rivers bring people together. Some of my fondest friend-filled memories are on the river. Where we’ve laughed til our cheeks hurt—even years later— over the chaos in the boat when that first fish hit; or enjoyed a