Better fishing in the Driftless Area

“We make fishing better” is one of our mottos here at Trout Unlimited. Our efforts do more than simply make fishing better, of course. But everything we do, at some level, translates to better fishing. That sits pretty well with our 300,000 members and supporters because most of them are, in fact, anglers and appreciate

When ‘fishing ain’t what it used to be’ is a good thing

The fishing ain’t what it used to be.   We’ve all heard that familiar lament, usually uttered by an angler trudging back to the parking lot after getting skunked. As conservationists, we know it’s too often true. The losses of trout and salmon fisheries relative to their historic distribution are well known to all of us. But this

Don’t be afraid to try new things

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” available online for overnight delivery. The part of the world I fish most is full of small, clear and very tight spring creeks. To most, that means delicate presentations of small dry flies, and sometimes, I’ll do just that. More and more, however, I’ll

Connecting people to policy

TU’s government and policy staff. By Chris Wood Several of the bright lights in the Trout Unlimited policy world came into the intergalactic headquarters last week. Their recent accomplishments are pretty amazing. Dave Kinney of New Jersey helped organize efforts to pass and then fund legislation for restoration in the Delaware Basin; Taylor Ridderbusch of

How the shutdown is harming anglers

By Chris Wood “Good riddance. Think of all of the money we are saving.” I looked at Max in exasperation. He is one of the most hard-core sportsmen I know. I have hunted for whitetail with him in driving rainstorms in West Virginia, and stalked catfish on the Potomac using hummus-impregnated Clouser-minnows. He is a

Getting started: Know your trout

The brook trout is actually char, native to Appalachia, eastern Canada and the upper Midwest. Photo by Chris Hunt. Editor’s note: This the third in a series of posts geared toward new fly fishers. More installments will follow.  A couple of years ago, I was fishing a small, backcountry trout stream on the Island Park

Voices from the River: A slam good time

Heidi Lewis, far left, took her friends Heather Hodson, Jen Ripple and Geri Meyer (left to right) on a Utah Cutthroat Slam adventure this summer. Brian Harris photo. By Heidi Lewis When Heather Hodson calls I know things are about to get good. I don’t see her often, but when I do it typically means