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A note from Chris Wood on elections and the work ahead
In 2016, Donald Trump defied the polls and became president. Some of you may recall what I wrote to you back then: This was an uncommon and rancorous election, but the outcome was not. As is the case every four years, many are excited about the prospects for the new administration, and many are afraid…
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“Angling for Hope”
A vision for Pennsylvania’s Beech Creek
A vision for Pennsylvania’s Beech Creek An angler looking for a diverse trout angling mecca in the East could do worse than to choose the State College, Pa., area as a base of operations. Small mountain streams teem with native brook trout. Larger lower elevation streams such as Spring Creek, Fishing Creek, Penns Creek and…
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After nearly two centuries, a stream is reunited
In the crisp fall air of September 2023, Irwin Run in Elk County, Pa., was about to breathe as a free stream for the first time in more than 170 years. For decades, a “waterfall” where State Route 3002 crossed the stream had been created by an 8-foot drop from a culvert’s outflow to the…
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Revitalizing PA Trout Fisheries
The Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania are home to some of the most scenic wild trout fisheries in the eastern United States. Each spring, anglers descend upon renowned streams to enjoy beautiful surroundings, bountiful mayfly hatches and plentiful trout. Some of these rivers occupy prominent places in the annals of American fly fishing; others are nascent…
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The True Cast – Keep the faith: Everything happens for a reason…
Over 25 years ago, I was nearly broke. My loving, supportive wife and I had moved to Colorado from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to chase a dream of me becoming an outdoor writer. After a few years, although I’d knocked out a couple books and sold some stories here and there, that wasn’t exactly paying the bills.…
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A Fishery Lacking Fish
Brook trout habitat will expand once abandoned mine drainage (AMD) cleanup takes place on Beech Creek in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s Beech Creek winds its way through rugged hills that echo with the bugles of wild elk in the fall and thunder with the gobbles of turkeys in the spring. A mid-sized freestone stream lined with hemlock,…
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West Branch Susquehanna: A river in recovery
WEST BRANCH SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, NORTH CAMBRIA, Pa. The angler stood in the shadows, peering intently at the water like a heron waiting for the moment. Then the cast. The line tightened. Allison Lutz smiled, subtly, as she netted the 12-inch-long wild brown trout. The smile was not so much about this individual fish. It was…
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