It’s fun to edit the magazine and website for Trout Unlimited, because we get to work with many skilled authors and photographers from around the world. But sometimes, I am amazed by the talent we have among our own staff. The latest case in point is a wonderful essay by TU’s vice president for volunteer
One of the surprising highlights to the summer camping season was the day my Thermacell “Backpacker” arrived in the mail. This little device does a number on mosquitos. Thermacell’s lantern has been out for awhile, but the “Backpacker” is new. It attaches to a typical camp propane canister and uses a repellent mat to do
April, particularly in the West, is a bona-fide shoulder month. Higher up, it’s still winter. In the valleys, spring is springing and water is rising. It’s a tough month for trout fishing, given the transition happening between winter and spring and all the trappings that come with it, both good and bad. Video of Trouts
Tying small-ish mayfly patterns might be one of the most common fly-tying applications, but it doesn’t mean it’s super easy. Like any tying activity, it takes practice, particularly for the more detailed aspects of your average mayfly pattern, including the hackle fibers use for the tail. Video of How to Make Mixed Hackle Fiber Tail
Handling fish once you’ve caught them has become a touchy issue (pun intended), and rightly so. The #KeepEmWet movement has been great for educating anglers on proper fish handling and release techniques, and now, as you’ll see below, the fly fishing industry is getting involved in the effort to promote responsible handling and release of
For those of us who tie flies and work with various resins, from head cement to full-on UV materials, a dubbing needle is likely our tool of choice for applying the goo. For years, I used a square of craft foam to clean the needle after each use—I’d just poke the needle through the foam
Here’s one for you western anglers who are wondering, with all the late winter snow and the spring rain, if we’re ever going to see fishable water levels anytime soon. The answer is, the water’s already fishable. We just need to find the places where trout are holding amid the near-constant temperature changes and water
If you don’t know where to go fishing next, check out this map. Compiled by the Trust for Public Land, it outlines every project the Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped become a reality over the past half century. There is also a map to looks at potential future projects — a glimpse into
Your Trout Unlimited membership includes great core member benefits like TROUT magazine, and entitles you to a number of discounts from hotel and car rentals to retailers like Office Depot and a variety of fly fishing and other outdoor retailers. See the complete list of Member Benefits and Member Discounts below. Member benefits include Official
Editor’s note: Every so often, we’ll put movers and shakers in the fly-fishing world on the spot with our version of the Proust profile questionnaire. We’ve asked our subjects to be brutally honest and as forthright as they choose as they answer questions that might make them think, reminisce and look forward in their lives. And, honestly, some of these
I often lie when I’m asked when I’ll be home from fishing. I’ve learned to not answer the question until I’m in my car driving home. It’s so hard to leave the river. There’s always another bend, another puzzle, more wildlife. I almost rather not go at all than to leave!
By Brian Johnson It’s been a busy and amazingly productive year for Trout Unlimited in California. With the help of our 10,000 California members and our dozens of agency and project partners, we reached major milestones on many of ou r highest priority initiatives. All of these highlight TU’s successful formula for protecting and restoring
Editor’s Note: Five students from the TU Costa 5 Rivers Outreach Program have embarked on a once-in a-lifetime journey in pursuit of 16 native trout species, all on public lands. With support from the U.S. Forest Service, Costa Sunglasses, Simms Fishing Products, Fishpond and Post Fly Box, these students will tell the stories of our
Sometimes the bugs that make Mother’s Day famous for fly fishers don’t adhere to the calendar, but it’s generally pretty close. From the Arkansas the Yakima to the Henry’s Fork, the first couple weeks of May typically mean it’s time for caddis flies. I had an epic caddis day on the Warm River, a tributary
Did you all know that Sweetwater Brewing is giving $100,000 this year again to #saveourwater? Marking the campaign’s 10th anniversary, SweetWater will donate $100,000 and promote a matching funds effort, with the goal of raising an additional $100,000. Save Our Water has officially kicked off and runs through Labor Day. If you’d like to get
Contact:Chris Wood, President and CEO, Trout Unlimited, (571) 274-0601 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Trout Unlimited CEO lauds pick of REI’s Jewell Press statement from Chris Wood, president and CEO, Trout Unlimited: “Sally Jewell would make a great Secretary of Interior. Her background suggests that she would bring needed balance to energy development on public lands. Her
R.A. Beattie’s film about the tarpon of Mexico’s Holbox (pronounced HOLE-bosh) Island is a lively feature on the legendary guide Sandflea, and it’s a pleasure to watch. But sometimes, it’s the little things that get me interested in today’s fly fishing films. As mentioned in the trailer, Holbox used to be a great fishery for
Midge nymph patterns are deliciously simple to tie, and the pattern Tim Flagler demonstrates in the video below is no exception. I love any fly that uses simple thread as a true fly ingredient, not just something to fasten all the other ingredients to the hook. The Red and Black Midge is dependen t on
Imagine a river system where management depends on the lightest possible human footprint. Where trees aren’t cut. Trails aren’t improved. Rivers left to flow on their own to the sea. Such a place exists, about an hour’s chopper ride from the Russian city of Murmansk, on the remote Kola Peninsula, where Atlantic salmon, arctic char,
Sometimes you have to get the trout’s attention. Often, the simplest advice is the best. And when it comes to fly fishing, with all its trappings and the intimidating vocabulary ranging from fly sizes, line and rod weights, tippet sizes and sink ratings, simpler is better, particularly for folks who are just starting out. That’s
