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Roadless redux? Really?
Photo by John Schoen By Chris Wood The state of Alaska’s recent proposal to re-open the roadless debate brought back memories. Mike was flossing his teeth when I entered his office. “I’m sorry. I’m running late for the dentist.” It was 1998, and Mike Dombeck, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, had proposed a…
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Two days, one fly
By Chris Wood Walt shook his head. “It’s up to you man, but I wouldn’t use a streamer. There’s a ton of wood and other snags in the river through the park. But it’s your call.” At the put-in, another guide commented, “I had two really good streamer fishermen hit the same stretch yesterday, and…
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Bringing back the Big Wood
Eroding banks along the Bridge to Bridge project area By Chris Wood The sign behind the two-person Trout Unlimited office in Hailey, Idaho, reads, “Parking for Trout Unlimited only. If towed, call Dick York Towing.” It is an inside-Hailey joke as Keri York’s Dad ran Dick York Towing—the only towing business in the Big Wood…
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A living legend and a fishing machine
By Chris Wood “Lefty said, ‘give it a try for a year. If it doesn’t work out, you can come back.’” That was in April 1973, and Paul Bruun, fishing guide, writer, and Wyoming raconteur, never looked back. He moved from Miami Beach to Jackson to write for the Jackson Hole Guide. Lefty Kreh’s counsel…
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Saving salters
By Chris Wood I admit that I am a bit of a freak about salter brook trout. You consider yourself a seasoned and knowledgeable angler, only to learn of these furtive coastal fish that occupy saltwater habitat and can grow four inches in a single winter in the salt. Daniel Webster is purported to have…
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Wanted: A Conservative Conservation Agenda
— By Chris Wood Conservatives have done as much as anyone to help advance the cause of American conservation. And why not? The root of both words, ”conservare” means to hold in a safe state. Conservative or liberal, the nation needs a conservation agenda. Read the Denver Post opinion editorial here: https://www.denverpost.com/2018/08/17/wanted-a-conservative-conservation-agenda/
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Keeping a fish factory intact
Caption: Lynn Finley alongside the Encampment By Chris Wood I met Lynn Finley last week when Beth and Bruce White hosted a fundraiser for Trout Unlimited’s North Platte restoration work. Lynn is a small, fire-cracker of a woman who runs a lodge in Riverside, Wyo. We were sitting in her kitchen overlooking the Encampment River,…
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