The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved its final plan recommendation for addressing Asian carp at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Ill. Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite, the commanding general of the Corps of Engineers, signed the report,...
Stream
Join Trout Unlimited today
Help us protect the places you love to fish, and to make your fishing better.
Little streams make a big difference for our drinking water
We’ve made progress improving water quality since the Clean Water Act. Why undermine the law that can help us finish the job?
Trout Tips: Winter can offer hot fishing
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the fish aren’t eating — and that means they can be caught.
Conservation
Juntos: Connecting With Your Hispanic and Latino Community Members
“I’m not sure where to begin but I know this is important.” With the Trout Unlimited regional rendezvous season wrapping up with the Northeast Regional next week, I find it helpful to pause and reflect on common questions and conundrums that surface...
Alaska’s Koktuli River on display
Simply put, the rivers you will see in Koktuli Wild are ground zero for impacts from the Pebble mine if it were to go through.
Youth key to steelhead restoration in Pennington Creek
Native south-central California coastal steelhead. Photo: Capelli/NOAA Fisheries. Steelhead, the sea-run version of rainbow trout, have one of the most diverse life histories of any fish species. On the West Coast, this life history diversity has enabled steelhead to...
When it rains, look upstream
“The big show starts around 7 p.m. in front of the cabin. From that time until it is too dark to fish, the stream will boil trout. If you are lucky to match one of three to five hatches going on, you will be rewarded with epic fishing. Sometimes everything comes...
New hope for coho in San Geronimo Creek
San Geronimo Creek, which provides important spawning and rearing habitat for endangered coho salmon in Marin County, Calif., flows parallel to the road in the center of this photo on the far side of the former golf course, up against the forested hillside. Imperiled...
Fishing
Kammock’s Kuhli weather shelter
Weather has always had a way of rearranging an outdoor experience. There’s a famous quote by Mark Twain that says, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Many of us have seen it all while fishing, camping, rafting and hunting on our...
Juntos: Connecting With Your Hispanic and Latino Community Members
“I’m not sure where to begin but I know this is important.” With the Trout Unlimited regional rendezvous season wrapping up with the Northeast Regional next week, I find it helpful to pause and reflect on common questions and conundrums that surface...
Alaska’s Koktuli River on display
Simply put, the rivers you will see in Koktuli Wild are ground zero for impacts from the Pebble mine if it were to go through.
Midland X-tra Talk GXT radio
By Bill Thorne In this day and age of smart phones boasting limitless data capabilities, you may not think you need a set of walkie talkies. In the rural parts of the Ozarks, where I fish and hunt, I have found the Midland X-tra Talk, GXT Walkie Talkies to come in...
Entrenched in the salmon cycle
“We are products of our environment.” There is much truth to this adage, and I know I am a product of my Alaskan fly-fishing environment and exposure. Six years ago when I arrived in Alaska, I was still a mere “padawan” with the fly rod. With time, I...
Voices from the River
Lessons from Trout in the Classroom
The volunteers, partners and staff of Trout Unlimited believe in a future where native fish swim in cold, clean headwaters. This vision benefits fish, of course, but it also provides a vital resource for every living thing that depends on water. Which, last time I...
Entrenched in the salmon cycle
“We are products of our environment.” There is much truth to this adage, and I know I am a product of my Alaskan fly-fishing environment and exposure. Six years ago when I arrived in Alaska, I was still a mere “padawan” with the fly rod. With time, I...
Water dog
Molly as a pup, first day on the boat. By Dean Finnerty My canine sidekick Molly has two kinds of days: good and great. I have said this to many fellow steelhead anglers over the years, with a mix of apology and embarrassment, as Molly greets them on the trail by...
Four flies for spring
After another two feet of mountain snow in mid-May, I’m starting to wonder when fishing season will begin. I know, I know, there’s fishing right now. All one has to do is make peace with less fishable holding water that’s cold and muddy. Don’t wade too deep, fish big...
When it rains, look upstream
“The big show starts around 7 p.m. in front of the cabin. From that time until it is too dark to fish, the stream will boil trout. If you are lucky to match one of three to five hatches going on, you will be rewarded with epic fishing. Sometimes everything comes...
Trout Tips
Four flies for spring
After another two feet of mountain snow in mid-May, I’m starting to wonder when fishing season will begin. I know, I know, there’s fishing right now. All one has to do is make peace with less fishable holding water that’s cold and muddy. Don’t wade too deep, fish big...
Trust the fly
Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” available online for overnight delivery. Whether I’m fishing for striped bass in Massachusetts or trout in New Hampshire, my habit has been to choose a reliable fly...
Different posts for different light
Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” available online for overnight delivery. Guide Pete Cardinal reminded me of this one as we fished the Missouri River in Montana in early fall. It’s hard to beat a...
Casting into high winds
Ugh. The wind. The bane of every fly caster. Well, not ever caster, obviously. But those of us who don’t often deal with the wind on a regular basis (read: those of us who might get to the bonefish flats but once every couple of years, for instance) can find the...
Flashback Pheasant Tail nymph
The venerable Pheasant Tail nymph is a fly box staple, and there’s a reason for that. It works. And it’s not the most onerous fly to tie, either, as demonstrated below by Matt Callies of Loon Outdoors, who cranks one out in just a few minutes. Matt Callies...
Video Spotlight
Natural vs. Prince
One thing nymph anglers often forget–or may never realize–is that nymphs, particularly if they’re suspended under an indicator or high-sticked through a fishy run, will ride through the water column vertically. The good news is, natural nymphs, when...
Wade Andros
Paraphrasing Todd Moen’s introduction to his film, “Wade Andros” — and George Peppard in the old “A-Team” series, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Below, in his film, Moen captures the essence of wading the...
The distibution wrap
Tying soft-hackle flies or some streamers that require feather fibers to be distributed evenly around the hook can be a challenge, largely because tiers often end up with a larger-and-desired thread head. That’s because it takes more wraps to bind down fibers...
Backcountry bull trout featured in ‘Secrets’
Bull trout are the native char of the inland Northwest. They live in the coldest, cleanest water and thrive in the most far-flung places. They get big and surly. They chase gaudy streamers, prey on smaller fish and can be very challenging to pursue. They’re also...
‘A Nation’s River’ highlights TU’s efforts in the Potomac headwaters
Dustin Wichterman lives trout. By day he manages Trout Unlimited’s restoration and protection work in the Potomac headwaters. Most of the rest of the time he’s either fishing for trout or dreaming about fishing for trout. And a big part of...
Travel
Alaska’s Koktuli River on display
Simply put, the rivers you will see in Koktuli Wild are ground zero for impacts from the Pebble mine if it were to go through.
Entrenched in the salmon cycle
“We are products of our environment.” There is much truth to this adage, and I know I am a product of my Alaskan fly-fishing environment and exposure. Six years ago when I arrived in Alaska, I was still a mere “padawan” with the fly rod. With time, I...
When it rains, look upstream
“The big show starts around 7 p.m. in front of the cabin. From that time until it is too dark to fish, the stream will boil trout. If you are lucky to match one of three to five hatches going on, you will be rewarded with epic fishing. Sometimes everything comes...
Wade Andros
Paraphrasing Todd Moen’s introduction to his film, “Wade Andros” — and George Peppard in the old “A-Team” series, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Below, in his film, Moen captures the essence of wading the...
Making a good fishery great
The Upper D could be the heartbeat of the region’s economy Lee Hartman showed up in 1973, a decade after the Cannonsville Reservoir went into service on the West Branch of the Upper Delaware River to help...
Join Trout Unlimited today
Help us protect the places you love to fish, and to make your fishing better.
Lessons from Trout in the Classroom
The volunteers, partners and staff of Trout Unlimited believe in a future where native fish swim in cold, clean headwaters. This vision benefits fish, of course, but it also provides a vital resource for every living thing that depends on water. Which, last time I...
Using modern genomics to assess thermal adaptation in Lahontan cutthroat trout
Climate change is a major threat to trout and salmon. Their habitat is quickly changing and there will be a lot less of it in the future. But we still don’t have an understanding of if, or how, these cold-water fish might evolve to adapt to a warmer environment. ...
Need a new fishing goal? Try the Western Native Trout Challenge
What if there was a program encouraging anglers to scour the amazing landscape of the West for elusive and beautiful fish while promoting conservation at the same time? Thanks to the Western Native Trout Initiative, its 12 member states, federal wildlife partners and...
Hats off to educators across TU
I recently sat under a tent at the Western North Carolina Fly Expo and watched four teenagers speak to an audience of anglers about their experience as leaders in Trout Unlimited. Articulate, professional and a little nervous, they told the story of how it all started...
Who is the ‘fishy’ person in your family?
Every family has that one person with a knack for catching fish. Aiza is that person in our family. She simply loves to fish. My nephew is one lucky guy. Almost three years ago he married Aiza. She is a talented millennial with a successful career in the tech industry...
‘A Nation’s River’ highlights TU’s efforts in the Potomac headwaters
Dustin Wichterman lives trout. By day he manages Trout Unlimited’s restoration and protection work in the Potomac headwaters. Most of the rest of the time he’s either fishing for trout or dreaming about fishing for trout. And a big part of...
Spring on Jack Creek
Beyond its confluence with Cow Creek near the village of San Ysidro, the Pecos River’s southward crawl is rarely supplemented by significant inputs other than random flash floods. Deriving its existence from how much snow falls on a mere six...
Hope for Idaho’s Salmon
“I have concluded that I am going to stay alive long enough to see salmon return to healthy populations in Idaho.” Those words by U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) at a conference at the Andrus Center last week may do more to project the recovery of the imperiled Snake...
International Year of the Salmon
This year is the International Year of the Salmon, and it couldn’t have come too soon. Wild salmon the world over are in peril—once plentiful stocks are dwindling in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Dams block migration. Proposed industrial development,...
‘Catching Yellowstone’s Wild Trout’
Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from the new book, “Catching Yellowstone’s Wild Trout: A Fly-fishing History and Guide,” by Chris Hunt, Trout Unlimited’s national digital director. The book, endorsed by TU, is available for...
Hope in the heart of the city
It was humid and drizzly—the warmest day of the year so far, but nothing could contain the excitement of these kids. “Are you excited to go fishing,” I asked a young boy named, Derrick. His smile was all the answer needed. More than 40 inner city kids met...
“Fish or Die” series highlights adventures of fishing the world
Crocodiles, cobras and the drug cartel are not common visitors to fishing camps — unless you are Thad Robison and other members of the “Fish or Die” team. Chris Owens, Brian Jill, Jay Johnson and Robison have explored the planet looking for unique fish, remote country...
Let your fly reel rock
Classic rock and fly fishing don’t often seem to go together. Just hit any of the film festivals that are currently touring the country. The music embedded behind the cinematography rarely features Iron Maiden, Molly Hatchet, Van Halen … or AC/DC....
Why is it important that we recover southwestern trout?
Jim looked at me in disbelief. “What?” I repeated my question, “Why is it important that we recover southwestern native trout?” “Let me tell you a story,” he said. Jim Brooks was the longtime lead of the Gila Trout recovery team. Gila trout are native to the...
Overlooked brookies of Ontario
My TU coworker Mark Taylor has a great laugh. Kind of a mix between a giggle and guffaw. A guffawggle, if you will. I know this because I’ve seen Mark in any number of circumstances—mingling with conference attendees at a hospitality suite, surrounded by his...
Helping the Wood River to breathe
The room is full for the banquet. I first came across the Narragansett chapter of Trout Unlimited seven or eight years ago, when a few frustrated members contacted me and complained that the chapter was assisting the state in stocking over native fish in violation of...
Nudging streams back to health
Gary recalls talking to a road engineer more familiar with channelizing and straightening rivers in response to floods. As he looked over the work “his face fell from pink to grey, and he said, ‘We have been doing this wrong for 100 years.’”
Patience on the Denali Highway
I unhitched the camper just off the road in a trailhead parking area. It wasn’t occupied, and with the rain and wind of late, I didn’t expect company anytime soon. A lonely, soggy firepit adorned the center of the lot, but that was the only sign that anybody had been...
Kammock’s Kuhli weather shelter
Weather has always had a way of rearranging an outdoor experience. There’s a famous quote by Mark Twain that says, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Many of us have seen it all while fishing, camping, rafting and hunting on our...
Juntos: Connecting With Your Hispanic and Latino Community Members
“I’m not sure where to begin but I know this is important.” With the Trout Unlimited regional rendezvous season wrapping up with the Northeast Regional next week, I find it helpful to pause and reflect on common questions and conundrums that surface...
Alaska’s Koktuli River on display
Simply put, the rivers you will see in Koktuli Wild are ground zero for impacts from the Pebble mine if it were to go through.
Midland X-tra Talk GXT radio
By Bill Thorne In this day and age of smart phones boasting limitless data capabilities, you may not think you need a set of walkie talkies. In the rural parts of the Ozarks, where I fish and hunt, I have found the Midland X-tra Talk, GXT Walkie Talkies to come in...
Entrenched in the salmon cycle
“We are products of our environment.” There is much truth to this adage, and I know I am a product of my Alaskan fly-fishing environment and exposure. Six years ago when I arrived in Alaska, I was still a mere “padawan” with the fly rod. With time, I...
Water dog
Molly as a pup, first day on the boat. By Dean Finnerty My canine sidekick Molly has two kinds of days: good and great. I have said this to many fellow steelhead anglers over the years, with a mix of apology and embarrassment, as Molly greets them on the trail by...
Youth key to steelhead restoration in Pennington Creek
Native south-central California coastal steelhead. Photo: Capelli/NOAA Fisheries. Steelhead, the sea-run version of rainbow trout, have one of the most diverse life histories of any fish species. On the West Coast, this life history diversity has enabled steelhead to...
Four flies for spring
After another two feet of mountain snow in mid-May, I’m starting to wonder when fishing season will begin. I know, I know, there’s fishing right now. All one has to do is make peace with less fishable holding water that’s cold and muddy. Don’t wade too deep, fish big...
When it rains, look upstream
“The big show starts around 7 p.m. in front of the cabin. From that time until it is too dark to fish, the stream will boil trout. If you are lucky to match one of three to five hatches going on, you will be rewarded with epic fishing. Sometimes everything comes...
New hope for coho in San Geronimo Creek
San Geronimo Creek, which provides important spawning and rearing habitat for endangered coho salmon in Marin County, Calif., flows parallel to the road in the center of this photo on the far side of the former golf course, up against the forested hillside. Imperiled...
The Race up Rock Creek
Some places race horses. Some greyhounds. In Montana, we’re betting on a group of tagged cutthroat trout as they race their way up the Clark Fork River. The project is a joint venture between Trout Unlimited and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to learn more...
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...
Natural vs. Prince
One thing nymph anglers often forget–or may never realize–is that nymphs, particularly if they’re suspended under an indicator or high-sticked through a fishy run, will ride through the water column vertically. The good news is, natural nymphs, when...
Wade Andros
Paraphrasing Todd Moen’s introduction to his film, “Wade Andros” — and George Peppard in the old “A-Team” series, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Below, in his film, Moen captures the essence of wading the...
The distibution wrap
Tying soft-hackle flies or some streamers that require feather fibers to be distributed evenly around the hook can be a challenge, largely because tiers often end up with a larger-and-desired thread head. That’s because it takes more wraps to bind down fibers...
Looking back at a big year for PA Coldwater Habitat Program
By Jake Tomlinson The past year was a big one for Trout Unlimited’s Pennsylvania Coldwater Habitat Program, which works with a variety of partners and funding sources to protect critical habitat, reconnect degraded waterways, and restore...
From Bristol Bay to the Bronx
Rob shows that real Alaskans fish for carp Washington, D.C., is a long way from Dillingham, Alaska, but that’s where Triston Chaney spent his 19th birthday. Triston was among a group of commercial fishermen, lodge owners and outfitters who came back to the nation’s...
Brew for TU
By Dave Atcheson The Kenai Peninsula Trout Unlimited Chapter recently held its annual fundraiser, hosting the International Fly Fishing Film Fest, and holding a silent auction, which contained a wide array of fly rods, gear and assorted trips. The highlight of the...
Anchorage: A hub for women leaders in fly fishing
It doesn’t take much time spent in Alaska’s largest city to see that Anchorage is a growing hub for women who are taking charge and leading others in the fly fishing community.
One step closer to restoring the Klamath River
Thursday, May 9, delivered more good news on the Klamath River restoration front. PacifiCorp, the utility that owns the four old hydropower dams slated for removal under the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA), announced it has entered into a site access...
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