Help us protect the places you love to fish, and to make your fishing better.
We’ve made progress improving water quality since the Clean Water Act. Why undermine the law that can help us finish the job?
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean the fish aren’t eating — and that means they can be caught.
One of the biggest challenges Trout Unlimited and other sportsmen’s groups face today is keeping alive the American sporting heritage and becoming relevant to more diverse demographics. TU is taking on this challenge in part by engaging young people from all walks of...
Outdoor education shouldn’t be a privilege of only rural schools. At Trout Unlimited, we believe all students should have access to high quality outdoor learning and we’re putting this belief to practice in Grand Rapids Public Schools. This...
Homeward bound out of Phoenix, I couldn’t believe how much water was on the landscape. More exactly, how much water was in the landscape, for as we all know, water in its physical, palpable form is a rare sight among the rocks and draws of the Sonoran...
By Dean Finnerty My son really wanted this fish. He’d put in a lot of hours standing in the cold, winter flows of an Oregon coastal stream, plying its waters day after day, waiting for that tug. While he had caught steelhead before, when this tug finally came, on the...
Southwest Colorado hosts some of the best high-mountain trout fishing in the country. From pristine mountain streams and lakes that hold native cutthroats, to larger rivers like the Animas, Southwest Colorado fishing is worth fighting for. That is exactly the reason...
By Dean Finnerty Editor’s note: Steelhead management requires balancing of competing consumer demands, statutory requirements, science and politics. Hatchery steelhead weaken wild stocks, but help keep our fishing heritage alive. Where habitat conditions are...
TU’s Corey Fisher with a beast from one of Oregon’s fabled steelhead waters, the Umpqua. By Dean Finnerty His casting rod sat in its holder mounted to the side of the boat. At the end of 35 feet of 12-pound monofilament, his metallic pink Mag-Lip plug...
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...
One of the biggest challenges Trout Unlimited and other sportsmen’s groups face today is keeping alive the American sporting heritage and becoming relevant to more diverse demographics. TU is taking on this challenge in part by engaging young people from all walks of...
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....
Homeward bound out of Phoenix, I couldn’t believe how much water was on the landscape. More exactly, how much water was in the landscape, for as we all know, water in its physical, palpable form is a rare sight among the rocks and draws of the Sonoran...
TU’s Corey Fisher with a beast from one of Oregon’s fabled steelhead waters, the Umpqua. By Dean Finnerty His casting rod sat in its holder mounted to the side of the boat. At the end of 35 feet of 12-pound monofilament, his metallic pink Mag-Lip plug...
Homeward bound out of Phoenix, I couldn’t believe how much water was on the landscape. More exactly, how much water was in the landscape, for as we all know, water in its physical, palpable form is a rare sight among the rocks and draws of the Sonoran...
By Dean Finnerty My son really wanted this fish. He’d put in a lot of hours standing in the cold, winter flows of an Oregon coastal stream, plying its waters day after day, waiting for that tug. While he had caught steelhead before, when this tug finally came, on the...
I got a call from the RV repair shop this morning. My camper’s ready. Wheel bearings are packed and greased. Brakes are in good shape. Lights all work. It’s time. Well, it’s almost time. I’ve got a few things I need to do first, and it would be nice if spring actually...
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...
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...
My best tip to finding the right fly, especially if you are nymphing, is to seine the water before you start fishing. Spend $3.97 for a two-pack of five-gallon paint strainers at Home Depot, which will fit right over a net. Get a buddy to stir up rocks and river...
Indicator nymphing has long been an accepted method for reaching trout that are feeding throughout the water column. But not everybody employs the high-stick method when using an indicator, and they should. It really improves your chances. Orvis’ Pete Kutzer on...
Editor’s note: The following is exerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” available online for overnight delivery. With my clients, I find that many of them lose touch with their fly line following their cast. I emphasize holding on to their line...
Throwing big streamers, heavy “hopper-dropper” rigs or multiple-nymph rigs can be a bear to cast. While a traditional cast can work, anglers open themselves up to potential errors—and potential tangles—if they’re not very careful casting these rigs....
If you have any questions about Euro-nymphing, competitive angler Lance Egan likely has the answers. And if you’re just using your long Euro-nymphing rod for, well, Euro-nymphing, you might be just scratching the surface. Above, Lance uses a typical Euro-nymph...
Euro-nymphing is all the rage these days, and that’s because it works. Drifting weighted nymphs through fishy runs using longer rods and the “high-stick” technique can be deadly for trout around the world, as competitive European fly fishers have...
It’s getting warmer outside. Spring is actually springing, and that means summer isn’t far off. Soon, it’ll be time to camp next to high-country trout water and sight-fish to feeding fish. I can’t wait. And short films, like this little gem...
The guys at Trouts Fly Shop in Denver hit the Colorado River recently, and they did some serious damage to the river’s lively browns and rainbows using baetis imitations. Five Flies for April Baetis, often imitated in the dun form by the venerable Blue-winged...
Indicator nymphing has long been an accepted method for reaching trout that are feeding throughout the water column. But not everybody employs the high-stick method when using an indicator, and they should. It really improves your chances. Orvis’ Pete Kutzer on...
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...
I got a call from the RV repair shop this morning. My camper’s ready. Wheel bearings are packed and greased. Brakes are in good shape. Lights all work. It’s time. Well, it’s almost time. I’ve got a few things I need to do first, and it would be nice if spring actually...
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...
It’s getting warmer outside. Spring is actually springing, and that means summer isn’t far off. Soon, it’ll be time to camp next to high-country trout water and sight-fish to feeding fish. I can’t wait. And short films, like this little gem...
Matt Jennings and I are standing on the bank of Wisconsin’s Root River on an early spring day. And we are plotting. “I think we need to cross down there,” says Jennings, who then starts pointing his fly rod at various spots in the river. “We’ll hit that...
Help us protect the places you love to fish, and to make your fishing better.
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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.’”
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...
One of the biggest challenges Trout Unlimited and other sportsmen’s groups face today is keeping alive the American sporting heritage and becoming relevant to more diverse demographics. TU is taking on this challenge in part by engaging young people from all walks of...
Outdoor education shouldn’t be a privilege of only rural schools. At Trout Unlimited, we believe all students should have access to high quality outdoor learning and we’re putting this belief to practice in Grand Rapids Public Schools. This...
Homeward bound out of Phoenix, I couldn’t believe how much water was on the landscape. More exactly, how much water was in the landscape, for as we all know, water in its physical, palpable form is a rare sight among the rocks and draws of the Sonoran...
By Dean Finnerty My son really wanted this fish. He’d put in a lot of hours standing in the cold, winter flows of an Oregon coastal stream, plying its waters day after day, waiting for that tug. While he had caught steelhead before, when this tug finally came, on the...
Southwest Colorado hosts some of the best high-mountain trout fishing in the country. From pristine mountain streams and lakes that hold native cutthroats, to larger rivers like the Animas, Southwest Colorado fishing is worth fighting for. That is exactly the reason...
If you have any questions about Euro-nymphing, competitive angler Lance Egan likely has the answers. And if you’re just using your long Euro-nymphing rod for, well, Euro-nymphing, you might be just scratching the surface. Above, Lance uses a typical Euro-nymph...
I got a call from the RV repair shop this morning. My camper’s ready. Wheel bearings are packed and greased. Brakes are in good shape. Lights all work. It’s time. Well, it’s almost time. I’ve got a few things I need to do first, and it would be nice if spring actually...
I love the way Matt Callies from Loon ties flies. Check that. I love the way he converses when he ties flies. You can tell Callies is a fly fishing guide and not just a vise junkie. He fishes what he ties, and he’s pretty pragmatic about what comes from his vise...
By Dean Finnerty Editor’s note: Steelhead management requires balancing of competing consumer demands, statutory requirements, science and politics. Hatchery steelhead weaken wild stocks, but help keep our fishing heritage alive. Where habitat conditions are...
As a business owner, Jeff Munn knows it makes sense to understand his customers. One word kept coming up when Munn started tracking the activities of guests at the bed and breakfast he and his wife operate near Franklin, W.Va. Trout. “When we started asking...
Euro-nymphing is all the rage these days, and that’s because it works. Drifting weighted nymphs through fishy runs using longer rods and the “high-stick” technique can be deadly for trout around the world, as competitive European fly fishers have...
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...
More than 1 million acres of public lands in California would be better protected under a trio of bills introduced on April 10. Trout Unlimited has worked for years to better protect the habitat values and sporting opportunities found on some of these lands. The...
By David Kinney TU volunteer leader Agust Gudmundsson came out for a public hearing this week to testify in support of New Jersey’s trout streams, as he has time and again over the years. This week, the cause was a bit closer to his heart than usual. The New Jersey...
A project to protect a genetically unique population of Colorado River cutthroat trout in Colorado is nearing completion. Abrams Creek, near the town of Gypsum, is the only native trout population in the Eagle River watershed. The cutthroat in Abrams Creek have been...
Casey working a hickory shad “Would you pick Larry Bird or Magic? Who is better Michael or LeBron? Would you take Russell Westbrook or Steph Curry?” For two hours, every few minutes, the questions came. Casey is 13, and a big kid. He hit a dinger in each of his last...
Winter steelhead season is winding down, if not over in some rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Time for anglers to regroup and prepare for summer runs. First, a bit of cautious optimism. More steelhead are predicted to return to the Columbia River basin this year than...
You could say it all started with Ralph Sawyer. After a legendary canoe racing career, Ralph began building paddles and oars. In 1967, he established Sawyer Paddles and Oars in the small town of Rogue River, Ore. He fell in love with whitewater rafting and began...
Last week, Tightline Productions’ Tim Flagler taught us the CDC (cul-de-canard) basics—we know that the feathers come ducks or geese, near their preening glands. These feathers have lots of surface area, which helps them trap air and keeps the afloat quite well....
Montana. The center of the earth for fly fishing. And somewhere west of the center of Montana is Helena, home to Montana Fishing Outfitters and my friend Garrett Munson. Garrett is one of those people that you want on your team. He’ll never quit, and he’ll never let...
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