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The tipping point for salmon and steelhead
These remarks were delivered yesterday at the 2021 Environmental Conference at the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University. I want to begin my remarks today by talking about SARs—not the viral respiratory disease, but the percentage of juvenile salmon or smolts that survive the ocean, and their trek through the dams, and return to spawn. Experts call this the “smolt to adult…
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Colorado TU chapter wins award for work to protect rare cutthroat trout
San Juan cutthroat trout. Photo courtesy of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. On the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado, advances are afoot for a special trout and its habitat thanks to the many people working to protect them. The San Juan cutthroat trout, once widespread throughout the region, only inhabits a small portion of its historic range. Luckily for these recently rediscovered trout, Trout Unlimited and partners are making strides towards increasing their…
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If you could only fish one river for the rest of your life, what river would it be?
Steve Zakur of Connectictut fishes the Mighty Mo out of Craig, Mont. Kirk Deeter says this would be his choice. Chris Hunt photo. Kirk Deeter: The Missouri, because it’s really long, with a lot of different types of fish, and I still have a lot I want to figure out. I would do the Lewis and…
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A simple tarp should be a priority for any river trip
How is it that one piece of gear can save an entire trip? After spending four extremely variable weather days on Montana’s famed Smith River, the conclusion was the tarp saved the trip. Let me explain. It’s no secret spring weather in Montana can throw anything your way. One day can be 60 degrees and…
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This might be the best breakfast on the river
My three-year-old son has a gut like a garbage-eating street dog. Being one that was raised on lightly buttered russet potatoes and rarely seasoned cuts of chicken, I’m not quite sure how he missed the memo that kids are supposed hate spicy food. It’s tamales that always bring the little beggar sniffing into the kitchen, barking up the stools until he has…
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A bittersweet morning with the Redington Field Kit
Bittersweet. That's how I'd describe my brief encounter with the Redington Field Kit, a clever compilation of a medium-fast-action fly rod, a sturdy and dependable reel and a fly line designed for the fishing you're doing at the time. A few weeks back, I took the Field Kit's tropical saltwater version with me to Long…
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Deja vu all over again
TU worked with Jackson Family Wines and other partners to complete this fish passage improvement project on Yellowjacket Creek, an important spawning and rearing tributary for Coho and steelhead in the Russian River system. Author's note: As California grapples with extraordinarily warm and dry conditions, the California Wildlife Conservation Board awards major grants to TU…