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The path forward for the Eel River’s fish and communities
As dam removal moves ahead, an innovative collaborative plan to share the basin’s water and restore its iconic salmon and steelhead runs is finalized On California’s mighty Eel River, Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) plan to remove the two dams comprising the Potter Valley Project continues to move forward. On Friday, July 25th, the utility…
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The True Cast – Why not fish only one fly at a time?
It strikes me that the root appeal of fly fishing is about fair chase using simple tools, basic techniques and challenging the skills of the angler. Question: So why has the fly-fishing “industry” invested so much effort over the past 30 years or so dumbing down the sport to the point that any living being…
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Photo of the week – eyes locked, back sore
It’s incredible the contortionists we become while fishing. We clench our jaws, hunch our shoulders, twist our torsos at odd angles, all to fool a creature with a brain the size of a pea. But with sore backs, side aches and more, our eyes never lose their lock on that juicy looking run, riffle, pool…
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TROUT Tip – undercut banks
The winding nature of small streams often creates undercut banks, which make an ideal habitat for trout. They are hidden and protected while lazily gorging on flies drifting nearby. To try your hand at catching these wily trout in tough lies like undercut banks, watch this video for tips. See All Orvis Learning Center Videos
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This Land Is Your Land: Jason Barr
Jason Barr, born and raised in the shadow of Mt. Shasta at the tail end of the Cascade Range in northern California, has, you might say, an appetite for risk.
Our public lands are the foundation of healthy watersheds and strong communities. From remote trout streams to working forests and rangelands, these places provide clean water, vital trout habitat and public access for all Americans. But pressures like efforts to sell off and privatize public land threaten what makes them so valuable. This blog series…
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Yukon River salmon declines: What’s under the surface
And what anglers who value the abundance of these fisheries can do to help When I moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 2008 to study for a degree in fish biology, I was mesmerized by the salmon that ascended thousands of miles up the Yukon River and its tributaries to spawn and die, begetting the next…
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Watch Meateater’s Cal investigate the Snake River dams
In the latest MeatEater video, Ryan “Cal” Callaghan heads to the Snake River to investigate the four lower dams and what they mean to salmon, steelhead and local communities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thd1OZ8QjUI Anglers, farmers, blue collar guys just drinking their morning coffee — everyone has an opinion on what these dams mean. But here’s the simple truth:…