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Simms Dry Creek Z backpack
As the name implies, the Dry Creek Z isn't just water resistant. It's waterproof. And, the pack itself, before you put anything in it, is virtually weightless. In fact, your first impression when you open the box might just be, "Is this it?"
About 18 months ago, I had three vertebrae fused in my lower back, a significant procedure that was done in hopes of stopping the brutal sciatic pain that would start just above my left hip and eventually stop at the tip of my big toe. Generally speaking, the surgery was a success. I'm still not…
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Finesse dubbing
Using dubbing to craft fly bodies and collars shouldn't be that difficult, regardless of the material you use in the process. But, for those new to the craft, dubbing can often give them fits at the vise. Below, Tim Flagler shows us how to craft the simple dubbing "noodle," or a length of dubbing that…
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Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide Academy postponed
A few months into the global pandemic, I know that I’m not the only one disappointed by postponed or cancelled plans. While our team pivoted our organizing and communications work so we can still advocate for coldwater fisheries in Alaska, much of our summer programming is cancelled to protect the small villages and towns in the communities we work from COVID-19. Perhaps our most disappointing but necessary cancellation is the Bristol Bay Fly Fishing and Guide…
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Virginia Trout Slam a surprising, and fun, challenge
The cast was too good. The drift was too good. There was no way this was not going to work. And it did. A trout dimpled the surface as it slurped in the little olive Stimulator. It wasn’t a big trout, but I played it carefully in the fading light of a sultry Virginia May…
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High mountain streams feed the soul
After some much-needed good news on the cancer front, I grabbed my cowboy hat and 1-weight and headed out the door. It was time to celebrate and I intended on doing just that by mountain biking and fishing (sometimes combined) on my gorgeous public lands. I pulled into the spot where I hiked out last week and trekked to see what this next section…
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Teachers, staff step up to save trout at Colorado school
By Matt Moskal It’s a heart-warming phenomenon when stress, hardship and tragedy bring people together. Groceries are delivered to elderly neighbors, engineers fabricate ventilators seemingly out of thin air and corporations donate millions to those in need. Even in the most polarized of eras, hardship brings out the best in humanity. For Colorado conservationists, nowhere…
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Better late than never for TU intern team in Wisconsin
By Chris Collier A pair of college interns are helping Trout Unlimited collect field data and prioritize restoration projects for brook trout in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Interns play an important role for TU during the summer, but the program in the Great Lakes and beyond was in doubt earlier this spring. In mid-March, TU’s field programs had to freeze the hiring process…