Fall means trying to do a little bit of everything before the snow flies: the last mountain bike rides on dirt, climbing peaks to glass for elk, leaf peeping before they turn brown and litter the ground and of course, the last warm days of fishing. I celebrate this time of year and find great joy and happiness exploring…
Redington Escape waders
First a disclaimer. If I don’t have to wear waders, I won’t. Simple as that. I’d rather wet-wade. But the weather doesn’t always make standing in trout water up to your midsection a practical proposition. Fall, winter and spring in the northern Rockies demand some protection from the elements, and good waders provide that protection.…
Colorado has a water plan; now let’s fully fund it.
Finalized in 2015, the Colorado Water Plan is backed by rural and urban water providers, agricultural producers, conservationists and recreationists, and those on both sides of the political aisle. It is described by its authors as “a road map to lead to a productive economy, vibrant and sustainable cities, productive agriculture, a strong environment and a robust recreation industry. It sets…
Hard work has payoffs
I recently went out with the Five Rivers TU chapter in Durango, Colo., to help plant willows along the banks of the Hermosa Creek. (Full disclosure: I’m on the board of the chapter). Closing in on the final steps, I couldn’t wait to get out there to see all the work completed so far and to help with the finishing efforts. …
Fishing and aging
Aging. We all do it — every minute and second of every day. Why is wisdom gained only with age? Hitting a rather large, round number earlier this year, I’ve been reflecting on life — how to spend more time living my life, how to spend more time with the people I love, and how to make the most of those minutes and seconds, every day. Of course, one answer…
Local input opens opportunity for BLM Lands in South Park
The Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office covers some 666,000 acres of public lands sloping eastward from the Great Divide, through Colorado’s Front Range and into the rolling grasslands of the High Plains. Tucked into the rugged folds of its western shoulder lies one of the state’s richest landscapes, home to trophy trout, bountiful…
National Park Service strives to create home for native cutthroat
What a thrilling prospect to catch native fish in a spectacular wilderness setting like in the picture above. That is what anglers’ dreams are made of. Years of hard work, planning and enduring partnerships strove towards this goal, but it’s still not quite a realized dream. In 2005, Fred Bunch, chief of resource management at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, hatched a plan…