Colorado businesses join fight for MT Smith

By Colin Cooney As Trout Unlimited continues the campaign opposing the proposed copper mine that threatens Montana’s famed Smith River, companies from around the country are stepping up to help. Recently, RepYourWater, a Colorado based business dedicated to providing uniquely designed, top quality gear for anglers and hunters, and Upslope Brewing, a brewery out of…

New gear: Vedavoo Damsel sling pack

I’ve been a fan of the sling pack for a good decade now. A good sling is lighter than a vest, more streamlined than a backpack and, if you can find the right one, comfortable to wear in any number of fishing conditions. But until now, no sling pack has been made specifically for women.…

Why this trout angler likes wind farms

By Paul Doscher I’ll admit it. I was what some call an environmentalist (I prefer conservationist) before I was a TU member. Of course, I had angling in my history, but that was back when my father would wake me up at 5 a.m. on summer mornings so we could go out and catch our…

TU Councils on national monuments

Want to know what 30 of Trout Unlimited’s state councils had to say about national monuments? Here’s the full text of their official comments, submitted July 10. July 10, 2017 Monument Review, MS-1530 U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Comments of Trout Unlimited on DOI-2017-0002, Review of Certain National…

How are aquatic insects coping with climate change?

A Willowemoc creek green drake. By Jerry Schoen We have seen a lot on the TU blog and elsewhere about how climate change is affecting fish and their cold-water habitats, but one under-appreciated concern is that climate change also disrupts the life cycles of aquatic insects. This, in turn, might upset entire freshwater food chains…

Gear test: An Orvis Helios 2 with an attitude

By Zach Dingus Stealth, strength and oh so slick. The Orvis H2 Covert is widely considered to be one of the best high-performance fly rods ever… and there is a pretty interesting backstory as to how these special-edition rods came to be. A local guide, who participates in fishing tournaments, reached out to Orvis. He…