On grayling and guilt

Returning to the valley a year after surgery. The way I figure it, they probably stopped her heart around 1 p.m. The bypass machines kicked on and in my mind they sounded like the soothing white noise of a ceiling fan. Peaceful. I don’t know if a person subconsciously takes in any noise during surgery,…

Small-stream tactics in the age of non-native invasives

Native Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Contrary to many conservation-minded anglers, I am one who believes that, along with cockroaches, coyotes and Siberian elm trees, brown trout will survive the apocalypse. They possess many of the traits we Americans admire most: they are intelligent, confident, adaptable, rugged, ambitious and breathtakingly handsome. And for the time being…

Acid mine waste and trout don’t mix

The North Star Mine in Silverton, Colo. Mining plays an important part to Colorado’s history. Many mountain towns were founded upon mining and some still rely on it as an economic driver. But it also left a legacy of damage and destruction to many headwater streams and rivers around the state. Trout Unlimited’s mine reclamation program balances maintaining the…

On second glance

A scenic shot of a trout stream.

A fairly average-looking run on a stream. Or is it? I’d been fishing a small native cutthroat trout stream in eastern Idaho, and came upon what, at first blush, looked to be a fairly featureless stretch of stream. But, as I got closer, I noticed a few things. The long “slick,” as I’ve taken to…

A river turned inside out

By Ivory Williams Have you ever seen a river turned inside out? I have and it is a pretty shocking sight. For the past six summers I worked as an intern for Nez Perce Fisheries. Trout Unlimited and the Nez Perce Tribe are partnering on some projects throughout Idaho and I was excited to get…