By Garrett Hanks Wolf Creek pass in the San Juan mountains of Colorado serves as the tipping point between the westward San Juan basin, home to the recently rediscovered San Juan cutthroat trout, and the Rio Grande cutthroat’s namesake river to the east. Unlike trout, bear, mule deer and other wildlife are unhindered by the ridgeline; their tracks freely cross the divide. Look north and you’ll notice the burn scar from the West Fork fire of 2013. Setting off south along the Continental Divide Trail, you quickly…
By Cal Curtice “This is probably the last generation of trout fishers.” — Forest and Stream Magazine 1879 In 1620, virgin forest covered the United States from the tip of northern Maine, south to central Florida, and west beyond the Mississippi River. Native brook trout swam throughout their cool, clean waters, including those in the Finger…
by Mark Taylor | February 11, 2020 | Conservation
Trout Unlimited continues to increase its efforts in the Great Lakes region. The past year saw a wide range of success across the “Protect, Reconnect, Restore and Sustain” components of our mission. Projects included habitat restoration of more than 17 miles of high-priority coldwater streams and improving/replacing several barriers to fish passage to open additional…
By Eric Crawford If only it was as simple as an adipose fin. The presence of an adipose fin is universally recognized as the mark. An individual with an adipose fin is, with a few exceptions, considered a wild steelhead. On the other hand, those marked, clipped, or ad-intact fish, they are the hatchery ones. Although it is…
On Feb. 5 the United States House of Representatives passed HR 4031, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act. This bill seeks to increase the GLRI funding back to its original levels of $475 million. The bill had support from 50 bi-partisan co-sponsors and passed 373-45. Additionally, 15 Representatives spoke in support of the bill. They…
By Michael Gibson Nothing clears the mind like a good chukar hike. So, when the boss called for a work/chukar retreat in lower Snake River Country, I got excited. Late-season chukar in some of the best, and most rugged, chukar country the planet has to offer. About now, you are probably wondering, what’s this got to do with fish? We’ll get…
California’s Bay-Delta, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers converge to form the largest estuary on the West Coast, is the hub of both the state’s water supply and the second largest runs of salmon and steelhead south of Alaska. The Bay-Delta is also the hub of the struggle over how to provide enough water…
