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Tips for fishing the Driftless in late winter
Winter and early spring fishing can be remarkably good in the Driftless Area. However, flexibility is the name of the game in low temperatures. Generally, I favor the classic slow and deep approach. If I see no visible rises, I start out indicator fishing with a scud or a caddis on point and a Brassie…
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The Versatile Angler: Fishing hard baits for big winter trout
It’s no secret that most Trout Unlimited members are fly anglers, many of them avid. It’s also no secret that many fly anglers also use other methods sometimes. I’m one of them. I started fishing with conventional gear, and I still use it pretty frequently—even for trout. Winter into early spring is one of my…
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Native and wild
A few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was catching wild trout in western North Carolina with a guide who had rejoined TU because the local chapter decided to stop helping the state to stock hatchery fish, and instead chose to focus exclusively on creating the flow and habitat conditions necessary to support wild and…
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Tech helps trip-planning, but it’s not fool-proof
I recently had a video call with a Trout Unlimited volunteer in New York. I couldn’t help being distracted. Over his shoulder I could see a stream in the background. “What river is that?” I asked. “The West Branch of the Delaware,” he replied. “I actually was watching fish rise before this call started.” Oh,…
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No shame
A couple weeks ago a buddy posted on social media a picture of himself holding a large brown trout with a brief caption: “No shame.” No additional information was necessary. The other prop in the photo, the one in addition to the gorgeous 22-inch brown, was a spinning rod. The fish hit a large Rapala,…
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Better fishing in the Driftless Area
“We make fishing better” is one of our mottos here at Trout Unlimited. Our efforts do more than simply make fishing better, of course. But everything we do, at some level, translates to better fishing. That sits pretty well with our 300,000 members and supporters because most of them are, in fact, anglers and appreciate…
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