This week, backers of the proposed Pebble Mine project in the world’s most prolific wild salmon region submitted a new compensatory mitigation plan to permit reviewers at the Army Corps of Engineers to determine if the plan would meet Clean Water Act standards. The plan has still not been shared with the public, likely because…
Photo by Colin Arisman By Daniel Ritz How Bristol Bay Fly Fishing & Guide Academy graduates are redefining fly-fishing travel culture in Alaska. Rounding a blind bend in the Brooks River, the nearly 900-pound brown bear surprises us as it sits haunches deep, ripping into the belly of a bright red 8-to-10 pound Sockeye salmon…
The effort to save wild salmon from California to Alaska has been costly, and with a few notable exceptions, largely ineffective. Humankind, over the centuries, has continually put up obstacle after obstacle for wild salmon to conquer, and the numbers are dwindling. Video of Artifishal | The Fight to Save Wild Salmon The new film,…
The flights are booked, the lodging is arranged. You’re going to Bristol Bay. Dang, I’m jealous.
In the case of the Tongass National Forest, it has been made clear repeatedly that American taxpayers have subsidized the clear-cut logging of old growth trees to the tune of roughly $30 million annually for the last 20 years. We need to Roadless Rule to make sure this doesn’t continue.
The Eklutna area is an increasingly favored quick getaway for staff in Trout Unlimited’s Anchorage office. TU’s increased involvement in the efforts to restore the Eklutna River to a healthy and productive state have us spending additional time in the region with zero complaint and we are eager to recommend it to others.
Just as Alaska is home to the northern-most populations of steelhead in this hemisphere, Kamchatka boasts big and mysterious chromers, too. The film, “The Kamchatka Steelhead Project” is an example of what can be done with a little collaboration, a touch of creativity and the passion that anglers have for these incredible fish. On Russia’s…
Editor’s note: The following is the first of a two-part series. By Eric Booton The Trout Unlimited Alaska office is appropriately located on the shore of Anchorage’s Lake Hood, a hub for float plane traffic and a persistent reminder of the wild lands accessible in mere minutes, if you have the right transport for the…
All photos courtesy of Crystal Creek Lodge facebook page. You can’t miss the sign that says, “Do you love this place? We need your help. Ask us how,” when you walk up to Crystal Creek Lodge, in King Salmon. This is a model for how Dan Michels is as a businessman and a person. Dan…
By Jenny Weis Rounding the corner from the dock, I turn my baseball hat backwards so it doesn’t blow off my head, and zip my down vest up all the way so it covers my neck. Standing behind me at the motor, Connor turns the throttle and I fold my arms across my chest and…
Many visitors travel to Alaska to witness the classic scene of bears feeding on salmon. Those who travel to southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest often visit Margaret Creek, a remote salmon stream 22 miles north of Ketchikan. Although, this area is not the pristine wilderness most expect to experience. Margaret Creek is home to sockeye,…
Often the top predator in rivers and streams, the coastal cutthroat’s eagerness to bite and acrobatic displays when hooked all make it a highly sought-after catch
Todd Moen at Catch Magazine is at it again. The mousing subculture among fly fishers is just as rabid as any steelhead conclave or dry-fly crew. Chasing big trout on mouse patterns has become nothing short of a religious endeavor for many. Video of Aniak Mousing *TRAILER* – Alaska Fly Fishing by Todd Moen And…
There are more women guiding than ever before and many of these women have inspirational stories. Finatical Flyfishing was created to feature them and offer hosted travel with the outfitters who support them. For example, Patty Reilly has guided all over the western United States; from Jackson Hole and Yellowstone to Alaska and many rivers…
We see a lot of video footage of migrating salmon spawning in Alaska and in other places around the world, but we often forget that our inland trout and char run upstream—just like salmon—to spawn, too. The video below shows spawning rainbow trout spawning this spring in a small tributary stream on the Helena-Lewis and…
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…” The short chapter concludes, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Chad turned to his wife Erin, “If I don’t make it back, I died doing what I love.” It was well-spoken and sealed with a kiss. The Class III rapids of the canyon are far from the roughest or most consequential white water in the state, though they have proven deadly. As with many things, it’s better to be safe than sorry when drifting for adventure and a sense of freedom in…
Protections outlined in the 2014 Proposed Determination are the reason most people thought that the Pebble mine was no longer a threat to Bristol Bay. Today, those protections are gone.
Photos of the Naknek River by Mark Hieronymous By Jenny Weis Working in communications for Trout Unlimited, I encounter more than a fair share of “grip ‘n grin” fish photos. Given this, I like to think of myself as somewhat of an expert on the components for what makes the perfect photo. In my humble…
Disclaimer: I love grayling. A couple years ago, on an extended trip north through B.C., the Yukon and Alaska, I gleefully chased grayling. We have a few places here in the northern Rockies that have grayling, but they’re few and far between, and the populations are fragile at best. But up north, grayling are prolific…
