By Taylor Ridderbusch On Friday, both the House and Senate introduced bills to reauthorize and increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The identical bills would reauthorize the program for five more years and incrementally increase the funding level from $300 million to $475 million, which was the original funding level for the…
Illinois Trout Unlimited would like to thank Mayor Rahm Emanuel for adding the City of Chicago to the Great Lakes Basin Partnership to Block Asian Carp. Also signed by Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Ontario, the partnership seeks to stop the spread of Asian carp to Lake Michigan through the implantation of the US Army Corps…
It’s steelhead season, although here in the Northwest, most folks aren’t nearly as excited about it as they used to be thanks to dismal fish returns in the Columbia River system—it’s an unfortunate recurring theme for anglers in the region who are helplessly watching our prized ocean-going fish dwindle seemingly every season. But for those…
“All the land managers and people we meet along the trails seem to appreciate bringing the fish in on horseback. It just has the character of wilderness. It’s good for the environment and it’s a fun thing to do.”
I suppose there are people – perhaps many people – who do not immediately think of fly-fishing when the hear the word “California”. There was a time when I might not have, either. But I’m over that now, mostly because of great people like my friend Matt Heron.
The lifeblood of the Village of Pecos, the Pecos River flows through public and private lands in a narrow canyon flanked by in aspen, Gambel oak, and mixed conifer. The Pecos boasts a fun salmon fly hatch in early summer, and I love how spooky the fish are in autumn, when elk bugles echo, the banks blaze with yellow cottonwoods, and the water resembles the air above, cold, clear and…
The Upper D could be the heartbeat of the region’s economy Lee Hartman showed up in 1973, a decade after the Cannonsville Reservoir went into service on the West Branch of the Upper Delaware River to help supply water to New York City. Lee’s habit was to take a few days every year, and mark a space on the map to camp and fish for trout. His…
Region: Northern RockiesActivity: FishingSpecies: Cutthroat trout Where: The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests encompass more than four million acres in north central Idaho. Three renowned white water rivers – the Selway, Lochsa and Salmon – course through the mountainous terrain. Many of the region’s streams hold healthy populations of westslope cutthroat. Why: Excellent top-water angling for…
Area: Pacific NorthwestActivity: FishingSpecies: Cutthroat Trout (or Westslope Cutthroat Trout), Rainbow trout Where: The picturesque Methow Valley rests in north central Washington’s Okanogan Country, roughly four hours northeast of Seattle amongst the 4 million acre-Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The valley, which rests in the rain shadow east of the North Cascades, is home to Winthrop, a…
Region: AlaskaActivities: FishingSpecies: Chum, Chinook, Sockeye, Pink and Coho salmon; Dolly Varden; Steelhead; Coastal cutthroat trout; Rainbow trout Where: The Tongass encompasses 17 million acres of public land, spread across much of Southeast Alaska. It’s a wonderland of hulking hemlock, spruce and cedar western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedar and yellow cedar trees, dotted…
Region: Rocky MountainsActivities: Hunting and FishingSpecies: Brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout; ducks; deer; pronghorn Where: The Seedskadee rests near the southwest corner of Wyoming, in the w estern shadow of the Wind River Range, and northwest of the town of Rock Springs. Most of the refuge protects riparian, wetland and upland shrub habitat adjoining 36…
It’s Easter season, so I thought it would be appropriate to mention the “bunny hatch.” No, this isn’t about the eggs that the Easter Bunny leaves. This is about flies that use rabbit or squirrel Zonker strips. Now that I’ve done my best attempt at a pun, let’s talk about patterns. Leeches, Slump Busters, Lunch…
September is a month tailor-made for sportsmen and women and there is no better place to spend it than on our public lands. The dog days of summer have given way to cooler temperatures and a multitude of opportunities beckon hunters and anglers: brown trout chasing streamers, elk bugles ringing through the mountains, ruffed grouse…
Great ideas have longevity. 111 years ago today, Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law, cementing the importance of our public lands heritage for decades to come. Since then, some of the most important fish and wildlife habitat in the country has been set aside for the benefit of the American people in the…
Making sense of the doomsday scenarios, donations and what role TU is playing in this important watershed.
A nearly decades-long partnership for watershed restoration in Newaygo County is getting a boost.
After a final trip to hunt Gambel’s quail in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest in February, another hunting season ends. Once shotguns and rifles are given a final cleaning all that remains is storytelling with family and friends. This is often done around backyard barbeques and the dinner table over delicious meals of wild duck, quail,…
Check out these tips from Far Bank’s Simon Gawesworth to get started lake fishing.
For me and many anglers I know, lake fishing is a mystery.
It’s the oldest marketing “hook” in the fishing book. “This is going to help you catch more, bigger fish… guaranteed!”
