Search results for “great lakes”

Dam Removal Success Stories, Executive Summary

12/13/1999 Dam Removal Success Stories, Executive Summary Dam Removal Success Stories, Executive Summary Restoring Rivers through Selective Removal of Dams that Don’t Make Sense Contact: 12/13/1999 — — Few human actions have more significant impacts on a river system than the presence of a dam. Although dams can provide important societal benefits, dams also cause…

Conflict to Collaboration

Since the mid-nineteenth century, the central question of the American West has been: How much water is there in the region, and how do we best use it? This question has been a topic of debate for more than the past 150 years, and we’re still trying to answer it now in the twenty-first century.…

Traditions: In search of fur and feathers

Published in Uncategorized

Taylor’s Sneaky Coyote. By Mark Taylor I’m off in a bit on a quest for fly-tying materials. Usually this mission involves a short drive down to the local Orvis store or nearby Sportsman’s Warehouse. But this time of year, it means I’m headed to the woods, bow or gun in hand. I wouldn’t go so…

Voices from the River: Mountain Strong

Published in Voices from the river

Wes Gwaltney, president of the New River Valley of Trout Unlimited, fishes the West Prong of the Pigeon River near Gatlinburg, Tenn., in late April. Even as damage from 2016 fires remains, the forest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is greening up with the arrival of spring. (Mark Taylor photo.) By Mark Taylor…

The trip of a lifetime

Published in Travel

Mike and Anh Wen, the winners of the 2017 TU Sweepstakes, recount their stay at the cozy Yaak Valley Log Cabin for five nights and spent four days on the river with the Linehan Outfitting Company.

Being an angler is more than catching fish

Published in Youth, Conservation

Editor’s Note: Each year, participants at Trout Unlimited regional Youth Fly Fishing and Conservation summer camps are invited to enter the TU Teen Camp Essay Contest. The prompt for 2019 was “Why is conservation important to fly fishing?” We received many wonderful entries and are pleased to share the top five essays. To find a…

We Are TU: Corinne Doctor

Published in We are TU

Corinne Doctor serves on the board of her local Boulder Flycasters Chapter in Colorado, and is also the women and diversity initiative coordinator for the statewide Colorado Council. In 2011, she and her husband Garrison founded Rep Your Water, a hat and apparel company that donates 3 percent of every purchase to conservation. In 10…

Hit the “Easy Button” for Driftless caddis

Published in Uncategorized

May and June are great months for fishing caddis patterns in the driftless.  This year, I noticed many fish receptive to caddis patterns stationed in shallow, fast water in broad daylight. Here are a few suggestions that might help you catch more trout on caddis patterns.  I am not a big fan of floating caddis…

Fly tying: The Cream Variant

Published in Fishing, Fly tying

As Tim Flagler notes in the video below, the Cream Variant is “an oldie, but a goodie.” Indeed, I remember seeing this pattern for the first time as a child—it is the epitome of delicate fly fishing, and I remember thinking that all flies used for fishing should be this beautiful. Video of Cream Variant…

Video spotlight: Safe wading techniques

Published in Video spotlight

Wading while fly fishing is one of the more visceral experiences the craft offers. There’s something very primal about feeling cold trout water working its way around your legs—I’ve always felt that is makes me part of the river rather than just a visitor. But wading safely is important, and Orvis’ Tom Rosenbauer, in the…

Trout Tips: Casting from a tight spot

Published in Fishing, Trout Tips

We’ve all been there. The fish are rising on the far bank, and you can reach them … if only you had enough room behind you for a backcast. But you don’t. What to do? In the video above, TU’s Kirk Deeter demonstrates a simple technique borrowed from spey casters that simply helps you get…

Beads demystified

Published in Uncategorized

Beads for fly tying can be mystery, especially for beginning tiers who are looking to either dress up a nymph or a streamer or to simply get the fly down deep and avoid having to use split shot while fishing. Video of Beads and Cones Here, Tim Flagler gives some sage advice on beads, and…

Fly tying: Zelon Musk Midge

Published in Fishing, Fly tying

If you’re like me, any pattern that calls for a size 24 hook is a pattern best left to the experts. Tim Flagler’s Zelon Musk Midge is a prime example. Video of Zelon Musk Midge This might be the simplest midge pattern I’ve ever seen. It consists of two ingredients in addition to the thread,…

Video spotlight: River of Life

Published in Video spotlight

Todd Moen’s latest fly-fishing film is a story of three women and their fights with breast cancer. It’s a sobering reminder that, while the “river of life” moves on, some of us fall victim to the cruelest of conditions. And, yet, some find ways to persist, and for these three ladies, fly fishing proved to…

Video spotlight: How to Cast to Rising Trout

Published in Video spotlight

Tailing bonefish. A daisy chain of 80-pound tarpon. The reflection of the Caribbean sun off the sythe-shaped tail of a permit. A striper blitz. And rising trout. These are the images that raise goose bumps on our arms and up our blood pressure. The are, for lack of a better term, potential. They represent the…

Smith essay in Braided

Published in Uncategorized

It’s fun to edit the magazine and website for Trout Unlimited, because we get to work with many skilled authors and photographers from around the world. But sometimes, I am amazed by the talent we have among our own staff. The latest case in point is a wonderful essay by TU’s vice president for volunteer…

Gear test: Thermacell Backpacker

Published in Uncategorized

One of the surprising highlights to the summer camping season was the day my Thermacell “Backpacker” arrived in the mail. This little device does a number on mosquitos. Thermacell’s lantern has been out for awhile, but the “Backpacker” is new. It attaches to a typical camp propane canister and uses a repellent mat to do…