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 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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
April, particularly in the West, is a bona-fide shoulder month. Higher up, it’s still winter. In the valleys, spring is springing and water is rising. It’s a tough month for trout fishing, given the transition happening between winter and spring and all the trappings that come with it, both good and bad. Video of Trouts…
Tying small-ish mayfly patterns might be one of the most common fly-tying applications, but it doesn’t mean it’s super easy. Like any tying activity, it takes practice, particularly for the more detailed aspects of your average mayfly pattern, including the hackle fibers use for the tail. Video of How to Make Mixed Hackle Fiber Tail…
Handling fish once you’ve caught them has become a touchy issue (pun intended), and rightly so. The #KeepEmWet movement has been great for educating anglers on proper fish handling and release techniques, and now, as you’ll see below, the fly fishing industry is getting involved in the effort to promote responsible handling and release of…
For those of us who tie flies and work with various resins, from head cement to full-on UV materials, a dubbing needle is likely our tool of choice for applying the goo. For years, I used a square of craft foam to clean the needle after each use—I’d just poke the needle through the foam…
Here’s one for you western anglers who are wondering, with all the late winter snow and the spring rain, if we’re ever going to see fishable water levels anytime soon. The answer is, the water’s already fishable. We just need to find the places where trout are holding amid the near-constant temperature changes and water…
If you don’t know where to go fishing next, check out this map. Compiled by the Trust for Public Land, it outlines every project the Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped become a reality over the past half century. There is also a map to looks at potential future projects — a glimpse into…
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…
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…
Trout Unlimited launched the Battenkill Home Rivers Initiative in 2020. Orvis has chosen the program as the beneficiary of its Giving Tuesday efforts on Nov. 30, 2021, pledging 10 percent of profits to the program.
TU volunteers play key role in Maryland Fly Fishing Trail launch
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.
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…
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…
