My father once told me that “home is where you hang your hat.” I believed it, for a time, at least. I mean, as a young boy, who was I to argue with the wisdom of a grownup? I’ve come to realize, though, that “home” is where everything seems to fall into place just right.…
To celebrate Public Lands Month, many TU staffers took to their local public lands and waters to participate in #ResponsibleRecreation. Staying close to home while still getting out to enjoy the outdoors has been imperative for many during the pandemic. Here are some of their stories: Exploring public land heritage along the Columbia River Tsagaglalal. …
“People don’t necessarily think about the necessity of fish to be able to move like terrestrial animals,” said Anna Senecal, an aquatic habitat biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish. “We all know about bird migrations and we know about ungulate elk migrations, but fish need to move as well.”
Trout Unlimited does many great things across our country, but also faces many challenges moving into the future. One brought up often at state council meetings in Wyoming – and likely across the country – is the age and diversity of the board of the local chapters. Let’s face it, many of our TU board…
A few weeks ago, the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited and other partners met in Lovells, Michigan to dedicate a memorial to Art Neumann, the last surviving founder of Trout Unlimited who passed away last year. It was a great day, and Art’s kids—TU members in good standing—attended the dedication, and wanted me to pass…
Learning new rowing skills is key to helping boaters grow and become more adept on the water
Kids are back in school. The summer sun has lost its edge. Things are definitely cooling off here in the Rockies. It’s almost time for in-earnest fall fishing. Around here, that means we’re getting ready for the fall run of browns up the Henry’s Fork and the South Fork and, of course, the big, B-run…
Small-stream angling is generally considered the “short game” of fly fishing—it’s rare that an angler would need to throw more than 20 feet or so. But that’s not always the case, and it pays to “bring a driver” on small water, too—come equipped with your double-haul. Chances are, you won’t need it, but when fish…
Editor’s note: The following is exerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” available for online purchase and overnight delivery. I recently took a long drive through Kootenay, Banff and Jasper national parks along the border with British Columbia and Alberta. Throughout the entire drive, delicious, glacial-tinged trout water paralleled my path. Trouble was, save for the…
The Royal Coachman. Worth dying for? Let’s have a little fun, if no other reason than to talk about those fly patterns that just never seem to let us down. Here’s the question: What fly would you climb out on a limb to retrieve, even if the limb looked a little sketchy and the tumble…
There’s a great little redfish flat situated behind the airport in Rockport, Texas. A few years back, I did a strange dance with an 8-foot gator on that flat, working back to the shore from about 100 yards out in the mostly clear water as the reptile eyed me from an increasingly close distance. When…
When the float plane disappears into the ether and all you’re left with is the pile of gear you unceremoniously tossed from the hold, it takes a minute to realize that you’re actually “out here,” on the margins of survivability. You’re alone (not lonely—that’s different). You’ve got nothing but time to kill before that plane…
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a huge steelhead guy. I love to chase big ocean-going rainbows as they come back home to Idaho and prepare to spawn, but sometimes, the reward is slim. Frozen fingers, frozen toes and few, if any fish, to show for it leave me wanting. Video of…
It’s no secret that fly anglers love deals—who doesn’t? The Cabela’s Vector FW fly rod is a great deal for the emerging angler or the most versatile angler. Why? The simple value of the rod. It’s not a super high-end or an embarrassingly low end rod. It falls right in that comfortable price zone for…
One of the best days I ever had on my local river—the South Fork of the Snake—was spent almost exclusively fishing riffles with big stonefly nymphs, maybe a week or so before the river’s fabled salmonfly hatch that generally happens sometime around the Fourth of July. The upper South Fork is a braided, fishy wonderland…
Check out this great story about the Bozeman, MT based Warriors and Quiet Waters (WQW) therapeutic fly fishing program for post 9/11, combat injured Veterans. TU VSP Partner Warriors and Quiet Waters I helped organize the trip featured in this piece by CNN and served as one of the guide/instructors for the trip. I was…
So you like brown trout? Nahuel Stauch has the fish for you. And thanks to Todd Moen at Catch Magazine, you can get a look at what is likely the largest population of sea-run brown trout on the planet in the Rio Grande of Tierra del Fuego. Stauch, the guide for Scottish angler Gordon Armstrong,…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] The wind is considered by many to be among the biggest challenges fly fishers face on a consistent basis. And, to some extent, that’s entirely accurate. A strong headwind can turn an otherwise perfect day on the water into something significantly less enjoyable. But, as you’ll see in…
The first-ever Hank Patterson’s Schwag-a-thon giveaway to support independent fly shops and guides around the country during the coronavirus pandemic is today at 6:30 p.m. MT. Over the last several months, anglers who spent at least $100 at a local, independent fly shop, or who booked guide trips through those shops, have been sending receipts…
The trout at the Trailside Museum have hatched! Send them your happy birthday messages!
