Articles

Your rivers and lakes up for grabs

What will states do with water that used to belong to all Americans?

by Ted Williams - Wednesday, Sep 5th, 2018

Photo: Scott Stouder

What will states do with water that used to belong to all Americans?

That’s a question anglers need an answer to because western states and GOP lawmakers are mounting a full-court press to “take back,” as they put it, publicly owned lands and waters managed by federal agencies.

5 big fish fighting tips to consider before you cast

Avoiding the walk of shame

by Matthew Reilly - Tuesday, Sep 4th, 2018

Photo: Scot Santore.

Summer is glancing at the door, but it’s not quite fall. Streams are running low and bugs are flying—big ones that can be imitated with slabs of foam and deer hair. It’s the height of terrestrial season in much of the country, and, along with pre-spawn windows and high water events, when big bugs fly, anglers have a strong chance of tangling with big trout.

First kill for a young heart

The taking of a life, no matter how small, calls for reverence

by Johnny Carrol Sain - Friday, Aug 31st, 2018

Photo: Dawn Huczek / cc2.0

I watch her movements become slow and deliberate as rustling leaves bring her to alert. An image of the oak tree reflects in her dilated pupils. Shaky hands testify to the adrenaline racing through her veins.

I whisper, "can you see it?"

There is no reply.

“It’s on the third branch up.”

Searching eyes scrutinize leafy boughs. Whispered words tumble out in a ragged breath. “I see it,” she says.

I kneel behind her to take it all in. The camouflaged gun barrel circles in cool late-afternoon air. The circles tighten and she holds her breath.

Review: The Feather Thief

Beauty, obsession and the natural history heist of the century

by Jon Tobey - Wednesday, Aug 29th, 2018

The Tring Museum’s press release announcing the theft included this photo of the species of birds the thief—or thieves—had targeted the most: Indian Crow, Resplendent Quetzal, Blue Chatterer, and Birds of Paradise, several of which had been collected by Alfred Russel Wallace. Detective Inspector Fraser Wylie of the Hertfordshire Constabulary offered a number of theories about how the stolen birds might be used—for dressmaking, costume jewelry, or fishing lures—and asked collectors to keep an eye out for these species (photo: Natural History Museum, London).

The Feather Thief, by Kirk Wallace Johnson proves the old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction." Though entirely non-fiction, The Feather Thief reads like a novel. As a novelist and short story writer, I sure wish I could've come up with this plot. While the crime around which the story revolves is one related to fly fishing, Wallace's account focuses much more on conservation. You definitely do not need to be a fly fisher to enjoy this book.

Famous rivers, silent streams

Would you rather fish well-known rivers or anonymous creeks?

by Todd Tanner - Monday, Aug 27th, 2018

Photo: Todd Tanner

We all have our favorite streams. For some folks, it’s a pristine mountain creek dropping down through a remote, forested valley. For others, it’s a pretty little stretch of water just past the edge of town, a place where they’ve fished a hundred times and, with a bit of luck, will fish a hundred more. Easy access helps breed familiarity, and familiarity builds intimacy; it’s all about that personal, ongoing connection with the local landscape. And then, of course, there are the myriad anglers who enjoy famous waters like the Bighorn, the Beaverkill or the Madison.