Latest Blog Posts

Wastewater: Our everywhere crisis

Big wastewater problems plague places both large and small

by Kirk Mantay - Tuesday, Aug 20th, 2019

Photo: American Water Security Project

Many of us would call our journey through avocations such as hunting or fishing a quest for purity. In my case, it’s a search for something more certain and more true than what is offered out of drive-thru windows under neon lit canopies along suburban highways. We pursue clean lines, clear water, and something close to silence. We gravitate towards people who, at the very least, are conflicted about the existence of things like Life Hacks and Influencers.

When did using a dropper become taboo?

The ranks of the fly fishing ethics police seem to be ever-growing

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Aug 14th, 2019

Photo: Chad Shmukler

The ethics of fly fishing can get pretty sticky, or at least I’m gleaning that from social media, where some folks aren’t afraid to scold fellow anglers for teetering on the edge of angling impropriety, whether that impropriety is real or perceived.

For instance, when did using a “dropper” become taboo?

My sensei

Sacred things are worth protecting

by Kyle Schaefer - Monday, Jul 22nd, 2019

Photo: Chad Shmukler

I’ve kept my ultimate goal in life simple and crystal clear. One day, I strive to become a wise old man. I haven’t a clue when that day will be but, at the very least, I expect to know when I get there. This immeasurable, intangible goal is my compass and guides my decisions as life unfolds. But wisdom doesn’t come by chance — it ‘s earned through listening, breathing deep when things get too fast, tuning in to the wind as it sweeps across the water, and trusting that there is magic in the present moment.

I’ve been lucky to have a diverse group of teachers in my life: philosophical teachings from business mentors in Colorado, environmental science professors at UNH, yoga instructors in Maine and the ever-present guidance from my loving family. I’ve been fortunate to surround myself with people that I highly respect, many which seem to move through life as if it were a rhythmic dance.

Finding Yellowstone's grayling

Hiking for grayling in one of America's trout meccas

by Chris Hunt - Thursday, Jul 11th, 2019

Photo: Morgan Peirce

Cameron was just over a year old when he took his first steps in the cobble along the south shoreline of Grebe Lake in Yellowstone National Park.

My wife and I had hauled our little family down the three-and-a-half-mile trail from the Grebe Lake Trailhead between Norris and Canyon to the shores of this beautiful little backcountry lake for one simple reason.

I wanted to catch Arctic grayling.

Winter in July?

In Leadville, it doesn't matter what the calendar says

by Chris Hunt - Friday, Jul 5th, 2019

Photo: Martin Ludden

Years ago, while working in the upper Arkansas River Valley as a small-town newspaper reporter and editor, I shared layout space with a number of other local newspapers. Our papers were owned by a small chain based in Salida, and every week, editors from Buena Vista, Fairplay and Leadville would descend upon the offices in Salida to put their papers to bed, get them printed and then haul them back up the hill to their respective communities.