Articles

Hard-earned

Woodcock are where you find them

by Tom Davis - Thursday, Dec 7th, 2023

Welcome to Wisconsin (photo: Tom Davis).

The ground had glittered with frost when we started hunting; now, the shadows were beginning to lengthen, and not only was my gamebag still empty, my barrels weren’t even dirty. We—meaning my English cocker spaniel, Rumor, and I—had moved exactly one woodcock all day, a bird whose twittering rise I heard distinctly but whose pear-plump form I was unable to “find,” visually, through the gray, thickly massed ranks of popple.

Patagonia is asking Americans to act today to protect the Western Arctic Reserve

The public comment period on proposed new protections for the Alaskan arctic ends tomorrow, December 7

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Dec 6th, 2023

Photo: Peter Mather.

America’s largest contiguous swath of public land is facing an uncertain future thanks to a recently approved plan to drill for oil and gas on its fringes — the notorious Willow project has a green light from the U.S. government, pushing industrial activity closer to some of the wildest land left in America.

She and I, on the fly

The YMCA of the Rockies is helping to increase angler access to affordable guided trips and female guides

by Erica Zazo - Sunday, Dec 3rd, 2023

Taylor Hames, a guide for Sasquatch Fly Fishing at YMCA of the Rockies (photo: Erica Zazo)

I watch the season's first snowfall roll over Rocky Mountain National Park as I make my way down U.S. 36 into Estes Park. I’m in awe of the white tundra that sweeps across the jagged mountain peaks and clashes with bright yellow aspens still covering the landscape. Between breaks in the fast-moving clouds, intermittent bursts of morning sunshine illuminate the face of Longs Peak and The Mummy Range.

4 things all anglers should be thankful for in 2023

Where should we focus our gratitude this year?

by Hatch Magazine - Thursday, Nov 23rd, 2023

The North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River in Oregon (photo: Bob Wick, BLM).

Whether you’re sitting around on Thanksgiving pondering all the things we each have to be grateful for — family, friends, safety, security — or just embarking on a day of football watching, binge eating and alcohol-fueled dinner table political arguments, today offers an opportunity to reflect on the many things anglers have to be thankful for. It’s a long list, no doubt, which is why we’ve been able to make this somewhat of a Thanksgiving tradition over the years.

Here are a few more to consider in 2023.

Gear we love right now: November 2023

What's working on and off the water, right now

by Hatch Magazine - Tuesday, Nov 21st, 2023

Casting the Scott Swing (photo: Scott Fly Rods).

Fly anglers are overloaded with gear choices—rods, reels, boots, waders, lines, packs, bags, boxes, vests, apparel and more. It seems harder and harder to know what's worth coveting and what's worth ignoring. Gear reviews are a great way to explore in-depth what might be right for you, but not every piece of gear is suited to a full-length review and, even if it were, there's simply too much of it to get to. With that in mind, we periodically showcase what's working for us right now, to hopefully offer more helpful feedback on gear that's worth a second look.