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The current in the current

Shocking fish for population stats
Shocked fish are netted and brought to the boat by the dozens. While stunned and immobile for a few minutes, the fish are measured and tagged then released back into the river (photo: Kris Millgate).

I prefer to fish via drift boat, but on this late fall day, I’m fishing from a jet boat. Well, sort of. We’re cheating the system in the name of science and the fishing has never been better.

​My waded and booted body is braced against a rail system decorating the front of the boat. The top rail hits me well above the waist. This is a good thing. A higher rail holds me in better. There’s electricity in the water and the last thing I want to do is go overboard.

Just a badass hat (photo: Chad Shmukler).

There's simply too much to see each year at the IFTD (International Fly Tackle Dealers) show in Orlando, Florida. But, over the course of three days of poring over all the new offerings, a handful of products always stand out. Also be sure to check out our highlights in New 2016-17 fly fishing gear: Standout fly rods, reels and lines.

The sun ain't no joke

Avoiding holes in your face, skin cancer and other similar indignities
Photo: Austin Orr

Terrific. Another hole in my face. My fourth. And not the fun kind, either. No cool piercings, this. Serious scalpel work. Micro-sharp curved Japanese surgical silicon, digging chunks of flesh – cancerous flesh - from my cabeza like fruit salad melon balls. Then, to cover the divots, layers of skin subcutaneously cut and stretched to cover the excavation. Two in my forehead, one in my right temple, and a chunk out of my nose, a few years ago, that made me cry, certain that I was permanently disfigured.

The sun ain’t no joke, my friends, and years of it add up.

RIO intros free fly fishing 'How To' video series

New instructional video series tackles a diverse range of subjects

Over recent years, a number of fly fishing brands have gotten into the video gig producing videos that introduce customers to their products or provide instruction on a wide variety of fly fishing topics. RIO has been no stranger to video, releasing video tutorials on topics ranging from knot tying to welding your own sink tip loops, with a focus primarily on products like fly lines, leaders and tippets which RIO makes.

'Teddy's turning in his grave'

Malheur acquittal handed down on Roosevelt's birthday
Mark Heckert, a sportsman from Washington, traveled to Oregon during the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover in January to show his opposition to the movement (photo: Kris Millgate).

Garrett Vene Klasen has Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday in his calendar. He receives annual alerts for Teddy’s special day just like he does for his daughter’s birthday.

“If you’re an outdoors person, Roosevelt should be a central figure in your life,” says Vene Klasen, New Mexico Wildlife Federation executive director. “He created our lifestyle.”

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