Articles

Conservation groups clash over how to save Alaskan king salmon

With Chinook salmon populations continuing to struggle, is it time to list king salmon under the Endangered Species Act?
Chinook salmon (photo: USFWS / cc2.0).

A conservation non-profit is asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to list a host of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon populations — known more commonly as king salmon — as “threatened” or “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and to designate critical habitat for dwindling king stocks in southern Alaska waters.

The truth about false casting

The conventional wisdom you've heard about false casting may not be particularly wise
Photo: Todd Tanner

If you spend much time reading about fly fishing, or hanging around with other fly fishers, you’re likely to run across a common theme in our sport.

“We false cast too much. Stop it.”

That admonition to limit or curtail our false casting is frequently followed with a bit of home-spun angling wisdom. “You won’t catch fish with your fly in the air. False casting is a waste of your time. Get your fly in the water.”

Sounds like great advice, doesn’t it? Stop false casting. Make sure you fly is on, or in, the water. Catch more fish.

New fly fishing gear: January 2024

What's new on the water this month
Skwala's new Backeddy waders (photo: Skwala Fishing).

The weather may be screaming winter, but gear and soft-goods manufacturers are busy launching their spring lineups in anticipation of warmer weather and anglers getting back on the water in the weeks ahead.

This month, we’re shining some light on two new pairs of feature-packed waders, new rods and reels, hard-working apparel, and more.

The most read articles of 2023

Reader favorites from the past year
Photo: Todd Tanner

Another year is in the books, our thirteenth. As has become the custom, each year we look back at which Hatch Magazine stories captivated readers the most. In a typical year, the most read stories are a healthy mix of gear-focused coverage, tips and HOWTO pieces, conservation journalism, and plain old fly fishing stories. This past year was no exception with reader favorites ranging from talk of fly rods, fly lines, and tippet to drought, fish hatcheries, and river etiquette.

Pike flies

Three rules for success with pike flies
Photo: Chad Shmukler

The whimsey starts at the fly shop, really. I mean, this is where the initial brain bomb leads you. One minute, after looking at the calendar, you realize that in just five short months, you’ll be in the Yukon chasing giant northern pike. The next, you’re in the truck, navigating snow-packed city streets in order to pick up all the ingredients you think you need to tie the perfect fly for a fish that’s about as discerning as Fat Albert at the Chuck-a-rama.

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