Articles

Death by any other name

A call to write and speak with humility
Photo: Johnny Carrol Sain

A friend recently sent me a link to this Outdoor Life article. He said he thought I’d find it interesting. I have strong suspicions he wanted to poke the bear. Regardless of his motive, I was both intrigued and irritated. The article sought to answer the burning question: When a wild animal we’ve hunted lays dead and reduced to our possession, did we “kill” the animal or “harvest” it?

The Leaburg Fish Hatchery in Oregon (photo: David Geitgey Sierralupe / cc2.0).

For over 100 years, hatcheries have been producing fish in an effort to mitigate human impacts on the natural environment. Whether to increase stocks to fuel the demands of commercial and recreational fisheries, counteract the effects of habitat loss, or rescue species on the brink of extinction, hatcheries have been employed all over the planet as a tool to undo damage to fish populations caused by human beings.

How to find big fish in small water

Five guidelines for finding oversized trout and other fish in undersized streams, creeks, and more
Photo: Spencer Durrant

Living where I do in Northern Wyoming, there’s no shortage of great fisheries — and big fish — within a day’s drive. The Miracle Mile, the Big Horn below Fort Smith, or the Yellowstone all offer the chance at trophy trout.

They’re also, almost as a rule these days, pretty crowded. Especially during tourist season.

Biden's EPA neuters clean water protections, complying with right-wing Supreme Court

Once transformative, the Clean Water Act is again defanged
Photo: Michael Coghlan / cc2.0.

In May of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a significant blow to the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which has been battered back and forth between presidential administrations for almost the last two decades. In its ruling, the court essentially told the U.S.

New fly fishing gear: August 2023

What's new on the water this month
Photo: Scott Fly Rods.

Summer’s end is here for those of us in northern climes, and not too far behind for many others. As we drove through Grand Teton National Park earlier this week, the willows had a distinct orange tinge to them, and the morning chill was more of an autumn bite.

Bring it on. After a season of devastating Canadian wildfires, severe drought, tropical storms over the desert and just plain, unrelenting heat, many anglers will welcome the first few weeks of fall with open arms. And, with the winter travel season quickly approaching, many will be looking for some new gear.

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