Let’s keep this as simple as possible. There are millions of fly fishers here in the United States. Many of us are passionate anglers who care deeply about our sport. If we want productive fisheries in the future, then we need clean water and robust landscapes. Healthy ecosystems are an absolute prerequisite for healthy fisheries. Unfortunately, America’s waters are currently faced with any number of serious threats, including habitat destruction, invasive species and pollution.

As 2025 gathers speed, the media is awash in stories about our favorite sports and activities. And yet in spite of its popularity with celebrities, and its ubiquity in television commercials, fly fishing receives relatively little attention. So why do more than 7 million Americans pick up a fly rod and go fishing every year? What’s so appealing about the sport? Let’s delve a little deeper.

Let’s face it. Most fly fishers won’t have visions of sugar-plums dancing through their heads during the wee hours of Christmas Eve. Truth be told, most of the anglers I know will be dreaming of new rods, reels, and other gear. Gear is almost always our focus as we prepare to celebrate the arrival of jolly old Saint Nicholas.

And yet gear may well be the last thing we need right now.

Have you ever wondered about our future as anglers and hunters, or about the legacy we’ll leave behind for our kids and grandkids? If you care about the great outdoors, or about our sporting heritage and traditions, there are a few simple questions you might want to ask yourself right now.

First, is poor management of our public lands, coupled with lack of access to those same public lands, the largest threat to our hunting and fishing?

It’s 2024 and far too many of our fisheries here in the U.S. are in serious trouble. Fortunately, there are some positive steps each of us can take going forward. While not every suggestion below will be a good fit for every single angler, be sure to check as many as possible off the list this year.

Most of us live in cities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 80% of Americans currently reside in urban areas. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, I suppose, other than that cities are so … limiting. Sure, you can shop to your heart’s content or visit any number of restaurants, bars and clubs. You have your choice of gyms and coffee shops and schools for your kids. And yet the very essence of city life is defined by concrete, steel and asphalt.

And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me, he'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me ...

My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, especially up close. So when the new magnifiers showed up here at the house, I just had to try them out.

Let’s start off with two vital questions. What happened on August 16th, 2022? And will that date go down as the single most important day in the history of fly fishing?

8/16/2022.

Think back. Did someone land the world record brown trout last August? Invent the perfect fly rod? Design the ideal knot? Create the first unbreakable leader? Publish the ultimate book of fly fishing secrets?

When I was considerably younger and living approximately 2,000 miles east of my current Montana address, I had an experience that helped shape my ongoing fly fishing journey in ways I couldn’t really appreciate at the time.

My fly fishing is starting to rust. That’s never a good thing when you’re in love with your angling.

I’ll get back to the rust in a minute. First, though, I wanted to share a few things I’ve noticed over the years.