by Juliet Grable - Tuesday, Nov 19th, 2024
The removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in southern Oregon and Northern California has been recognized as the largest dam removal in U.S. history. More notably, it’s also the largest salmon-restoration project to date.
In late September I watched an excavator take large bites out of the cofferdam at Iron Gate, the most downstream of the dams.
by Todd Tanner - Saturday, Nov 16th, 2024
For most of my adult life, I avoided one of America’s truly iconic western streams: Silver Creek. I’m still not sure why I steered clear for so many years. Maybe it was the rumor that the water was a little too deep for easy wading, or that the bottom was a quagmire of mud and aquatic vegetation, or maybe it’s just hard to trade great Montana trout fishing for a long drive to southern Idaho. Whatever the reason, I never visited the legendary creek where Ernest Hemingway “saw more big trout rising” than he’d seen anywhere else, ever.
by Chris Hunt - Monday, Nov 11th, 2024
Patagonia, by all accounts, is preeminent trout country. The southern thirds of both Chile and Argentina boast some of the world’s top trophy trout rivers. From the Malleo to the Limay, and from the Paloma to the Rio Grande, this wild region along the spine of the southern Andes offers perhaps the largest variety of trophy trout rivers in the world.
But what about the region’s lake fishing? Certainly, we’ve all heard of Strobel Lake in Argentina, even if only by its kitschy nickname — Jurassic. But, beyond that incredible trophy trout fish factory, is lake fishing really a thing at the southern end of South America? Absolutely. In fact, die-hard stillwater trout anglers who might have passed Patagonia by, assuming it was just a region of trout rivers, should put a pin in the map right around Coyhaique in southern Chile, and another across the border in Argentina at San Martin de los Andes.
by Jon Tobey - Sunday, Nov 10th, 2024
Then, from behind a submerged log, an explosion. He had a solid twelve-inch trout on. It was more than a hookup. The line connected them like long-lost lovers. Sure enough, the fish danced on the line like a Rockette. Vince was smiling with a pure joy that no amount of fantasizing could duplicate. He worked the fish quickly across the pool and Paul netted it for him. Vince reached in and deftly removed the fly.
“I thought you might keep it.”
“Throw them up on the beach to suffocate, or bash them with rocks like him? I have lost my taste for it.”
With that he continued downstream, picking up a fish every third cast, but not even netting them before he let them go. Only when they were about a hundred feet apart did Paul start to cast. He put his sinking line at forty-five degrees and let it swing. Vince had already reached the end of the pool and rolled up when Paul got his first strike. Per Vince’s earlier musings, he never saw the fish until just before he captured it in the net. It was seventeen inches, the biggest fish yet. Paul threw it on the bank and let it flop around, while he returned to fishing. Vince clenched his fists and said nothing.Paul finished the run, then went back and made a nest of grass for the bottom of his pack. He put the expired fish in the nest. He walked down to his brother. “It’s pretty much log jams for a while.” He shrugged. “There may be some big fish, but they are hard to get to. We’ll cut into the woods here and across an old meadow and the fishing gets easy below.”
Vince just glared at him so Paul continued to lead on, through a stand of cottonwood. They continued in stony silence until Paul stopped suddenly and Vince ran into him. Paul stepped aside. “Sorry, this has completely changed since last winter. Last time I was here, this was a meadow.”
The river had cut a new channel straight through it down to a layer of glacial debris. What had been an oxbow meadow surrounded by forest was now a rocky wasteland with old growth tree trunks littering the landscape, making it look like a boneyard for giants. Even lying down, most of the old growth logs were taller than the brothers. It would take them hours to walk over and around the logs.
Vince stepped up and looked. They were on top of a four-foot bank. There was a narrow beach on the right where the water had dropped from its high, beyond that the river roared by in a series of rapids. Vince shrugged. “Well, I had no expectations, so I’m not disappointed.”Paul grunted in acknowledgement and led them down to the beach, where he took off his pack and dug through to take out two sandwiches wrapped in wax paper. Vince bit into his and smiled. “PB and J.” He sat on a stool-sized rock and Paul did the same.
by Jon Tobey - Saturday, Nov 9th, 2024
Paul pulled up to the prison at ten minutes to nine. He did not want to be late. There was a light rain falling from a pewter sky, which only seemed to increase the mugginess. He cracked the window and lit a cigarette staring at the raindrops rolling down the windshield. When his cigarette burned down to his fingers unsmoked, he checked his watch, turned on the wipers, turned them back off, and lit another. He rested his wrist on top of the steering wheel and drummed a beat on the dash with his fingers.
“Have you named it yet? I'd be honored if you'd name it Dave because I feel like I know it now, too.”
Dave Delisi—who at the time served as my...
Patagonia, by all accounts, is preeminent trout country. The southern thirds of both Chile and Argentina boast some of the world’s top trophy trout rivers. From the Malleo...
Righting wrongs is a tough proposition in the world of fisheries conservation. Too often, the challenges outweigh expectations. Just as frequently, reality sets in, and...
Hardy seems to cycle through its product lineup quicker than many other manufacturers. I have a wonderful 9’9” 3-weight Ultralite LL rod that’s no longer produced, and...
Typically, fall is the time to cast sinking fly lines and large streamers for aggressive fish. Some fish are preparing to spawn while others, like musky and bass, are...
The removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in southern Oregon and Northern California has been recognized as the...
