Dam removal is receiving a great deal of attention lately, and deservedly so. On many of the nations rivers, especially larger ones, dams have become outdated, costly and inefficient. Dams have also long blocked fish passage, disrupted habitat, and damaged or destroyed wild fish populations. Overwhelmingly positive results have been observed where dams have been removed, with rivers' surging flows recreating long lost habitat and wild fish returning to the river to spawn in sections of river they've not been able to reach -- in some cases -- for over a century. Dam removal, however, is costly and often involves a considerable amount of bureaucratic struggle in order to implement. As a result, while dam removal is a growing trend, the time frame surrounding these projects span many years, often decades.

But dams -- whether they be the ones that drive major hydro-electric generation stations or simple irrigation diversion dams -- aren't the only widespread barrier to fish passage on many of our streams and rivers. Culverts, which are incredibly common throughout virtually every region of the country, often pose just as serious an impediment to fish passage and an equally significant threat to fish habitat and populations, only with a much simpler and less costly solution.

RC Cone, the filmmaker that brought us Breathe -- a film that, through the lens of a month on some of Montana's greatest waters, reminds us why we go fishing -- has recently announced the release of his newest film, Tributaries. Tributaries travels the globe to some of fly fishing's greatest paradises: to the Bahamas in search of bonefish, to Argentina for big, beautiful Patagonian trout and to Iceland to chase elusive Atlantic salmon.

Like Breathe, Tributaries is about more than just fishing. Tributaries follows three guides as they make their way through their local waters and their local cultures and seeks to explore the commonalities shared by fly fishermen throughout the world. According to Cone, Tributaries is a continuation of the journey that started with Breathe, in which Cone explored what fly fishing meant to himself and anglers he met along the way in Montana. In Tributaries, Cone's goal was to look at the bigger picture.

"I wanted to explore the wider implications of fly fishing. How does our sport fit into the world? What is this worldwide community like? What are the differences and similarities on a global scale? Instead of a personal journey, I wanted to explore the world’s waters and the cultures that inhabit them," Cone said.