Articles

Born with this

The last days of the Klamath River dams

by Steve Duda - Wednesday, Apr 14th, 2021

Before heading downstream in search of a wild steelhead, CalTrout’s Mikey Wier takes an unsentimental view of PacifiCorp’s Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River (photo: Jeremiah Watt).

The Hornbrook Chevron looks like any other place to buy gas, snacks and a fishing license along the I-5 corridor in Northern California. It’s also one of the few businesses still standing in Hornbrook, California (population around 200). For a few hours though, it comes to life because the Chevron parking lot is the unofficial rendezvous point for fly-fishing trips on the upper Klamath River. It’s here that guides meet anglers, coffee chases donuts and steelhead strategies hatch.

What is the number one thing fly fishers can do to improve?

Lessons from atop the angling mountain

by Todd Tanner - Saturday, Apr 10th, 2021

Photo: Jeremy Roberts

One of the advantages to running a small, twice-a-year fly fishing school with some of the world’s most acclaimed anglers is that I can reach out with trout-related questions whenever I get the itch. Last week, I asked our School of Trout instructors if they’d be willing to share their thoughts on the following question:

The dispersed camper's guide to etiquette

A primer on good camping behavior

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Apr 7th, 2021

Photo: USFS

By all counts, there will be more of us outdoors this coming summer. And anyone who visited public lands last summer, particularly in the West, can testify, anecdotally of course, that more people were out and about in 2020 than in years past, thanks largely to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the desire to find safe recreation alternatives away from crowds. Experts in the camping and RV fields are quick to point out that RV sales were up markedly in 2020, and that the trend is continuing in 2021.

Review: Orvis Bug Out Fly-Fishing Backpack

A do-it-all pack for anglers of every stripe

by Spencer Durrant - Monday, Apr 5th, 2021

Photo: Spencer Durrant

I was on my way home from a long day of fishing high-country cutthroat streams when a buddy called and asked if I was busy tomorrow.

“No,” I said. “Why?”

“You wanna go float the Green?”

I agreed immediately, even though I was seven hours from the Green and it was already dark. If I drove through the night – with just a quick stop for a few hours of sleep in the truck – I’d be there in time.

Review: Scott Centric fly rod

Scott's new flagship freshwater fly rod is a classic in the making

by Chad Shmukler - Thursday, Apr 1st, 2021

The Scott Centric fly rod (photo: Chad Shmukler).

We let our verdict on Scott’s new Centric slip by including it in the February 2021 installment of our regular “Gear We Love Right Now” feature, noting that the Centric had been a do-it-all performer since it showed up on our doorstep last fall.