Articles

More than 100,000 comment on Okefenokee mining plan

A proposed mine on the edges of the famed swamp could produces dramatic, irreversible changes

by Chris Hunt - Tuesday, Mar 28th, 2023

Heavy sand mining has taken place in southern Georgia for years. Minerals like titanium dioxide and zirconium are separated from the white sands that lie beneath the forests on the sand "ridges" in the area. The mine pictured was operated by Chemours Minererals, which separates the heavy minerals from the quartz-based sand (photo: Chemours Minerals).

Between Jan. 19 and March 20, nearly 80,000 Americans took the time to submit comments to the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection on the merits of a proposed heavy-mineral sand mine on the fringes of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Georgia’s southern border with Florida.

According to Sara Lips, public information officer with the DEP, the total number of comments on the proposed mine actually eclipses 100,000 — the DEP received an additional 27,000 comments before the comment period opened.

The greenhorn

Fortunately, I — and only I — know the best spot in the river

by Tim Schulz - Monday, Mar 27th, 2023

Photo: Tshawytscha.

I had just threaded my line through the guides, attached a size 16 Adams to the tippet, and was ready to cast when the uninvited fisherman emerged from the curtain of alders near the river’s bend. In a rushed act of desperate deceit, I hooked the fly to one of the rod’s guides, tightened the line around the reel, and walked casually downstream, toward the man and away from My Spot. Fortunately, I hadn’t begun to fish in what I—and only I—know is the best spot on the river.

“Any luck?” the man asked as we paused beside the tannin-stained water.

Going ultra-thin for a better Euro-nymphing rig

"Thinning out" your mono-rig can pay big dividends when Euro-nymphing

by George Daniel - Thursday, Mar 23rd, 2023

Photo: George Daniel.

The fly-fishing systems we employ should draw on our knowledge and streamside experience. The system described below, which focuses on using ultra-thin mono to build a Euro-nymphing rig, was developed based on those two criteria. Everyone’s knowledge and experiences—as well as the water types we each fish—differ, so take what you read below and apply it to your fisheries accordingly. Hopefully, you’ll find a bit of information that helps you with your journey towards becoming a more effective Euro-nymphing angler.

5 go-to flies for March

Dependable, longtime performers for your spring fishing pursuits

by Chris Hunt - Saturday, Mar 18th, 2023

Photo: Chris Hunt

If you’re living along the Eastern Seaboard, particularly in the Southeast or in the mid-Atlantic region, March Madness isn’t just about basketball. The redbuds and dogwoods are “almost there,” and Appalachian brook trout streams are eminently fishable, if not just a couple of weeks away from ideal.

Restoring Utah's Fish Creek

Funds from Utah's "Cutthroat Slam" program are helping to fuel conservation initiatives around the state

by Spencer Durrant - Thursday, Mar 16th, 2023

Photo: A Bonneville Cutthroat Trout from Utah's Fish Creek (photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources).

The Utah Cutthroat Slam launched in 2016 with the goal of raising money to improve cutthroat fisheries throughout the state. Of course, a secondary goal was to introduce anglers to the West’s native trout, four subspecies of which call some of Utah’s most scenic waters home.