Articles

The sail cat

Lost in the mangrove

by Chris Hunt - Wednesday, Sep 16th, 2020

Photo: Su-Lain / cc2.0

The sun hadn't quite poked over the mangroves off to the east, so it hadn't had the chance to burn off the thin film of humid mist hanging over the dark waters of Matlacha Pass. With each uncertain stroke, I powered the much-too-small, lime-green borrowed kayak across the bay, headed toward a cut in the mangroves about a half-mile away in hopes of arriving early enough to stake out some prime fly fishing water.

Beavers mean bigger trout

New study shows that when beavers and trout co-exist, trout populations can be healthier

by Chris Hunt - Monday, Sep 14th, 2020

An extensive beaver dam and resulting beaver pond (photo: Bering Land Bridge National Park / cc2.0).

If you fish for wild trout in the American West, you likely know that beavers and trout often occur together, particularly in backcountry streams where both are largely left to their own devices.

Review: ECHO River Glass fly rod

ECHO's smooth-casting, compact River Glass excels in the small-water environments it was built for

by Shane Townsend - Friday, Sep 11th, 2020

The ECHO River Glass fly rod in amber (photo: ECHO).

In Kenya’s Aberdare National Park, you can tip-toe the muddy churn and felled trees of elephant trails, sneak past bedded Cape buffalo, and crouch to cast into remote stretches of cold stream that’re barely wider than your wingspan. Limbs link to form arches overhead. Lichen and ferns cling to steep, lush, towering banks. And, there, you’ll find the progeny of Scottish trout that have been breeding mostly unmolested since 1905.

Rock Creek

The fishing is always great at a confluence

by Spencer Durrant - Wednesday, Sep 9th, 2020

Photo: Spencer Durrant

Lander Crook tried in vain to free his flies from a tree. I stood upstream 50 yards or so and watched, slightly bemused, while he twisted and pulled his fly rod in directions I don’t think it was ever designed to go. But Lander has been my best friend since we were both five years old, so when it was apparent the flies weren’t coming out of the tree, I waded downstream to offer friendly advice.

“Don’t catch the tree,” I said, grabbing his leader and breaking it off with a snap. “Leader and flies are expensive – especially since I tie all your flies for free.”

Review: Simms Taco Wader Bag

A simple, affordable, and wonderfully functional piece of gear

by Colin K. Breck - Wednesday, Sep 9th, 2020

Image credit: Simms Fishing

The Simms Taco Wader Bag is one of those pieces of gear that, the moment you're introduced to it, you find yourself wishing you owned. It is also one of those pieces of gear that, despite its utility, you're assuming you'll go on living without once you see the price tag.