Articles

Instinct

She had not tasted steel nor plastic since her fourth year

by Johnny Carrol Sain - Monday, Oct 8th, 2018

Photo: Chad Shmukler

The old bass turned toward deep water on this late spring day. The familiar droning sound was the only thing that made her anxious at this stage in life, and it put her on the move. Without hesitation or thought, she slowly sank and casually finned along the point toward deeper water in the creek channel. She swam directly underneath the metal-flaked bass boat, mere feet from the angler aboard it. Eluding this pursuer required stealth as opposed to speed.

What we once thought timeless

Will the familiar rhythms of nature still be here tomorrow?

by Johnny Carrol Sain - Monday, Oct 1st, 2018

Photo: Johnny Sain

The blackjack oak stands like a skeletal sentinel on the northeast corner of my yard, partnered with a 70-foot white pine. The pair overlook young elms and redbuds fighting for survival against an ever-encroaching horde of invasive privet. Two branches fork from the hollowing corpse of the tree’s trunk as if in plaintive supplication. The scene calls to mind the parable of the rich man in hell begging for but one drop of water from the finger of Lazarus to quench the fires on his tongue.

Barracuda: The cheetah of the flats

Cudas aren't just a blast on the end of your line, they're important

by Justin Lewis - Friday, Sep 28th, 2018

Photo: Justin Lewis / Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

The Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) is one of the most well-known predators found in shallow water. With their torpedo-like shape, menacing teeth, and lighting speed, they truly are the cheetahs of the flats. Barracuda strike flies and lures with immense power, take off on long screaming runs, and are known to erupt into head-shaking jumps. But despite being well-known, barracuda remain one of the most underrated and under-targeted sportfish on the flats, especially on light spinning or fly tackle.

Arkansas River ambrosia

A time honored, traditional recipe; good for both body and soul

by Mike Sepelak - Wednesday, Sep 26th, 2018

Photo: Mike Sepelak

With autumn's temperatures comes one of my favorite fall recipes.

1 medium sized Colorado freestone river
2 lifelong friends, aged and generously salt-and-peppered
2 large boxes of hoppers, humpies, and assorted terrestrials
1 flask of Kentucky’s finest

Reduce the river over a slow Indian summer heat and then cool with the first breaths of high country autumn frost until the surrounding aspen dazzle the eye.

Nautilus Reels intros special edition 'No Pebble' XM reel to help stop Pebble Mine

Limited-run reels will help raise thousands of dollars crucial to helping to protect Bristol Bay

by Chad Shmukler - Tuesday, Sep 25th, 2018

Photo: Nautilus Reels

Oh, Pebble Mine. The nightmare that seems intent on recurring for all time, asking native Alaskans, commercial fishermen, recreational anglers, hunters, birders, hikers and lovers of wild places from all walks of life to forever present a front of resistance against the foreign mining company seeking to build one of the world's largest open pit mines at the headwaters of the Kvichak and Nushagak rivers in Bristol Bay, Alaska—home to the world's most productive salmon fishery and a $1.5 billion economic engine for the state of Alaska.