Articles

The freedom to fish

With freedom comes responsibility

by Todd Tanner - Tuesday, Jan 26th, 2016

Enjoying the freedom to fish on the Lamar River (photo: Tom Estilow).

Take a big map of the United States. Spread it out on the table. Now take your finger and put it down on the state of your choice. Montana. Pennsylvania. Texas. North Carolina. California. Alabama. Wisconsin. Colorado. It doesn’t matter. Under your finger, or within a nail’s width, you’re likely to find something wonderful. Something important. Something truly American. The implicit promise, if you can drill in close enough with your naked eye or your magnifying glass, of public water.

Redington's CHROMER, the gateway to Spey

New spey rod offers unique advantages for newcomers

by Chad Shmukler - Friday, Jan 22nd, 2016

Photo: Chad Shmukler

Spey casting is easy. Honestly, it is. While it is true in any type of fly casting that the rod, and not the caster, should be carrying the workload, in two-handed casting this is ever more so. If you put the pieces of your cast together correctly, you can send line soaring across the river with a minimal amount of effort. Some would argue it is even easier to gain proficiency and mastery in two-hand casting than it is with one-hand casting. First-time spey casters, with proper instruction, can fairly readily huck a 75-80 foot cast on their first day.

Lefty on tenkara

One of fly fishing's greatest voices offers his thoughts on tenkara

by Tom Sadler - Wednesday, Jan 20th, 2016

Lefty gives a (conventional, not tenkara) casting demonstration to a group including former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley at the dedication of the Lefty Kreh Fishing trail (photo: Jay Baker).

Last July at the International Fly Tackle Dealer show I had the chance to sit down with Lefty Kreh and talk tenkara. Visiting with Lefty is one of the great experiences in fly fishing. Despite all of his notoriety, he is generous with his time and a very entertaining raconteur. His wealth and breadth of fly fishing history and knowledge are astonishing.

As I sat chatting about tenkara with him, I was struck by his genuine interest in the method and how he sees it in the larger fly fishing world.

Crackpots, not cowboys

Oregon occupation a case study in mission drift, lack of principles

by Ty Hansen - Tuesday, Jan 19th, 2016

Pile burning, part of fire prevention efforts at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (photo: USFWS).

The rugged ranch-reared sons of Nevada cowboy-turned-grazing-fee-cheat Cliven Bundy aren’t the salt-of-the-earth ‘Merica-loving cowboys you might think they are.

No sir.

Ammon Bundy, the leader of the so-called militia group, Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, owns and runs a fleet vehicle repair service in Phoenix. His brother Ryan works in construction when he’s not in and out of southern Utah courtrooms for odd-ball offenses like letting his horse roam outside of its corral or interfering with an arresting officer.

Seeking refuge: from Darling to Malheur

Contrasting perceptions of public lands from one coast to the other

by Kris Millgate - Monday, Jan 18th, 2016

Photo: Kris Millgate

The first time I visited a national wildlife refuge in Florida, I couldn’t see a thing. The power on Sanibel Island was out. I could only hear the ocean rolling in the licorice colored light.

A week later, I couldn’t see a thing when I visited a national wildlife refuge in Oregon for the first time. White fog as thick as marshmallow cream smothered the land. I could only hear cattle calling in the heavy mist.

Weather conditions weren’t the only striking difference. The comparison of public lands from one coast to another within a week’s time provides intriguing contrast.