Articles

Counting Mississippis

by Mike Sepelak - Monday, Jun 16th, 2014

Counting Mississippis

Huddled under the dense rhododendrons in a futile attempt to escape the downpour, we tried to remember how many Mississippis there are in a mile. You know, Flash, 1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi, 3-Mississippi, … , Boom. Divide the number of Mississippis by 5 (or is it 10) and you know how many miles away the lightning strike was. The question was academic, though, as our flashes and our booms were now little more than a startled heartbeat apart. Whatever your metric, the distance was more appropriately measured in meters than miles. It was no time to be in the water. All we could do is sit and watch the river rise, taking on the color of a nice mocha java.

That, and pray.

Sound travels at 1,125ft/sec. A mile is 5,280 feet, making it a little less than 5 Mississippis. The National Lightning Safety Institute recommends taking precautions if the F-B interval (their term, not mine) is less than 25 Mississippis (my term, not theirs).

Sage Intros SALT and ACCEL Fly Rods, 'Reinvents' G5 Technology

by Ben Kryzinski - Thursday, Jun 12th, 2014

The new Sage SALT fly rod series.

Always on the move, Sage has announced two new rod series for its 2015 lineup.

The new SALT series is, you guessed it, an all-new addition to Sage's saltwater lineup that will replace the Xi3 series. The new SALT rods are Sage's first saltwater fly rods built on its newer Konnetic technology, which Sage's very popular and award-winning ONE and METHOD series of rods are built upon. Like all of the Konnetic-built rods, Sage has proclaimed a focus on quick loading, high line speeds and pinpoint accuracy when developing the SALT series. According to chief rod designer Jerry Siem, “The ability to adapt to quickly changing conditions is imperative when saltwater fishing, and Konnetic Technology allows deft sensitivity and the ability to track extremely straight. The new SALT shines in all fishing scenarios.”

The SALT rods feature a dark sapphire blank with distinctive black wraps, oversized Fuji ceramic stripper guides, hard chromed snake guides and an anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat which includes a hidden hook keeper. The SALT series has offerings from weight 5 through 16. All of the rods in the series have an MSRP of $850 and are slated to be available come August 2014.

Chile Cancels Massive HidroAysén Dam Project in Patagonia

by Chad Shmukler - Wednesday, Jun 11th, 2014

Confluence of the Baker and Neff Rivers in Patagonia, which would have been flooded as a reservoir if dam construction had gone forward (photo: James Q. Martin.

An almost decade-long effort that began as a small grassroots campaign and grew to an international effort to stop dam construction on two of Patagonia's most wild and celebrated rivers has finally come to an end. Yesterday, Chile's Community of Minsters, its highest administrative authority, made a unanimous decision to formally cancel the HidroAysén plan, a $8 billion project which sought to build a five dam hydroelectric generation system on the country's Baker and Pascua Rivers. The Baker and Pascua rivers flow through Aysen in Patagonia, a mostly roadless, remote region of Chile where powerful rivers that teem with wild trout descend from their Andean roots flanked by glaciers and course their way to the sea through breathtaking mountainous scenery and lush green countryside.

According to International Rivers, "the Committee, which consists of the Minister of Environment, Health, Economy, Energy and Mining, Agriculture, and Tourism, evaluated 35 appeals which were filed by the Patagonia Defense Council and local citizens in response to the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment after it was approved in May 2011. Though it [took] more than three years, with meetings and decisions being repeatedly delayed and eventually passed on to the new administration, [the] decision is a recognition of the technical and procedural flaws surrounding HidroAysén as well as the significant impacts the project would have had on one of Chile’s most iconic regions."

The people of Chile have been vehemently against to the project since it was proposed, with over 75% of Chilean citizens opposed to the HidroAysén plan being approved.

A Henry's Fork Story

Sometimes, when we aim for the heart, our arrow flies true

by Todd Tanner - Tuesday, Jun 10th, 2014

Henry's Fork

"Aim for the heart ..."

That’s good advice for elk and whitetails, and it also holds true for those of us who chase trout with a fly rod. If there really is a heart to American fly fishing - a physical location at the center of our sport - then it’s a wide spot in the road called Last Chance, Idaho. Assuming you’ve fished for a while, you’ve likely heard of Last Chance and the river that runs through it: the Henry’s Fork.

Tiger Hunt

by Steve Zakur - Thursday, Jun 5th, 2014

Tiger Trout

I think somewhere around half of my success as an angler is accidental. I'd like to think that I've built some skill over the years but the facts tell a different story. Daydreaming on the stream, I've watched my indicator swim away and then half-heartedly raised the rod tip and been rewarded with a fish too lazy to spit the hook. I've caught more fish on the dangle while searching my fly boxes than I care to admit. I've caught trout when I was fishing for bass and bass while fishing for trout. The catching seems like a random mystery but that's probably because that's what it is.

Sunday was supposed to be an afternoon on a big river with a small group of friends but for a variety of reasons I didn't get out the door at an hour reasonable enough to justify the drive. In the past I've driven two hours to fish for two hours so it's not as if doing something foolish is out of my comfort zone but on Sunday the mojo wasn't right. By the time I had my gear assembled the sun was heading for the hilltops and skeeters were buzzing like they do on a warm summer's evening.

I took my black lab, Ripley, with me to fish a small stream about five minutes from the house. She's a good girl who generally doesn't cause trouble but she does distract me so she usually stays at home when I’m fishing. But this was a lark so along she came. She stood next to me in calf deep water as I cast, seemingly confused at our purpose but reluctant to abandon me. She's a good team player.