Tag: conservation

The Spawning of Bonefish

Bonefish spawn through an epic feat of polygynandrous love. From fall to late spring, they arrive in schools to nearshore spawning sites and fill their swim bladders with air, before heading offshore at night, diving deep, and surge back to the surface. The change in pressure causes their bladders to expand and release eggs and sperm into the water around them. Juvenile bonefish are hatched over a month later, in areas such as mangroves and bays, after having drifting back from offshore. The cur

6/3/2020•Heather Richie

Bristol Bay

Giddy. I don’t use the word often, but it’s the best way I can describe my demeanor as our flight touched down in King Salmon, Alaska late last August. My uncles, first time visitors to the Bristol Bay region, sat chatting a few rows ahead of me. When the plane came to a halt, I did my best “keep it cool” impression as I unbuckled, grabbed my carry-on, and walked up the aisle to meet them. As we stepped off the plane, I smirked and thought, “Holy buckets, this place is about to blow your socks

5/13/2019•Jenny Weis

Chica de Mayo

Each year in early May, The River’s Edge and SIMMS Fishing Products host a women’s fly-fishing event in Bozeman – Chica de Mayo, an annual gathering that has evolved into the largest women’s fly-fishing event in Montana, the United States, and well, probably in the world! This event celebrates women in fly-fishing and offers educational clinics, phenomenal speakers, prizes, a cocktail party and networking, and much more. The upcoming 2019 event will mark the 11th Annual Chica de Mayo – a labor o

5/13/2019•Sarah Clark

Breathe In

When my parents mentioned going to Trout Adventure Camp in Tremont’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I was not convinced it was what I wanted to do for a week over my precious summer break. Here’s the kicker though—I went and I had a blast! Trout Adventure Camp is a five-day summer camp where you spend the week learning all about fly fishing and everything that comes with it. The camp is run by Trout Unlimited, an organization that focuses on trout, nature, and keeping it protected and jus

5/13/2019•Willow Rutter

Casting Light on a century-old controversy

Since the early 1900s, people have quarreled over the beaver and trout relationship. Some fishermen are convinced that beaver are the ultimate villain, ruining pristine fishing spots, while others vow that beaver ponds accommodate some of the best fishing, yielding many prized catches. Brook trout inhabit small headwater streams characterized by cooler water temperatures and riffle-run areas with rocky substrate. Beavers dam up a stream to create a pond, a refuge, in which they can construct the

11/5/2018•Kathryn Renik

Lahontan Through Different Eyes

“Our entire existence has been dedicated to protecting our natural resources for our future generations. Within our lake, the fish are viewed as sacred … They have given us life and we are responsible for their protection.” Autumn Harry, Paiute member and environmental activist When it comes to leading change, there is no one more fierce than a woman backed by history, tradition, and a passion for a place and people. Autumn Harry is such a woman. Though most anglers know Pyramid Lake only for i

7/20/2018•Sarah Landstrom

Kara Armano

We had the opportunity to speak with Kara, Communication Specialist at Convergence, and Co-Founder of Artemis, an organization of bold sportswomen creating fresh tracks for conservation. Kara has a passion for the outdoors focusing on fly fishing and conservation.  Her passion was instilled in her at a young age by her great-grandmother.  As an avid outdoor woman, her great-grandmother continued to camp until the age of 96, and finally passed away at the age of 104. You may know Kara as the mar

7/20/2018•Megan Berns

Kidneys of the Rivers

Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are of extreme importance to an aquatic ecosystem’s function and health. Probably the most well-known ecosystem service that mussels provide is ‘cleaning up the water.’ They are filter feeders; meaning they get their nutrients from straining small organisms and particles out of the water. Some species are even being reintroduced to areas of poor water quality, in hopes of decreasing the sediment and pollution load. One adult mussel can filter approximately 20 gallo

5/1/2018•Megan Hess

All Hands On Deck

Long before I ever picked up a fly rod, I was hauling fish on the decks of commercial fishing boats, off the coast of Maine, as the onboard scientist for a commercial fishery-style survey evaluating groundfish (Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, haddock, hake, etc.). I was 22, a graduate student at the University of Maine studying marine biology and marine policy. The fisheries research survey I was part of, known as the Eastern Gulf of Maine Sentinel Survey (Sentinel Survey), was started eight ye

3/21/2018•Mattie Rodrigue

Bullsugar

I started fly fishing when I was 20 on a small, trout-stocked lake in Southwestern Pennsylvania. To be quite frank, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Over the next few years, if I caught a fish, it was definitely a pure stroke of luck. However, I loved it as I have always enjoyed a variety of outdoor pursuits. It wasn’t my “passion” though. At least not yet. In 2007, I was offered a job at the Fly Fishing Show. It’s a large consumer trade show that travels the country promoting fly fis

3/21/2018•Emily Mauri

Ice Packs

The dog days of summer may be almost over, but we all still need to keep our food and drinks as cool as possible. I'm a Yeti cooler fan, but this trick works with any cooler.  I've learned that if I use the reusable gel freezer packs in combination with a quality cooler, my drinks and food stay not only cool, but dry as well. Keeping up with sanitizing my cooler is a much easier job without ice. Cleaning up the gel ice packs is a snap. You can wipe the freezer packs down after use while still pa

9/2/2017•Nome Buckman

Fish Slime

Every time I land a fish, my mind and body go through a wave of emotions: SHOCK - “Wow, do I really have a fish on? Is it just a snag or can I begin the battle to the net?” EXCITEMENT - “I wonder what kind it is? How big it is?” FEAR - “I hope I am not hurting it. How can I catch and release this fish as quickly and safely as possible?” I have always been told that my mind over-analyzes my actions, however in this case, I think it serves as a great reminder.  A reminder to every angler that

6/30/2017•Alisha Saley