Yesterday was the most American square on the calendar, Election Day. On my particular ballot were prospective Senators, Congressmen, Governors, State Legislators, County Commissioners, Sheriffs, Secretaries of State, Auditors, Superintendents of Public Education, Treasurers, School Board Members, Conservation District Trustees, Fire Chiefs and Coroners. I read-up on each, filled in the appropriate bubbles, fed, Read More
“There’s a pile of fish down there,” said Steven from the passenger seat, indicating the river below with a nod. “You’ve got that right,” I agreed, assuming he was just making conversation. We were, after all, crossing a Blue Ribbon stretch of the North Platte. Wyoming Game and Fish Department Assistant Fisheries Supervisor Mark, Read More
Blue green water, a little high, but lower than last week. It looked fishy. With a couple hours of light left it felt like we might have hit it perfectly. Walking back to the truck to gear up my buddy hollered. “Sounds like air is coming out of a tire.” Sure enough, there was, Read More
Whether mark Twain said it first or not, truer words have rarely been said. Across the drought stricken West they’re more appropriate now than ever, despite this year’s unseasonably wet summer. If you’ve spent much time outside this year, it’s hard not to recognize that something strange is going on. In the last three months, Read More
The epic. You know it’s out there. Hell-bent graupel riding vindictive gusts beneath a leaden sky; wet feet and chapped faces, cold to the quick with everything on and nowhere to go; nylon flapping and slapping and dripping all night; short tempers and long days – roll the dice often enough and you’ll find, Read More
The fireworks have already begun, not in earnest yet, but occasional pops and cracks are audible throughout the city. Coolers are filled with cold beer and lawn chairs line main streets across America. It’s our collective birthday and we have a lot to celebrate. This year my family was fortunate enough to be asked to, Read More
Cherry cheeks, gaudy red flanks, a painted belly and that alluring blue aura, this fish cruised the bank like a super-model on a catwalk. Who knew that golden trout could strut?…
An 800 foot descent, that is more like a free fall, leads to a stream narrower than my desk. It might get fished a handful of times per year. Nearby the Green sees more traffic in a day than this creek might see in a decade. But it’s position is what makes it special. In, Read More
It’s the second largest state in the union, yet contains only two percent public land. High fences abound and expensive private leases are often required to hunt or fish, making it easy to write off Texas as a destination for the average sportsmen. However this winter my eyes were opened to another side of the Lone, Read More
Lately the underbelly of less heralded waters has garnered my attention.