Field and Stream - Fishing RSS

Surface Film II: The Best In Fly Fishing Photography

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:04:03 -0500

by Tim Romano

Last Thursday a group I'm involved with called The Greenbacks hosted our second annual photo show called Surface Film. The show was curated by myself and framed and hung by gallery owner Zach Custer and consisted of 25 images from some of the best photographers in fly fishing.

The Greenbacks, in case you're wondering are a group within Trout Unlimited that seeks to promote native fish and their habitat through the engagement and recruitment of the next generation of Trout Unlimited members.

Massive Dead Whale Shark Washes Ashore in Pakistan

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:22:54 -0500

--Chad Love

A dead whale shark--largest fish in the sea--recently washed up on the shores of Pakistan.

From this story in the Los Angeles Times:

A massive whale shark is now on view in a Pakistani seaport after fishermen hauled the 15,000-pound fish from the water on Tuesday. The fishermen's haul was greeted with enthusiastic applause at a harbor in the city of Karachi by a crowd numbering in the hundreds, according to NDTV, which cited the Press Trust of India. It took more than four hours to lift the fish, which fishermen said was found dead in shallow water. Reports on the length of the fish varied from 35 to 40 feet

Burn, Muskie, Burn

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:43:47 -0500

by Joe Cermele

Hatcheries, Frankenbucks, Disease: When Will We Learn?

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:33:34 -0500

by Hal Herring

Over a decade ago, I was hired to write a chapter for a book called Return of the Wild: the Future of our Natural Lands (if you’ve never heard of it, you are not alone). My chapter of the book was called “Marketing the Image of the Wild,” and it was about game farming and about the (then) new boom in salmon aquaculture.

In short, the chapter was about the complications that arise when we try to manufacture and sell a replica of an animal or food that has its real value based in the fact that it lives a wild, free, and presumably healthy life in a natural environment. This was in the early years of the troubles with Chronic Wasting disease in the game farm industry, not long after the bovine tuberculosis epidemic on elk farms in Canada, and just before the shipment of the live, CWD infected domestic elk to South Korea crashed the Asian velvet antler trade. For a writer, interesting times indeed.

The Inanimate Objects Are Against Us!

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:06:35 -0500

--Chad Love

Do you have a piece of gear that you just don't get along with? You know, the one that you can never seem to find, and when you do find it, it never seems to work the way it's supposed to? Do you sometimes feel like the thing is actually trying to irritate you? Like it's got some life of its own, and the purpose of that life is to tick you off? That may not be as crazy as it sounds...

Resistentialism (ri-zis-TEN-shul-iz-um) noun: Resistentialism is a jocular theory in which inanimate objects display hostile desires towards human beings. For example, objects that cause problems (like lost keys or a fleeing bouncy ball) exhibit a high degree of resistentialism. In other words, a war is being fought between humans and inanimate objects, and all the little annoyances objects give people throughout the day are battles between the two.

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Day Three: Exploring Colorado’s Upper Dolores River

Online Editors — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:18:16 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

Sam Perry had something special in mind for the last day, and he told us to bring our hiking shoes. We were going to hike into a remote feeder creek—Groundhog Creek—and sight fish to big browns and rainbows in water not much wider than a city sidewalk. The hike was only a couple miles long. Thing is, it was also 1,000 vertical feet down.

Now, the going down will stress your joints more than your lungs, but with every step, one can’t help but wonder what the climb back out is going to feel like. I was taking a break to ponder that, when I caught a whiff of something strong and pungent in the air. I knew that smell from the years I had spent elk hunting in these mountains.

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Pres. Announces CRP Open Enrollment but High Crop Prices Have Farmers Opting Out

Sarah Smith — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:22:24 -0500

by Bob Marshall

The Obama Administration's decision last week to hold open enrollment for the Conservation Reserve Program, which pays landowners not to farm marginal croplands, has earned cheers from sportsmen's groups.

The impact of the program's 30 million acres over several decades on everything from waterfowl to upland birds, deer, fish and water quality has earned it the title as the most successful conservation program in U.S. history.

However the program has been stressed in recent years. The sky-rocketing value of corn and other farm commodities has many farmers opting out when their 10- to 15-year contracts expired, while some others have campaigned the legislators to give them early exits. Meanwhile, some in Congress have proposed cutting funding for CRP.

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New Videos From The Fly Fishing Film Tour

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:17:51 -0500

by Tim Romano

The Fly Fishing Film Tour has kicked off the 2012 season and as of last week added a few more trailers to wet the appetite of all ready for spring. From the looks of these additions it should be a good night if you make it out to a stop near you.

The recent additions to F3t's trailer page bring us some unreal tarpon footage from Waterline Media, RA Beattie takes us to the ends of the earth for mutant char, and the boys over at MOTIV seem to be getting stuck in a whole lot of mud in the jungles of Belize.

Geofish: A mayan Prophecy - Belize
MOTIV

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Report: Radioactive Fish Found in VT Linked to Weapons Testing, Not Nuclear Plant

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:07:44 -0500

--Chad Love

Two years ago the discovery of radioactive fish near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant caused an uproar (and some "Simpsons" jokes. Sorry, Vermont...)

At the time there was speculation that proximity to the power plant was the cause, but in a nod to the old saw that "correlation does not necessarily mean causation" a new batch of radioactive Vermont fish have been discovered - 150 miles away from the power plant.

From this story on wptz.com:

A new report finds fish in the northern part of Vermont are radioactive like the fish living in the waters near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The significance of this finding is not just that these fish have radioactive elements in their bones, it's that the ones found up north have no physical connection to those in the Connecticut River by Vermont Yankee.

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Day Two: Exploring Colorado’s Upper Dolores River

Sarah Smith — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:59:33 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

The Upper Dolores water is actually comprised of two forks. Its east and west branches straddle a steep granite ridge, not far west from Lizard Head peak. Each fork flows through an alpine valley, before converging several miles upstream from the town of Dolores.

On day two, our group drove over the mountains from Rico to fish the west branch with Sam Perry. Like many, Sam is a transplant to this region. He originally hails from Georgia, but he spent many fall days on family hunting trips in the area. Eventually, the Perry’s bought some acreage in the Dolores watershed, and Sam took that a step further by moving out here to become a teacher and coach at one of the local schools.

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Asian Carp "Fishing" Meets Mad Max Kill Tactics

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:22:17 -0500

by Joe Cermele

Bowfishing for Asian carp is one way to get rid of a bunch of these nasty invasives. Or you could do it like the guys in this video. I'm not sure how safe this is, but when the apocalypse comes and there's urban warfare in the streets, I'm going to hang out with these fellas. Enjoy.

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A Field & Stream Exclusive: THE ROYAL WULFF MURDERS by Keith McCafferty, Part Five

Sarah Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:34:42 -0500

Belly up to a bar in West Yellowstone or Ennis and you might find yourself talking to a creatively profane fishing guide, a down-on-his-luck artist who can't afford rent, the millionaire owner of a streamside log-cabin mansion who uses it only two weeks a year, or a pretty woman with a box of trout flies and a cryptic background.

That’s the kind of people you meet in Montana’s trout fishing country. And that’s why The Royal Wulff Murders ($27; us.penguingroup.com), field editor Keith McCafferty’s new novel, features such an eclectic bunch.

Why would McCafferty--a talented elk hunter, survival expert, and unabashed steelhead bum who has written nearly 500 articles for Field & Stream--enter the fiction business?

“I decided to write a book the night I slept on the ground on a mountain for a Field & Stream assignment,” says McCafferty, a 30-year Bozeman resident. “It was so cold in the middle of the night that rather than get up, I peed myself. [Editor’s note: Sorry, Keith!] That did it.”

The following is an exclusive online-only excerpt from McCafferty's novel. It is the fourth of five parts. Look for Part Five next week. --Mike Toth
WARNING: The following excerpt contains adult language. Reader discretion is advised.

Martha Ettinger groped for the phone.

“Ettinger.”

“Sheriff, it’s Doc Hanson. Sorry to call so early, but something’s been nagging me about the autopsy.”

“What is it, Bob? He drowned, right?” She glanced at the bed stand clock radio. 5 a.m.

“Yea, he drowned. But, well, there’s a couple a things . . . I could explain, but it’d be easier if you came down to the morgue.”

Click here to read the rest of this excerpt from THE ROYAL WULFF MURDERS by Keith McCafferty.

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Got a Question For Interior Secretary Salazar? Ask It Today at 1 p.m. EDT

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:00:22 -0500

by Hal Herring

Over the past fifteen years, more and more of my bird and antelope hunting has been done on Bureau of Land Management public lands. Every year, I buy a pass to Glacier National Park, and our family hikes and rambles there are some of the finest experiences of my life so far. For me, and for millions of other American outdoorspeople, no public agency has as much potential or actual effect on hunting, fishing and just the plain freedom to roam and camp and shoot as does the US Department of Interior.

Watch live streaming video from interior at livestream.com

On February 7th at 1 pm EDT, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will be taking questions and discussing conservation and the economy in a live webchat that should be both interesting and informative. The sportsmen and women of the US need to have their voices heard on issues that range from wolves and energy development to the restoration of the Mississippi Delta- this is a chance to make that happen. Please don’t miss it. Click here to watch it on the Department of Interior site.

Here’s a quick list of agencies under the Department of the Interior, which should inspire participation--because every one of us has a stake in here somewhere:

-Bureau of Indian Affairs
-Bureau of Land Management
-Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
-Bureau of Reclamation
-Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
-National Park Service
-Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
-U.S. Geological Survey

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Recipe: Cast-Iron-Skillet Fried Catfish

Sarah Smith — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:30:06 -0500

by Colin Kearns

Like just about every eater (and imbiber), I have my weaknesses: cold fried chicken, bacon, backstrap, bourbon, fish tacos, sharp cheddar and pretzels. And catfish—preferably fried.

So when I saw the recipe for Deep-Fried Catfish in the new Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook, I asked the folks at Lodge if I could have it to share with Wild Chef readers. They obliged, bless their hearts. Enjoy.

Deep-Fried Catfish

Ingredients:
- 1 gallon canola oil
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups cornmeal
- 5 pounds catfish fillets, all cut to about the same size
- Garnish with lemon wedges.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small jar yellow mustard
- Lemon wedges for garnish

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The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:52 -0500

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of January.
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Do You Need a Cormorant Hunt in Your Area?

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:06:28 -0500

by Joe Cermele

An article recently popped up on the website of CBC News about the ever-growing cormorant problem in Canada. While this birds are technically shore dwellers, over the last ten years they've made a noticeable migration inland, taking up residence on rivers, lakes, and ponds. So rampant and ravenous are these birds, a group called the P.E.I. Baitfishers is petitioning to the local Department of Fish and Wildlife to set up a cormorant cull, allowing hunters to thin out the herd in selected sites where trout and salmon spawn. It's not the first time of heard the idea, and the problem is certainly not restricted to Canada. There have actually been criminal cases brought against U.S. residents that took culling matters into their own hands. In some states, sharpshooters are also hired to reduce bird populations.

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Tackle Bags and Boxes: What Kind is Right for You?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:36:54 -0500

by John Merwin

Tackle bags and boxes are on my mind this morning. I started sorting out my bass-fishing bag over the weekend, with an eye to replacing or adding whatever I think I’ll need next season. Given our oddly snowless winter here in the Vermont mountains, spring doesn’t seem all that far away.

Over many years, I’ve tried boxes and bags of every description. But I’ve been most happy with a Cabela’s Tackle Bag that holds six Plano 3600 boxes on end. As you can see in the photo, I label the end of each box with a fat Sharpie as to contents, which makes for an easy grab when I’m fishing.

There’s a “top” box for various topwaters, a “jerk” box for jerkbaits, and so on. Most important is the “rigging” box that holds various hooks, sinkers, swivels, bobbers, and sundry tools and devices that I use to construct on the water, whatever rig suits what I’m doing at the time (we’ll get into that rigging box sometime in another blog post).

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Day One: Exploring Colorado’s Upper Dolores River

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:00:32 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

The Upper Dolores River in southwestern Colorado is one of those special places in the West where the story doesn’t revolve around memories of what the flyfishing or hunting was like “back in the day.” The “prime time” experience—when wild, lightly pressured trout attack gaudy dry flies with almost reckless abandon, and massive elk herds roam aspen-lined mountains and valleys—is happening right now.

The Dolores is a home river of sorts for me. I have fished its upper branches and small tributaries for 25 years, and I don’t think these waters have ever fished better than they do at present. I feel the same way about the hunting. That’s partly because the region’s relative isolation from big cities like Denver, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City keep it just out of reach for most weekend warriors, and partly because those hunters and anglers who have discovered this region have worked to maintain its pristine value.

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The Fly Rod Beauty Factor: Does it Matter?

Sarah Smith — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:21:42 -0500

by Kirk Deeter

G.Loomis recently announced that it would be offering its NRX rod series in a slick new green finish, which I find interesting, because that tells me that aesthetics might be more important in marketing fly rods than I had assumed. After all, the original NRX with its robin-egg-blue wraps is hands down, without question, one of the hottest-handling, best-casting, and all-around fishable fly rods ever made. It's just that a lot of folks think it's ugly. Yeah, I'll concede that the blue on the rod is a funky color, but I don't think they're ugly rods. Instead, I'd call them "aesthetically awkward," in more of a white socks and black shoes, or striped shirt and plaid necktie kind of way.

To be honest, when it comes to looks, different is often good. For example, when an angler is holding that big world record fish, and the rod with the odd blue wraps is in the photograph, everybody knows the fish was caught on an NRX. Now, green, we'll wonder, "Is it a Sage TCX or an NRX? Or is it a Winston?"

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Tie Talk: Tying a Stimulator in 19 Steps (With Photos)

Online Editors — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:30:57 -0500

by Tim Romano

We're going to start this week with--what should in time become regular updates for Tie Talk--a hand picked selection from my friend and flyrecipes.com founder Joe Mathis.

This week, Joe picked a fly that in my opinion, all trout fisherman should have in their box at all times: The Stimulator. This specific submission to flyrecipes.com was submitted by Juan Ramirez, a guide and tying instructor here in Colorado.

Juan's keen insights and notes on the "Stimi" are below. Click here to see the step-by-step instructions and tying steps with photos.

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Poll Finds Western Voters Conservative and Pro-Environment

Sarah Smith — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:37:10 -0500

by Bob Marshall

Readers of this blog are familiar with my claim that there's no inconsistency with being pro-gun, pro-life, pro-freedom and pro environment--and, in fact, most sportsmen are conservative and pro-environment. Now there's proof...

A poll released Monday by the Colorado College found "western voters across the political spectrum--from Tea Party supporters to those who identify with the Occupy Wall Street movement and voters in between--view parks and public lands as essential to their state’s economy, and support upholding and strengthening protections for clean air, clean water, natural areas and wildlife."

The 2012 Conservation in the West Poll, part of the college's State of the Rockies Project, questioned voters of all political spectrums in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. It found "two-thirds of Western voters say America’s energy policy should prioritize expanding use of clean renewable energy and reducing our need for more coal, oil and gas. Even in states like Wyoming and Montana, which are more often associated with fossil fuels, voters view renewable energy as a local job creator."

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Step by Step Photo Instructions on How to Tie "The Stimulator" Fly

Online Editors — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:17:00 -0500

Learn how to the tie one fly all trout fishermen should have in their box at all times.
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The Best New Knives of 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:04:49 -0500

These are the best new knives for outdoorsmen available in 2012.

Giant, Foot-Long Prawn Found Near New Zealand

Sarah Smith — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:14:11 -0500

--Chad Love

Trout aren't the only things that grow huge in New Zealand. Researchers probing the depths off the coast of New Zealand have discovered a giant "super prawn" that tapes out at almost a foot long.

From this story in the (UK) Mirror:

An expedition to one of the deepest parts of the ocean has discovered a "supergiant" species. The huge crustacean was discovered more than four miles deep in waters north of New Zealand by scientists from the University of Aberdeen. The creature is a type of amphipod, commonly found in the deep sea, which are usually 2cm-3cm long. The new specimen measured 28cm.

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Vintage Tackle Contest: The Larson Fishtrap

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:18:47 -0500

by Joe Cermele

The lure below was entered into our ongoing vintage tackle contest by Bob Brown, who tells me he found it in his grandfather's tackle box. Not only is this one cool looking spoon, but I had to pick it because it shares a last name with our very own Dr. Todd Larson of the The Whitefish Press and "Fishing For History" blog. Was the Larson Fishtrap produced by the Doc's great grandad perhaps? Let's find out.

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