Field and Stream - Salmon & Steelhead RSS

The CatchFeed: 50 Top Photos from Catchbook, Field & Stream's New Social Fishing App

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:43:40 -0400

These 50 photos are our editors' picks for the best shots posted so far by users of our new Catchbook app!

About Catchbook Fishing Reports
Catchbook is a free social fishing app we built for the iPhone to help you share photos of your fish while recording the spots where you caught them. Check out more great fish photos from around the country (and start posting your own catches) by downloading the app from iTunes! Visit fieldandstream.com/catchbook for details on how the app works, and why it'll help you catch more fish.

Catchbook Photo Contest
We're giving away a Columbia PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap, for the best photo posted each week (as chosen by our editors) from now until then end of July. At the end of each month we'll pick our favorite overall shot and run it in the magazine! Each monthly winner will also receive a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve (men) or Ultimate Chill™ Long Sleeve (women). Click here to learn how you can enter this contest. Click here for the official rules.

Our 20 Coolest and Strangest Fish Stories

Online Editors — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:05:51 -0400

The Best F&S Online Record Fish Stories and Photos

Online Editors — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:57:23 -0400

Catchbook Contest: Photo of the Week!

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:41:44 -0400

Congratulations to Austin Bockwinkel, whose spring Iowa largemouth bass takes top prize in our weekly Catchbook Photo Contest! Austin gets a PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap from Columbia, and also qualifies to win our monthly prize, a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve fishing shirt and his mug in the pages of our magazine. Click here to learn how you can enter this contest by. Click here for the official rules.

Catchbook is a new fishing app for the iPhone that automatically turns photos of fish you've caught into detailed fishing journal entries that show up on your map, then shares those entries exclusively with trusted friends. Our goal is to help you and your buddies learn more about the spots you fish. You can download the app from iTunes here.

Holy Mackerel: 2nd-Grader Hooks 68 lb. King Fish

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:10:38 -0400

Andrew Quinn, a spirited Michigan second-grader who wrestles in the 77-pound weight class at his school, is no stranger to grappling with heavyweight foes.

But even Andrew almost met his match when he hooked this 5-foot king mackerel during a deep sea fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico in late March. At the end of a 30-minute fight, Andrew had just enough strength left to boat the giant king, which weighed 68 pounds, 3 ounces—a touch lighter than Andrew but 4 ounces heavier than the current Alabama state record.

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from April 2012

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:25:49 -0400

Each month, Field & Stream editors review the hundreds of photos submitted by readers to our Trophy Room. If your photo is chosen to be printed in the Game Faces section of the magazine, you’ll win a Rapala Fish ‘N Fillet knife!

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

Go With Purple Muddlers to Land a Wall-Worthy Steelhead

Online Editors — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:56:30 -0400

Wall Size: A 20-pound steelie earns bragging rights, but finding and hooking a fish this size isn’t the biggest challenge. The difficult part is landing a ticked-off 20-pound steelie in a shallow river.

If you can avoid getting spooled by literally running after the fish, and keep the brute clear of snags, and maintain pressure when it turns on a dime and runs the other way, and actually put that hunk of chrome in the net, then you have positively earned the right to splurge on a mount.

Special Case: If you hit the river on a nasty, frigid February day instead of a pleasant fall afternoon, any steelie you fight with numb hands, play around ice floes, and land in water that would cause instant hypothermia is replica-worthy.

Trophy Towns:

✖ Baldwin, Mich. A stay in this town puts you close to the Pere Marquette and Manistee Rivers. Michigan’s Manistee-strain fish are revered for their brutal fights.
✖ Pulaski, N.Y. Tons of trophy steelhead push up the Salmon River from Lake Ontario in fall along with runs of spawning salmon. The fish fatten up on salmon roe, then winter over in the stretch of river below the dam.
✖ Painesville, Ohio Ohio gets its steel from Michigan, so the Buckeye State also has aggressive Manistee-strain fish. They’ll stack up in the Grand River, which is large compared with most Ohio streams and can be floated or waded.

The Guide: Rick Sabol

Home Waters: Sabol has been fishing the famed Deschutes River in Oregon his entire life, and in 2004 he opened his own outfitter business, Deschutes Steelheader Co. Throughout his guiding career, he has netted many 20-plus-pound Deschutes chromers for clients, and watched even more hook fish the same size that, as he puts it, “we never got to see.” Most Deschutes steelhead that break the 20-pound barrier are known as B-run fish—those that stay in the ocean longer, grow bigger, and migrate upriver later than A-run fish. While salmon and trout roe are popular steelhead baits throughout the country, natural bait cannot be used on the lower Deschutes, so Sabol has had to hone his skills with flies and artificial lures.

Trophy Hunting: “B-run steelhead start showing up in September and keep coming in through mid November,” Sabol says. “They’re just taking a breather in the Deschutes before moving back into the Columbia River and on to Idaho.” Large steelhead don’t behave any differently than smaller fish in terms of feeding habits or preferred holding water, so catching a 20-pounder is a game of persistence and quick thinking. “Steelhead of all sizes are going to hold in areas of moderate current between fast runs,” he says. “Hooking one means picking through smaller fish and being consistent with your presentation. Once you connect, you’ve got to do your best to stay parallel with the fish and run down the bank. Then you just hope the fish doesn’t take you somewhere it’s impossible to follow.”

Top Fly: According to Sabol, it’s hard to go wrong on the Deschutes with a size 4 Muddler Minnow. And make it purple. “Our steelhead respond very well to purple,” he says. “Plus, I can present a Muddler several different ways.” Steelhead are very light sensitive and are most apt to feed on the surface early or late in the day. At these times, Sabol uses a 14-foot leader and floating line to skate a Muddler across the surface or just below the film. When the sun is high and the river is lit up, he’ll switch to a sink-tip and 3-foot leader, and swing the Muddler deep. In both presentations, simply cast downstream at a 45-degree angle, keep your line tight, and let the fly ride with the current. To handle those B-run giants, Sabol recommends a 7- or 8-weight outfit.

Top Lure: On superbright days when steelhead are tough to get on flies, Sabol ties on a 3⁄8-ounce Vibrax spinner in blue and chrome. Similar to his fly technique, Sabol casts downstream at a 45-degree angle and lets the lure whip around in the current. “If you can present a spinner just deep enough that the fish don’t need to look directly toward the surface, they’ll hit on the sunniest days.”

From the April issue of Field and Stream magazine.

Go With Purple Muddlers to Land a Wall-Worthy Steelhead

Online Editors — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:56:30 -0400

Trophy Towns:

The Guide: Rick Sabol

From the April issue of Field and Stream magazine.

Catchbook Contest: Photo of the Week!

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:21:10 -0400

Congratulations to Connor Brazell, who's early-season pike photo takes top prize in our weekly Catchbook Photo Contest! Connor gets a PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap from Columbia, and also qualifies to win our monthly prize, a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve fishing shirt and his mug in the pages of our magazine. Click here to learn how you can enter this contest by. Click here for the official rules.

Enter The Catchbook Photo Contest, Win Columbia Gear

Sarah Smith — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:57:48 -0400

Last week we launched a new fishing app for the iPhone that automatically turns photos of fish you've caught into detailed fishing journal entries that show up on your map, then shares those entries exclusively with trusted friends. Our goal is to help you and your buddies learn more about the spots you fish. You can download the app from iTunes here.

We want this to be a useful app for the hardcore angler. But we want it to be a source of casual fun, too. That's why any photos users post show up on the main page of the app, where everyone can see them.

You won't be able to see the spot a fish was landed unless you're friends with the person who posted it, but it's still fun to check in and see photos of what people are catching around the country. We think it's a great way to burn a moment when you're standing in the checkout line, or stuck in the lobby at the doctor's office.

The app is off to a great start. Nearly 200 catch photos have been posted so far, and more people are signing up every day. To keep the ball rolling, we're announcing a new contest. From today until the 1st of August we'll give away a Columbia PFG Blood and Guts™ Ball Cap, for the best photo posted each week (as chosen by our editors). Then, at the end of the month, we'll pick our favorite overall shot and run it in the magazine! Each monthly winner will also receive a Columbia Airgill Chill™ Long Sleeve (men) or Ultimate Chill™ Long Sleeve (women).

The photo above is from our first weekly winner, Alexandro Trevino, who gets the first hat, even though he didn't know about the contest yet. Alexandro, congratulations on your catch!

Note: We know not everyone has an iPhone, and wish we'd been able to launch this app for Android phones (and for web users who don't yet have a smartphone) right out of the gate. We're hoping to do both these things soon. The faster we can get the word out about this app, the faster this will happen. You can help by telling your friends about the project. Thanks!

15 Reasons an Early Spring Makes Fishing More Difficult (And How To Catch Fish Anyway)

Dave_Maccar — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:16:26 -0400

Spring has sprung. Actually, it sprang a month ago in much of the country. With the unusual weather pattern setting record-high temperatures on a near-weekly basis, many of you are no doubt scratching your heads and asking, what’s this going to do to the fishing?

The 50 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos from March 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 15:00:43 -0400

Submit your photos here!

Here are the other best reader photo collections from this year:

January 2012

February 2012

Catchbook Fishing Reports: A Social Fishing App from the Editors of Field & Stream

Online Editors — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:37:45 -0400

If you're an angler, you know that keeping a detailed journal of your time on the water is one of the best ways to up your catch rate. That's because, over time, your journal will show you patterns in when and where fish bite, and what lures and baits work best under different conditions. The more detailed your journal is, the more of these patterns you'll see. But keeping a detailed journal requires time and dedication that most anglers can't afford.

Not anymore. Field & Stream's FREE new Catchbook app, just released on the iPhone, is designed to take all the work out of keeping a fishing journal. The app does this by taking photos of fish you've already shot with your phone and automatically converting them into detailed fishing reports that include the weather and water conditions present when those photos were taken. The app pins each report to a map, then lets you share them exclusively with trusted friends and fishing buddies. The more friends you have, the more reports you see on your map, and the easier it becomes to pattern your spots!

Our editorial team has been working for nearly half a year on the project, and it finally launched last week. Now we're looking for feedback from the people we designed it for. You! If there are bugs, we want to know about them. If there's something you think we can improve, we want to know what that is. And if you love something we've done? We want to know that, too.

We'll incorporate your comments into updates to the app, which we're planning to roll out regularly. You can give us your feedback by commenting on this post, or within a new "Catchbook" category in our online Answers section. And, right now, exclusively for readers of this site (and for a limited time only) if you sign up and request user "Field & Stream" as a friend within the app, we'll add 5,000 points to your F&S Online username.

Click here to view the app in the iTunes store, or follow the jump for more details on how Catchbook works. Thanks for checking it out! -- The Editors

POST YOUR PHOTOS
Catchbook lets you turn any fish photo you’ve ever taken with your iPhone into a detailed journal entry that includes the time, date, location, and weather present when you caught each fish. Upload your old fish photos to get started, then make sure to snap away with your camera the next time you’re out on the water. Add records to your journal by choosing the photos you want to upload and telling us the species of fish in each photo. The app does the rest! Add optional information (such as the size and color lure you were using) to create even more detailed records to share with your friends.

POOL YOUR RECORDS
The more friends you invite into Catchbook, the more catches you’ll see on your map. And the more catches you see, the easier it will be for you to pattern your spots. Inviting friends is easy. Invite people you’re already friends with on Facebook, or send your fishing buddies invites by email. You can also find new people to fish with by searching for other Catchbook users who fish in the same places you do.

PATTERN YOUR SPOTS
Every time you (or one of your friends) posts a photo to Catchbook, that photo gets pinned to a spot on your map. Filter your map to show only fish caught at specific times of the year, at different times of the day, under specific weather conditions and water temps, and much, much more! You’ll quickly see patterns in which spots work best under different conditions. Then use the app’s “Best Baits” features to learn which flies, lures, and baits caught the most fish under the conditions and areas you’ve selected.

Map filtering options include:
-- Fish species and fish size
-- Time of year and time of day
-- Moon phase
-- Wind speed and direction
-- Water temperature, water clarity, lake/river level, and tidal stage
-- Barometric pressure and barometric trend
-- Air temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation type

WATCH CATCHES IN REAL TIME
Keep an eye on what people are catching around the country by clicking on the “Catches” tab. You’ll see all the latest fish entered into Catchbook (photos only — no spot burning here).

SEE WHERE YOU RANK!
Find your name in a list of top users by species.

Q&A with Chef and "Food Artist" Charlie Krause

Online Editors — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:57:45 -0400

by David Draper

We saw an incredible poached salmon display from food artist and Wild Chef reader Charlie Krause on last week’s Friday Food Fight. While Chef Charlie’s salmon didn’t win against Field & Stream Copy Chief Donna Ng’s classic stuffed brown trout, which currently has about 75 percent of the votes, that poached salmon tray was still impressive. So I caught up with Chef Charlie to ask him a few questions about what it takes to turn food into fine art—like the bread fish sculpture shown here.

What made you interested in becoming a chef?

After high school I wanted to learn to do something with my hands—besides fishing, that is—so rather than go to college I went to the Culinary Institute of America. My dad and mom were artists—the whole family are all artists. I have been an artist and craftsman most of my life. That transferred to food soon after I went to school.  What was the most challenging dish you’ve ever done?

I did a party celebrating the turn of the century in Westbrook, Maine. We had an “English Room” with everything in that room cooked from 1900s English cookbooks. We made a meat pie filled with boned-out birds stuffed with a pork and brandy sausage. In the pie there were four geese, four turkeys, six hens, six ducks, and 24 quail. Each bird was boned out 100 percent. The quail was stuffed and put in the hens and ducks with sausage and stuffed into the turkeys with sausage and then stuffed into the geese. This is like a large turducken. We took apart 10 large cheesecake pans to make a three-tier form, lined it with a special crust, and packed in the birds and sausage. It weighed probably 100 pounds or more and took 13 hours to cook. Meanwhile all those bones made a great stock that was reduced down to a wonderful sauce. The pie came out of the oven looking good. We pulled away all the cheesecake pans and it was magnificent. The crust was flaky, all the meats were tender and the sauce was something special.

Any kitchen disasters you’d care to share?

I have had plenty, but a disaster to a professional means something different than a disaster at home. Typical disasters are more on the level of “Oh crap, the fish is bad and we have 300 for dinner tonight,” or “I just burned the soup for the buffet in 20 minutes.” I have had countless pans forgotten and burned. It goes with the territory.  What’s your favorite fish or game animal to prepare?

Truly the poached salmon is one of my favorites. Brook trout any way, any time. Saddle of venison is probably my favorite game dish.

How did you prepare that amazing salmon display?

After cleaning the cavity of a whole fish I fill it with cheesecloth, then wrap it in white cotton cloth. Place sliced onions and celery in to the bottom of a large stainless fish poacher. Add several peeled lemons cut in pieces, some white pepper, salt, and bay leaves. Then cover the fish with white wine. A fish this size takes a gallon or more but it must be covered. You can substitute one-third water if needed. Cover the whole thing with foil and on the stove it goes on low. Bring the liquid up to 180 degrees but never go over 185. A 5- to 8-pound fish will take a couple of hours. After an hour or so, check the temp of the fish in the thickest part. When it reads 145 degrees internal at the bone, turn off the burner and let cool for an hour. Then set the whole thing in the fridge overnight. The next day carefully remove the fish and cut away the wrapping to expose the fish. The fish should look fresh. The liquid should be clear. Carefully cut a widow in the skin of the fish by cutting with the tip of a paring knife and then carefully lift and remove the skin from the front to the back. There will be some dark meat and that can stay or be carefully scraped off with a small knife. Now it is ready to serve or it can be decorated.

X-Ray Fish Photos: 41 Incredible Shots From the Smithsonian Institute

Sarah Smith — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:44:31 -0400

X-ray Vision: Fish Inside Out, organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), is an exhibit traveling to museums across the country through 2015. Visit www.sites.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibits/ichthyo/index.htm for the tour itinerary.

SHARK!: A Preview of an Artistic Tribute To The Ancient Apex Predators of the Deep

Sarah Smith — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:07:05 -0400

Millennia before humans first appeared on this planet, sharks were cutting their way through Earth's seas. They come in all shapes and sizes and are found in every ocean in the world as well as in many rivers and lakes.

A major multimedia art exhibition, SHARK!, organized by the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art and curated by acclaimed wildlife artist, author and environmentalist Richard Ellis, brings together art and science in documenting the fascination people have with these apex predators of the sea. In addition to drawings and paintings, the exhibition contains photos, sculptures, and video as well as a section devoted to the sensational impact of the 1975 film Jaws.

Ellis was good enough to give us these photos of pieces from the exhibition as a sneak peak. SHARK! opens on May 13.

For more information on the exhibit, click here.

The 45 Best Field & Stream Reader Photos of February 2012

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:46:15 -0500

Submit your photos here!

Here is the gallery of the best reader photos from January 2012.

How to Catch a Wall-Hanger: 7 Tips for Locating, Fighting, and Landing Giant Bass, Walleye and More Big Fish This Season!

Online Editors — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:13:27 -0500

Make this the year to catch a fish so huge you’ll want to admire it for the rest of your life. We found the best lures and baits, the hot lakes and rivers, and the trophy hunter’s top strategies. After this, all you’ll need is a hammer and nail.

Conservation Update: TU Asks President Obama to Keep Wild Salmon on Our Plates

Sarah Smith — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:02:37 -0500

by Bob Marshall

When the going gets tough in conservation battles, the tough should get going right at the top.

That's one of the strategies Trout Unlimited chief Chris Wood is employing in the group's continuing effort to keep Alaska's priceless Bristol Bay fishery from being corrupted by development. Wood penned this op-ed in The Huffington Post urging President Obama to help save that gem.

Among Woods' words of advice: It is not often that a fish can define your life's work. Rarer still can the most powerful man on earth, the President of the United States, determine the future of that fish. President Obama must decide before his re-election campaign is over whether nearly one-third of the wild salmon consumed in the United States can continue to provide an important source of delicious and healthy protein for millions of Americans (try, for example, grilled salmon with ancho honey porter glaze). Or, whether an ill-conceived, open pit mine in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska, is more important.

Of course that doesn't mean sportsmen shouldn't contact their individual congress people to add their weight to the protest. You can find out who your reps are and how to reach them at www.contactingthecongress.org.

Plan to Suck Water from Flaming Gorge Dead--For Now

Conservationists appear to have won another water skirmish in the west after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied a preliminary permit by a developer for pipelines to pump millions of gallons of water from Flaming Gorge on the Green River over the Rockies, to a sprawling development along Colorado's Front Range (Yes, you read that right).

Green groups joined with anglers and others to protest the move, and the feds agreed--at least for now. According to the Salt Lake Tribune the developer, entrepreneur Aaron Million (yes, you read that right, too), intends to try again.

Gulf Sportsmen See Hope as RESTORE Act Deadline Draws Near

The sportsmen's community joined green groups in a full-court congressional press this week pushing for passage of the RESTORE Act before BP reaches an out-of-court settlement with the federal government over penalties due for violations of the Clean Water Act during its Deepwater Horizon spill. If a settlement comes before the act is passed, the estimated $20 billion in fines could drift away from Gulf restoration and into the federal treasury--a result the act is designed to prevent.

Early reports indicate the lobbying was successful. Buras, La. charter skipper Ryan Lambert said "I'm confident that they get the message and they're behind us. I think we made a difference."

The RESTORE coalition includes some unusual bedfellows--green groups, sportsmen, and oil companies--and they're apparently spending big on the drive. The Hill reported that green groups had hired high-powered lobbyists such as Patton Boggs to help in the effort.

The biggest roadblock continues to the Congressional budget agreement requiring any loss in federal revenue by one bill be offset by other budget cutbacks--a so-called "fiscal note"--which, in this case, could be about $1.2 billion. So RESTORE Act supporters will need to convince Senators from no-Gulf Coast states to cut programs that may be dear to the hearts of their constituents.

Some experts say a court settlement between BP and the federal government could still send billions to the Gulf. This could be done with an agreement that saw the feds lowering the official fines in return for BP writing checks for coastal restoration programs. The total official fine, which would go to the federal purse as per current law, would be much lower, but the benefits of the total settlement would remain with states most impacted by the spill.

Review: Jesse James .44 Mag Fly Reel

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:32:34 -0500

by Joe Cermele

Unless you've been living under an overturned driftboat for the last decade, you've heard the name Jesse James and seen the iron cross logo of his world-famous company, West Coast Choppers, plastered on everything from belt buckles to bikinis. Jesse's wizardry with designing and building custom motorcycles sparked the ever-growing chopper boom that has infected the country and reality TV. So what happens when you take the precision engineering ability of a guy like Jesse and combine it with the flyfishing know-how of a seasoned Alaskan guide? You get the Jesse James .44 Mag reel.

I'll fess up: I'm a sucker for anything aesthetically different, so I took one look at the spiderweb frame on this 7/8 reel, and thought it was very rock n' roll. Of course, you can't judge a book by its cover. This reel was touted as having a sealed, waterproof drag system and being machined top to tails from bar-stock aluminum. I couldn't think of better test subjects than some bright Salmon River steelhead which, upon being hooked, try to get back to Lake Ontario as fast as they can.

This reel is pretty light for a 7/8, weighing in at 5.5 ounces. I loaded it with Rio Atlantic Salmon & Steelhead line, and did, however, notice one foible out of the gate. On average, 7/8s from other brands hold 200 yards of 20lb. backing versus the 120-yard capacity of the .44 Mag. In my opinion, the spool could be deeper. Luckily, none of the fish I hooked drained the reel, and though I'd say 120 yards is fine most of the time, it's always nice to have that extra 80 yards when you're talking steel, bonefish, or false albacore...just in case.

Slight lack of backing aside, the drag performed flawlessly with no hiccups during long runs. The first fish was fought on a dry reel. Before I hooked the next, I gave it a solid soak to check the sealed drag and it purred just the same. The no-click intake also helps make this reel smooth. In terms of construction, I think the reel will prove to be a workhorse that can hold its own against any brand using similar material. And here's something to keep in mind: scoff at the spiderweb if you want to, but in the natural world a web's design makes it quite structurally strong.

So how does designing a fly reel compare to building a custom chopper? Jesse--who grew fishing in Southern California and Mexico, by the way--was kind enough to give me a ring to talk about working with partner and guide Mark Mahoric on this new endeavor.

JC: What prompted the jump into the fly reel biz?
JJ: Mark first hit me up probably 6 or 7 years ago. He was a big fan of West Coast Choppers and said he knew of a machine shop in Anchorage. Mark told me he had a really cool design idea for a reel and wanted to use some of my design elements. At first I wasn't sure it was something I wanted to put my name on, but the more we talked, I kinda realized that all my manufacturing knowledge of making complicated parts was what he needed, so we just started working together. We've become really good friends since then. I've got to hand it to Mark, he tested the reel for a good 4 years before he ever released a product. That's important to me because I don't want people thinking I'm slapping my name on a product just to make money. If I was going to design reels, they had to be better. They had to be perfect.

JC: As a designer, what was the most important aspect of creating a quality reel?
JJ: When I came into the motorcycle industry 20 years ago, everything had been the same since the 70s. No one ever thought to put world-class, race car, aircraft-style fabrication towards these motorcycles. They still look as aesthetically pleasing, but now they're super light-weight and super well-manufactured. Basically the same thing applies to these reels. There is so much more action and motion in flyfishing than in conventional fishing. You're working the rod back and forth for hours. If it's not light and easy to use, then it doesn't work for me. It's all in the feel. When I hold a reel in my hands, it needs to feel precision.

JC: What did the research and development of these reels entail?
JJ: I didn't grow up doing a ton of flyfishing, so the first thing I did was buy a few reels and pick them apart. I looked at all the parts and started sharing notes with Mark on what I thought we could improve. If I build a bike and my design fails, there's a good chance the customer's gonna die. If a fly reel fails it's not that critical, but because I'm used to creating products with that level of seriousness and such high tolerances, I treated the reels the same way. Seeing that Mark is a guide, he was the perfect tester. If you want to brutally put miles on something, having different clients use the reels every few days is awesome. We didn't use the customer as our R&D department, and we didn't want to bring it out before it was ready.

JC: What's next for Jesse James Reels?
JJ: I'm pushing for a conventional reel. Flyfishing is kind of a niche market, and I think it just keeps growing, but I'd like to make a cool, bitchin,' super-nice bass reel. We're actually in the midst of working on it now.

Until Jesse and Mark roll out their conventional line, you can choose from their 4/5, 7/8, and 11/12 model fly reels, which range in price from $300 to $525. They're currently available at Jessejamesreels.com, but may pop up in your local fly shop in the near future.

Find A Spill or a Fish Kill? Get This Card And Know Who To Call

Sarah Smith — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:55:51 -0500

by Tim Romano

A number of months ago Hal Herring reported on the "Toxic Petroleum Sludge" that was infiltrating the waters of our beloved carp fishery here on the South Platte River in Denver. Local angler and fly fisherman Trevor Taner was fishing for carp in the river on November 27 when he noticed, "weird milky chocolaty sludge", and after fishing for a while noticed his "fly and fingers smelled like gasoline". He also mentioned that he could "see micro-currents and upwells in the water column that you usually can't see."

After talking to Tanner he told me that he spent a very long time trying to figure out who to call about the situation. After multiple phone calls to friends and anglers he finally reached what he thought were the proper authorities. This unfortunately took many hours and didn't really provide the response he had hoped for. They basically told him he was crazy and there wasn't a spill.

Long story short, Trevor was right. There was a pretty serious petroleum "spill" and it was most certainly in the river. Leeching into a tributary of the Platte through layers of soil and sand. It was most likely coming from a local refinery on the east banks of the river. The EPA finally got involved and to my knowledge the cleanup continues.

All of this would have been made much, much easier for Trevor if he knew who to call. Now -- thanks to him I do, and I wanted to share it with all of you. Since the event Trevor was given an award by his local Trout Unlimited chapter and they also did a pressing of some "Spill or Kill Cards" in his honor. Spill for well, a spill of any kind. Kill, for a -- fish kill. You know, lots-o-dead bloated little fishies floating belly up in the water. Duh.

The business sized card fits in a wallet and has the National Spill Response Center's phone number (800-424-8802) as well as the twitter hashtag of other local TU members that can keep them up to speed on what's going on. The National Spill Response Center's duty is the "sole federal point of contact for reporting oil and chemical spills". Supposedly it is the fastest way to get something done if you have an experience like what Trevor went through and have the gumption to do something about it.

So do you and your watershed, lake or coastline a favor and pop that number above into your phone's contact list. Label it something that you'll remember and hopefully never have to use. Someday you might be very happy you did.

How to Fight and Land a Steelhead on the Fly

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:30:17 -0500

By Joe Cermele

Last week I spent a few days on the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY, doing a little steelhead fishing and testing some new gear (more on that later). I was fishing with 31-year veteran guide Gary Edwards, who is the godfather of flyfishing for Pulaski steel. In my opinion, what makes steelhead such a challenge is not finding or hooking them, but landing them. Gary had some great tips for upping the chances of a successful end game, whether you have a net man or not. So we shot a little how-to video that I hope is helpful to all my fellow steelhead junkies.

Field & Stream Picks the Best New Fishing Gear of 2012

Online Editors — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:48:27 -0500

What's new in tackle this year? Plenty--and we fished with it all. Field & Stream testers hit the water with more than 100 pieces of the latest gear, from humble hooks to the top-of-the-line high-definition sonar units. We winnowed the list down to 16 standout products that clearly are the Best of the Best.

The 50 Best Shots From The 2011 Field & Stream Fall Trail Cam Contest

Online Editors — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:03:25 -0500

Here are the editors' picks for the 50 best entries in our 2011 Fall Trail Cam Photo Contest. Congrats to KSwhitetails who took first place with his "Bobcat catches a turkey in flight" shot and will receive the grand prize: a pair of Steiner 10x42 Predator Xtreme binoculars.

Congratulations to all this year's winners and thanks to everyone for the hundreds of great submissions.

You can check out the top photos from each round of the contest here:
ROUND I
ROUND II
ROUND III
ROUND IV

The Best Field & Stream Reader Photos From January 2012

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

Submit your photos here!

Here are the monthly Best Reader Photo Galleries from last year:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November