Tate’s big question of the day

Here’s a low-budget clip of Tate posing a world-class question. Stumped me and I really couldn’t offer a solid response, except to say that Kurt Cobain said, It’s ok to eat fish because they don’t have any feelings.

Now, I don’t believe that. Why would a fish jump when hooked if it didn’t have any feelings? Survival is its feeling. I have my own conclusions after thinking about this question for a couple days. Would love to know what all of you think. Hit the comment button and let the thread begin.

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San Fran/Seattle Wrap-Up

I’ve just enjoyed one of the best weeks of my life, despite the fact I haven’t thrown a line.

But I’ve been talking about throwing a line, sometimes over beers and appetizers that would blow you away, such as a few from Tourism Calgary and Catch Restaurant, succulent oysters and shrimp, plus burgers and poutin from Ally Burger, all chased down with spiced whiskey and orange juice (I think). During the whole affair I met great people from Canada, fun-loving but professional, all with great adventures to Continue reading

Posted in Industry, Travel, US & Canada | 1 Comment

Cruising San Francisco

Not much in the way of fishing here, but part of my job is to get out and meet other writers and the tourism representatives from various intriguing destinations and that’s what I’m doing right now in San Francisco, California.

Well, except for yesterday. That’s when Continue reading

Posted in Industry, US & Canada | Tagged | 3 Comments

GT’s Final Four Winning Picks

Want to be saying, I told you so, when One Shining Moment is playing on Monday night? Well, I wouldn’t place the family fortune on my picks at Vegas, but you could make some simple side-bets with friends and stand a pretty good chance of winning if you follow my lead here. Here’s what going to happen today.

The SemiFinals

Louisville and Kentucky

Skill set galore at Kentucky versus a bunch of grind it out kids from Louisville. Common sense says take the talent in Kentucky and figure on them finding a way to overcome the adrenaline and pure will to win from Louisville. But there’s a little more to think about here. John Calipari, Kentucky’s coach, is infamous for blowing Continue reading

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8 Things to put in your spring/summer pack, right now

It’s that time of year when the weather is changing and you stand a good chance to arrive at the water lacking something you really need. Remember last year, when late fall arrived and the snow was blowing around your face like a vortex and you peaked in that pack and said, “Gink? Yea, right.” And you cast it into the back seat of the quad-cab where it’s been resting for four months, amongst those nastyfied Pringles and that half of a Fillet o’ Fish that you dropped between the seats when you had to sleep in your truck because you’d had too much fun at the Blue Moon in Twin Bridges. It was cold back there, wasn’t it, with nothing greater than breathable waders and that Labrador puppy for protection against a 20-degree night.

So what I’m getting at here is that you’re probably lacking Continue reading

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South Fork Boise: Update on bull trout

Back in January I was speaking with Nick Coe, who works with Icy Bay Lodge out of Yakutat, Alaska, a silver salmon fisherman’s paradise. He spends winters in Idaho and recently sent a text with some interesting pics after fishing the South Fork Boise River below Anderson Dam, east of Boise. Continue reading

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Men’s Journal: Save NW Salmon Now!

I love it when mainstream media covers outdoor subjects and Men’s Journal, which reaches an astronomical number of subscribers, did just that recently, in a piece on dwindling salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest.

They focused on the Idaho’s Salmon River, one of my favorite steelhead rivers, but they covered other streams as well. This bodes well for any hopes to return WILD salmon and steelhead to former abundance. Thanks to Greg Stahl at Idaho Rivers United for sending a heads-up. Here’s a teaser. Click below for the entire read.

by Kevin Gray

Riggins, Idaho, population 410, is a scenic town, hugging a turn in the Salmon River. The river, locals say, was once so full of Chinook salmon that people joked you could cross it on their backs. During spawning season, “they made such a racket that you couldn’t sleep at night,” says Rexann Zimmerman, the 59-year-old owner of the Hook, Line, and Sinker tackle and liquor store. “Now they’re something rare and precious.”

The Columbia River Basin, encompassing parts of Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, was once   Read The Men’s Journal Article HERE

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Arkansas Record Bass Recalled

I love this big bass game and all the shenanigans that go along with it. Records? I don’t really give a damn about records in angling, other than to know the top end of any given species. But, for chest thumping? No way.

Now, it’s different with bass. There’s money and sponsorship dollars on the line and if I were a bass guy I’d probably spend most of my life looking for Mr. Big. That said, Continue reading

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Orvis Podcasts Hit 2 Million Views

I’ve been throwing out the love to Orvis a bit lately, ranging from the most recent post on Tom Rosenbauer’s book, Guide to the Essential American Flies, to the Orvis online knot guide, and now to a major milestone—Orvis’ online podcasts, which Rosenbauer creates, have been viewed more than 2 million times.

That’s a lot of views and the reason for it is that Rosenbauer provides Continue reading

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Tom Rosenbauer’s Essential American Flies

At first I wasn’t too excited when I received Tom Rosenbauer’s Orvis Guide to The Essential American Flies, and that was a little hard to admit because I consider Rosenbauer one of the great people in fly fishing as well as a personal friend.

But then I thought about how long I’ve been in fly fishing and considered what I most often pull from my fly boxes. By doing so I remembered two things: First, I reflected on how useful basic pattern books, including Tying Dry Flies and Tying Nymphs, by Randall Kaufman, were to me when I started tying flies and throwing the long rod; and, second, I peered into my boxes and saw a plethora of Continue reading

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