The old rule of thumb in northern Idaho, western Montana and southeast British Columbia said you can fish just about any cutthroat creek, after the Fourth of July. Showing up earlier meant you might be limited by high water. But these days, with summer arriving earlier, that date has changed significantly. In fact, Idaho and Montana’s cutthroat waters were in good shape for much of June and they are going to Continue reading
Hucks and Cutts: July Is Go Time
Alaska sportsmen celebrate victory for the Susitna River
As all of you probably know, I have a love for all things wild and if those elements occur in Alaska I’m even more interested in it. If I weren’t living in Montana you have to know I’d call Alaska home, so I was happy to receive this update on Trout Unlimited’s help in preserving the Susitna River, which hosts The Great Land’s fourth-largest king salmon run. New dams in this day and age? It didn’t make sense from the start and it doesn’t now. Here you go. Celebrate with us.
Posted in Alaska, Conservation, Northwest
Tagged Alaska fishing, Alaska king salmon, fly fishing Alaska, Susitna River king salmon
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Texas, Who Knew
I actually wrote this headline, Texas Who Knew, tongue-in-cheek, as I’ve been to Texas with seven-weight sticks in hand and managed to take some very nice bass on the Powerhouse lakes. After watching this video, one in Redington’s series, Find Your Water, I know there’s way more to explore. Check it out and start dreaming.
Find Your Water: Season 2, Episode 2: Desert Oasis from Redingtongear on Vimeo.
Posted in Travel, Uncategorized
Tagged floating Texas rivers, Texas bass, Texas trout
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Hope, Hopefully, for Canada’s Atlantic Salmon
If you haven’t fished eastern Canada’s Atlantic salmon you’re missing out. These fish are the equal of our western steelhead and grow to larger size. Fish them early in the summer and they are chrome bright rockets. Wait until late August or early September and you’ll find a mix of fresh fish and some that have been in the river for a month or more. You can still Continue reading
Southwest Montana Spring Brown
You can get great dry fly fishing during spring in southwest Montana, but this time of year always screams streamers and brown trout under snowcapped peaks with brilliant green lining the foothills and river corridors. It really is the prettiest time of year here.
I was able to get out this past Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Montana, Northern Rockies
Tagged Big Hole River, Missouri River, Spring fishing
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Redington Profiles Artist Josh DeSmit
Here’s a quick one on a guy going big and trying to become a full time artist. Having grown up in an artist’s family I know the trials of this. However, as my father has proven, it’s possible to make a great living as an artist, as long as you are smart, business savvy, and work tirelessly toward a goal. Enjoy. GT
Find Your Water: Season 2, Episode 1: An Artist’s Frontier from Redingtongear on Vimeo.
Posted in Backcountry, Culture, Videos
Tagged fish art, Josh DeSmit art, Redington fly fishing
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Farmed Atlantic Salmon Versus Wild and Sustainable Alaska Salmon. Go Wild.
I’ve never reposted content, but I feel inclined to set this piece at the top of the stack again. It’s that important. This post was first seen in 2013 and it is one of the most read pieces on Angler’s Tonic. Nothing has changed. Costco still sells farmed Atlantic salmon from nasty net pens. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec are all in major battles to preserver wild Atlantics. Norway is the problem that it has always been. Give this a read. Do something about it—only eat wild salmon, Alaska-caught being the most sustainable option. Think about buying and eating wild pink salmon instead of kings. Pinks can be found in abundance. Kings are suffering. If not kings, try wild reds/sockeye from Bristol Bay, Alaska. Here’s the read. Continue reading
Posted in CANADA, Conservation, Culture, Northwest, Uncategorized, US & Canada
Tagged Denver, Farmed salmon, Jax, seafood, wild salmon
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Fly Rod & Reel Spring Issue Available Now
Just wrapped up the spring issue and it will be hitting the newsstands soon. I think you’ll find it well worth reading with lots of solid technical information along with numerous fun reads, including the second installment of our essay section, this time with a theme of fly-fishing culture. In the mix is Chris Santella, who covers fly-fishing vocabulary; Robert Robinson is in it again with his take on prioritizing in favor of fishing; John Gierach makes an appearance with his take on the modern beard fad; and Seth Norman shares his view on flies and what goes into naming them.
You’ll find the full features in this issue, too, mine being on fishing for steelhead on the Continue reading
Hatch’s $100 Nippers and Simms’ Quick Stash Lanyard . . . until death do us part
The question isn’t whether paying a hundred bucks for a pair of nippers is worth it. The question is how are you not going to lose them after you fork out the dough.
Hatch’s nippers come on the heals of Abel’s fancy nippers, which debuted around 2006 and seemed very expensive at that time. Hatch introduced its hot rod nippers in mid-2015 upping the ante in spades. I was able to secure a prototype at the ICAST show in Continue reading
Posted in British Columbia, CANADA, Culture, Gear, Northwest, Spey, Travel
Tagged Hatch nippers, Hatch Reels, Simms Fishing, Simms Quick Stash Lanyard, Steelhead gear
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The Color of Steelhead
I think it’s interesting how, many times, we can tell what a person is fishing for and where just by the color of the flies they carry with them. A spring box in Montana is all about worms, skwalas and blue-wing olives. A fall box from Idaho has October caddis and Baetis stamped all over it. Henry’s Fork in June? PMDs, maybe some salmon flies, brown drakes and caddis galore. Lenice in May and June—a cluster of damsels. Here’s a shot from my recent trip to British Columbia and this pile of flies screams nothing but, STEELHEAD! Love the color mix. If I only could pick one fly from the tangle it would be pink. Pink means steelhead. But it sure is nice to throw blacks and blues and reds and purples some days. Got a favorite color for metal? Share it with us and your reasons why. GT
Posted in British Columbia, Culture, Flies
Tagged Best Steelhead Flies, flies for steelhead, top steelhead flies
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