Beau Beasley

I blinked and suddenly found myself staring 60 in the face. Honestly, I’m not sure how it happened. Nevertheless, here I am, at 60, with a lifetime of angling—and more than 30 years of fly fishing—under my belt and my first grandchild on my knee. And I wonder: What am I really casting for? Why strive to master the cast? Is it just to be a better...

“Now’s the time to break out that fly rod,” I said to my young fishing partner as he stood in the front of the boat looking unsure of himself. The wind was still up a bit but that’s part and parcel of saltwater fly fishing, especially along North Carolina’s Atlantic Beach which is ground zero for the annual Cape Lookout Albacore and Redfish...

The New Mexico Supreme Court deliberated for just 15 minutes before rendering its sweeping decision to open up thousands of river miles to public access.  Before the court was a relatively straightforward question: Were the river and stream beds of the state held in trust for the public at statehood, even if those river and stream beds flowed over private...

At the 6th Annual Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, US-based ad agency Admirable Devil sponsored a lively panel discussion titled “Bonefish and the Bahamas,” featuring both Bahamian officials and those most immediately affected by their bonefish harvest regulations. On hand to discuss the updates were Benjamin Pratt, senior...

(Read Part I) The island nation of the Bahamas boasts the largest saltwater flats in the entire Caribbean, reputedly ten times larger than those of Mexico. Countless celebrated saltwater species—including bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, crabs, shrimp, and lobster—call these flats home. Protecting the future of these flats in perpetuity is...

Bonefish are one of the top targets of saltwater fly anglers worldwide, with good reason: when hooked, these torpedo-shaped, silvery fish, which can grow nearly three feet long and tip the scales at 15 pounds, are known for their blistering runs and fierce fights. The angler who hooks such a brute can quickly find himself looking at his backing and whacking...

Outdoor journalists spend a great deal of time outside in the wilderness, taking pictures and preparing to write about endangered species, family camping, and how to become a better hunter or angler. Under newly proposed US Forest Service rules, however, some think these trips into the woods may cost the outdoor journalist a pretty penny. Earlier this year...

The confluence of the Hazel and Thornton Rivers has historically been a gathering place for swimmers, canoeists, anglers—and even occasional baptisms by one local church. Then, in September 2005, Gary Close, Culpeper County’s former attorney, decided to close off the river to public use, igniting a firestorm of protest. Close based his decision on the...

Folks fishing in the Tar Heel state aren’t much different from anglers anywhere who are looking for a little soli­tude and a chance to connect with nature. Regrettably, opportunities to get away from work seem to be harder and harder these days, and a lack of access to prime fishing locations is a genuine concern for anglers and fisheries managers...

Living outside the nation’s capital as I do, I get a steady dose of political news whether I want to hear it or not. While most Americans go about their daily lives just trying to pay their bills and raise their kids, even they can’t help but notice how badly the operation of the federal government has deteriorated. Last year politicians from both...