Conservation

The Big Wood River is often overshadowed by its more famous sibling, Silver Creek, near Sun Valley, Idaho. Unlike Silver Creek, however, you can actually catch fish from the Big Wood, although it's not without its problems. Like any Western river, it has to face warming water temperatures, increased demands for irrigation, and more and more angler pressure...

Striped bass are an important fish for a variety of reasons, but us anglers love them for the great experiences they provide at the end of a fly rod. That's what makes the recent news about Chesapeake Bay striped bass populations all the more concerning. As Eliza Noe over at Phys.org wrote, "According to a 2024 survey from the Virginia Institute of Marine...

Recent news of king salmon spawning in the upper Klamath River Basin was incredible, especially with how recently all four dams have been removed. As a refresher, "according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), at least one chinook salmon has been spotted in a Klamath River tributary this year. That’s the first salmon to be seen in...

Trout Unlimited (TU) has released a new film highlighting restoration work on Muddy Creek, near Rawlins, Wyoming. Rawlins is famous for being home to the Wyoming State Penitentiary, awful winters, and an abundance of that ever-present Wyoming wind. And while Muddy Creek probably won't put Rawlins on the map as a must-fish destination, it's an important...

Walleye are posing a problem to salmon and steelhead through the Snake River Basin in Idaho. And according to a new press release from the Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG), fisheries managers are asking anglers to be more vigilant in catching and killing these fish. "For the past couple years, Idaho Fish and Game has asked – and continues to ask – anglers...

After the removal of the four dams on the Klamath River, anglers, scientists, and conservationists alike have been eager for an Elwha River-style story, where the fish just come rushing back with a vengeance. That big rush has yet to happen, but according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), at least one chinook salmon has been spotted in...

A few weeks ago I reported on the fur ban that's on ballots in Denver for this upcoming election. At the time there was a lot of hand-wringing over the ban's implications for fly anglers, since fur and feathers are central to tying the flies we use for fishing. But it was unclear whether the ban would impact fly fishing, especially since Boulder, Colorado...

The pollock trawling fleet operating in the Gulf of Alaska has been shut down early due to an alarming number of chinook salmon showing up as bycatch. According to SalmonState, a nonprofit conservation group, two "midwater" pollock trawl boats accidentally netted 2,000 chinook salmon in one day, which brought the "estimated season total of chinook bycatch...

Pacific salmon aren't the only ones facing population threats. Fisheries managers in Norway recently announced new restrictions for wild Atlantic salmon fishing in 2025 as the country's stocks hit record lows, according to Phys.org. Earlier this year, fisheries managers in Norway also shut down 33 rivers to salmon fishing in response to low returns. Ellen...

The folks over at Trout Unlimited (TU) have been busy lately on the Olympic Peninsula, and recently made a video to highlight their conservation efforts in that region. The video, which you can view below, focuses on restoring the rainforest rivers that flow through the Olympic Peninsula, which are home to salmon, steelhead, and trout. "Working alongside...