Notes from Wild Places.
Field dispatches from rivers, trails, and public lands. Species and conservation notes, lessons from making the gear, and stories collected along the way.
The Madison River: 50 Miles from Quake Lake to Ennis
The upper Madison is called the fifty-mile riffle. It exists because a mountain fell into the canyon in 1959 and damm...
Fly Fishing Terms: 8 Words You'll Hear on the Water
Dry fly, nymph, streamer, leader, tippet, drag, mend, and rise, in plain language. With a tippet size chart and what ...
How to Read a Fly Fishing Tee: What the Species, River, and Colorway Actually Signal
Walk into any fly shop, pull up to any tailgate at a river access point, or scroll through any serious angler's feed,...
Fishing in National Parks: Permits, Rules, and What Changes Park to Park
There is no single national park fishing rule. Yellowstone sells its own permit and does not accept state licenses. G...
The Roadless Rule Rollback: What It Actually Means for Backcountry Anglers
You already know the feeling. You hiked two hours to reach that stretch of stream, the one without a trailhead sign o...
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout: The Desert Giant That Defied Extinction
Picture a trout that survived the collapse of an ancient inland sea, outlasted a mining boom, weathered the construct...
How to Cast a Fly Rod Without Fighting It
The rod is a spring and the line is the weight you are throwing. Once that lands, most casting problems have obvious ...
Essential Fly Fishing Knots Every Angler Should Know
Backing to fly line to leader to tippet to fly. Four connections, eight knots, and one habit that matters more than w...
Cutthroat Trout Subspecies: A Field Guide to America's Native Trout
Cutthroat trout are one species split into 14 subspecies. Two are extinct, one is debated, and in 2023 a committee pr...
Steelhead vs. Rainbow Trout: 5 Differences You Can Actually See on the Water
Steelhead and rainbow trout are the same species, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Five differences you can actually see on the w...
Glacier National Park: What to Wear for Anglers, Hikers & Early Risers
Shopper first guide to what to wear at Glacier National Park: garment dyed Comfort Colors tees, smart layering for wi...
3 Color Rule for Dawn Fishing: What Colors to Wear
Use the 3 Color Rule and scenario based palettes to stay unseen at dawn. Practical outfit choices for clear, stained,...