It’s easy to lament the season we’ve had thus far in New England. Winter teases us with cold temps and snow squalls, only to be snatched away by mild weather and rain. However, we’ve already had more ice here in northeast Massachusetts than we did all of last winter. Knowing that times like these are fleeting, I’ve taken full advantage of every opportunity I’ve had to get on the hard water. Early Ice My first trip was a marathon, beginning at sunrise in one pond, and ending just before sundown at another. Sunrise had me fishing in a run-and-gun style, skating out to the spots with only what I ..read more

2023: What a whirlwind of a year it has been! As a senior in high school, it’s been the year of college for me – even though my time in college won’t start until next year. While college applications and an intense academic and athletic schedule sucked up much of my time, I made a point to self-prescribe regular doses of outdoor medicine (or perhaps I was just fueling an addiction). According to my fishing log, I had 78 successful outings this year, plus a couple more without any fish. I caught fish every month, with July being the “fishiest”. Along the way, I met new friends, picked up new tr ..read more

Orange is the color of autumn. Orange pumpkins adorn front steps; fire-orange oak leaves set the fall landscape ablaze; brook trout’s bellies darken to a deep orange in preparation for spawning. But despite how seasonally-appropriate and functional my orange Black Diamond rain jacket is, perhaps it wasn’t the right choice for stalking ultra-spooky brown trout. The weather on this late October day could be summed up by one word: miserable. The polar opposite of the previous day’s 80 degrees and bright sun, a bone-chilling drizzle soaked the central Massachusetts mountains, making 45 degrees fee ..read more

Fly fishing is widely considered a gentleman’s sport. In pursuing fish on the fly, we actively handicap ourselves to give our “opponents” a leg up. We cast tiny flies on flimsy tippets in the hopes of fooling educated trout. Our movements are slow and calculated; one false step could be a lost chance. Success, if measured in fish landed, can be hard to come by; but it is this self-inflicted difficulty that makes the pastime so enthralling. Given the inherent challenge of fly fishing, I am often pleased if I manage to fool a few fish in a trip. However, there are some outings that prove so unim ..read more

Thanks to a Native Fish Coalition rendezvous in the White Mountains last weekend, my four-year dry spell of fishing in the region has finally ended. Some of my earliest memories of fly fishing and conservation come from these mountains, where I spent my summers exploring the woods and waters of northern New Hampshire at Barry Conservation Camp in Berlin (see if you recognize anyone in this video). Driving up Route 16, I was in awe of the towering cliffs and cascading streams in the mountains past North Conway. When I arrived at the campsite, I was greeted by a friendly group representing five ..read more

It was a scene straight out of the apocalypse: thick coils of barbed wire surrounded the crumbling hilltop, shards of dry, discarded stone crunching under our feet. 900 feet below, a highly toxic pool filled with water the color of the Statue of Liberty silently melted away at the hillside. A siren wailed as our group stepped through a gate in the fence, then a rifle blast echoed through the mile-long gorge. The remnants of old mine elevators stood watch over us like iron giants. Unfazed, our highly knowledgeable tour guide, Pat Cunneen, sarcastically exclaimed, “Welcome to the idyllic Berkele ..read more

All-In-One Rangeley Itinerary ..read more

Waking up at 5:20 AM daily seems to make most people cringe, but for me, the benefits outweigh the grogginess. For one, I get first dibs on the shower; I also get to eat a big breakfast before school. But perhaps the biggest upside of them all is the head-start I have on checking the trout stocking report. I can’t be the only one whose Google immediately auto-suggests “MA trout stocking report” after simply typing in the letter “m”. Tuesday through Saturday (they don’t stock on the weekends), checking the report has become as integral a part of my morning routine as a cup of coffee. Lucky for ..read more

Join us for the 2023 Trout Unlimited Teen Summit! This year’s Summit will be held at Georgetown Lake in Anaconda, Montana, with easy access to some of the nation’s finest trout fishing. The event will take place from June 28 – July 2, perfect timing for some great fishing and conservation opportunities. Teens at the Summit will participate in youth leadership meetings, conservation projects, eco tours, guest speaker presentations, and, of course, plenty of fly fishing. Along the way, you’ll build lasting friendships with like-minded teens. Now seven months after my first Summit last year, I ca ..read more

What a strange start to fall! With water levels as low as they have been, Mass Fish & Wildlife made the atypical decision to not stock many of the state’s regularly stocked rivers. In talking with local anglers, not one could recall a time when such a decision was made, including the horrific drought of 2016. With the climate getting drier and drier each year, it seems as if this may soon become the new normal. Instead of pouting about the lack of fishing opportunities, though, I decided to make the most of the cards we’ve been dealt. To start, fellow small stream aficionado Will Friedland ..read more