A YOUNG ANGLER lands a nice-ish trout and wants to share the photo, not only because of the fish, but because of the location: at the base of a waterfall, beneath a big bridge and a gondola, in downtown Spokane, Washington. The post Urban Reveal appeared first on The Drake Magazine ..read more

Jim Lichatowich is as happy as anyone that the Elwha dams on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula came down. But a recent attempt to witness the biological recovery there reminds him that there are equally stubborn obstacles to steelhead and salmon recovery that unfortunately can’t be removed with dynamite or heavy equipment. “A former colleague of mine organized a trip to Elwha after the dams were out,” Lichatowich says. “He called me and said, ‘the trip is still on but you’re not on it. The guy from National Marine Fisheries Service that was gonna show us around mentioned your name to his supervis ..read more

The real warmth arrives in late April. By dawn, backlit vapor rises from the edge of lily pads; at noon, turtles sunbathe on every exposed log; just after 2 PM, a quilt of gray clouds arrives from the south. It’s beer-time on your local largemouth pond. The post Five Kinds of Bass Grabs appeared first on The Drake Magazine ..read more

NOSTALGIC NIGHTCRAWLERS By Mark J. Miller It rained nearly all day—not heavy but steady—and stopped just after dinner. Perfect! I knew from his manner, Dad was itching to hop in the old pickup later that evening and motor to our local, unassuming public golf course. With a bucket in one hand, a flashlight in the other, he took me to one of his favorite spots—about 100 yards down the second fairway. His other choice spot was just this side of a fairway bunker on the eleventh hole. The fairways were sufficiently soggy, prime for stalking nightcrawlers; those long wigglers will slither to the ..read more

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS The Drake Magazine Flyfishing Video Awards will be a special night on Sept. 26, 2023, in Salt Lake City.   While showcasing flyfishing’s premiere filmmakers—as it has since 2006—this year’s event will also feature four very talented musical guests: Chris Pandolfi and Jeremy Garrett from Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band, The Infamous Stringdusters, and National Flatpicking Champion Tyler Grant and bassist Adrian “Ace” Engfer, from Grant Farm. This is a benefit concert for the non-profit AFFTA Fisheries Fund, the conservation and advocacy&n ..read more

Colorado's Access Issue A long history of questionable proceedings. Words by Tom Bie Photos by Sammy Chang & Jeffrey Beal On June fifth, the seven members of Colorado’s court of last resort unanimously ruled that 81-year-old flyfisherman Roger Hill “lacks standing” to continue his decade-long legal battle for public access along the Arkansas River (Hill v. Warsewa). Put another way, the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously ruled that its justices lack the resolve or the readiness to pursue a rational clarification of the state’s river-access laws. It’s hard to blame the judges. Their rel ..read more

Swift Thinking Look what you made me do Words by Pete McDonald Photos by Andrew Gilbert The look in my wife’s eyes suggested that what she was about to tell me would be a crushing blow. “I wasn’t able to get a ticket for you,” she said. “I’m so sorry.” The ticket in question was to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which, in the world of our teen and pre-teen daughters, is serious currency. My wife had secured six such tickets to the sold-out concert at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. All of which were allotted to my daughters, their friends, and their moms. I put my hands on my wife’s shoulders ..read more

Launch ramp on Idaho’s Middle Fork of the Salmon   Questionable Collections Where are our recreation.gov fees actually going? By Tom Bie Type “fly fishing” into the recreation.gov search window, and 260 results appear, allowing bookings for anything from a campsite on Oregon’s Umpqua River ($28) to the “Sunrise House” on Cape Cod ($6,600 for Memorial Weekend). There are at least two fees involved with every checkout: a “Recreation Use Fee” and a “Reservation Fee.” Recreation fees vary based on location and demand, and this money finds its way back to our public-land agencies via a dedi ..read more

Tip-Toeing Through Russia By Justin Miller Despite the whole universe seeming to conspire against me, I made it to Russia for steelhead season this fall. Even better, I made it back home, although my mother and sister had their doubts. It wasn’t easy, to say the least. But I wanted to be there, and I felt it was important that I be there. Obviously, I do not in any way support the invasion of Ukraine. But I also don’t blame my friends in Russia for their government’s decisions. I’m the only American who made the journey this year. I’m also the only one who tried, which wasn’t a surprise. Th ..read more

What Really Happened in Bolivia?  By Tom Bie The first email arrived on July 14. “Reaching out to pass along some fresh ‘industry happenings’ from the heart of Bolivia’s golden dorado region,” it began. “I figured the Drake might be interested in looking into it, as it seems on par with the prior articles investigating Deneki.” The “happenings” had occurred the week before, when the Angling Frontiers (AF) lodge owned by Bolivian-born/Dallas-based outfitters Patrick Taendler and Frederico Marancenbaum was burned to the ground in the Bolivian jungle. One might assume that this initial em ..read more