120 Articles
Corey Forrest: Fishermom
Corey Forrest is the heart of a generational legacy–weaving together tradition, motherhood, and the sea.
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A Life on the Water: Brett Fitzgerald and the Angler Action Foundation
From chasing trout in upstate New York to leading one of Florida’s most impactful conservation organizations, Brett Fitzgerald’s journey is rooted in a deep love for wild waters. As Executive...
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The Rod & Gun Club, Everglades City
The isolated location and the private trappings of the club’s reputation have led the rich and famous to seek it out over the years. Five presidents, from Harry Truman to...
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The Pilar
The identity of a boat mirrors its owner. It’s a matter of time and interest, shaped further by needs and desires, which can define the vessel as one dedicated type,...
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British Millerain & the History of Waxed Canvas
Mariners endure some of the most inhospitable conditions imaginable, facing gale-force winds, driving rain, and crashing waves. The need for weather protection at sea spurred innovations leading to British Millerain’s...
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Revival of a Trout Hatchery
Cold water creeks and rivers course through Appalachia like veins and arteries. Over the eons, their breadth and depth have carved through earth and stone to spread life across this...
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Dispatches from the North: Kotzebue Sound Salmon
"Fish are hitting already, splashing. Seals surface nearby. Andrew whoops, “Rich!” and roars down-current to find a spot. I wring my sopping gray gloves, curl stiff cold fingers around the...
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How To's
How to Make a Pole Spear
Just under the surface of the frigid ocean is a bounty of saltwater fish to be foraged. Many an outdoors person would agree that, in a survival scenario, the ocean...
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Casting Comedy and Conservation: Eeland Stribling
For fisherman, outdoorsman, and comedian Eeland Stribing, comedy and fishing are very similar. Creating a joke and making a cast both take thoughtful preparation, the perfect setup, and impeccable timing...
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Hunt Gather Talk Podcast | Season 3
Renowned wild game chef, Hank Shaw, has spent a lifetime gathering wild edible plants, hunting, and fishing the land and waters of North America. This season of 'Hunt Gather Talk'...
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Profiles
Chloe Ivanoff: finding her sea legs
Shortly after Ivanoff began working seasonal jobs in geology, she started to feel she’d missed an important rite of passage by not having spent a summer living and working aboard...
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Halibut Hooks of the Northwest Coast
Traditionally, a náxw, or “halibut hook” in the Lingít language, was carved out of two pieces of wood attached with cordage (natural fiber) to form a V-shaped hook. A piece...
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How To's
DIY Wooden Landing Net
A wooden landing net is not only one of the angler’s best tools to ensure the swift catch—and, where necessary, release—of a fish, but also a durable part of the...
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The punk rockers of fly fishing – angling on the LA River
Few Angelinos are aware that prior to the 1930s, the LA River was home to native rainbow trout and seasonal runs of steelhead and Chinook salmon. The Los Angeles River...
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Chuck Ragan: The Flow
Music would still be his mistress but being outdoors on the water was his true love. His business, Chuck Ragan Fly Fishing, introduces others to the haunts he knows so...
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Subsea Hunter: Freedive Spearfishing with Lucas Murray
As many land hunters can attest to, part of the reason they choose to hunt is to get in touch with an instinctual, ancestral aspect of themselves. There is something...
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A 2020 Field Report from BHA
Backcountry hunters and anglers is an organization dedicated to the stewardship of our public lands. Here, john gale of BHA offers a look at their mission, some of the year's...
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How to Shrimp in the PNW
Ask 100 shrimpers how it's done and you'll probably get 100 different answers. Personal preferences and secret tricks aside, we can all agree that there's nothing quite like pulling up...
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Profiles
Matt Mendes of Spin the Handle: Chasing Reservation Chrome
Before Matt Mendes guided on the Deschutes River, he drove the Green Monster. It was 2002, and Mendes was 13 years old; the job was his first on the river....
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How To's
How to Take Care of Your Catch
The ethos of the Leave No Trace philosophy has always struck a chord with fishers like me. From leaving our campsite looking as though no one was there, to gently...
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Bellingham to Alaska with Drifters Fish
In April 2020 the crew from Drifters Fish set off from Bellingham, Washington to Alaska - over a 3,500-mile journey - for the start of the annual salmon season. Read...
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Profiles
Lael Johnson - Olympic Peninsula Fly Guide
Lael Johnson is a fly fisherman and guide on the Olympic Peninsula. His passion for the anadromous fish of Washington’s coastal rivers is contagious. He loves these fish, these rivers,...
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Why the Skagit River Watershed Matters
Nothing feels small on the Skagit River. It emerges from the Cascade Mountains, the ridgelines rising suddenly and severely, compressing the landscape and framing the view with their immense, sharp...
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How To's, Food & Recipes
Filson Food: Whole Salt Crusted Fish with Horseradish Cream
Cooking in a salt crust is essentially a method of steaming, but instead of using water to steam, the salt crust holds in the natural moisture from the fish to...
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Signature Materials
Signature Materials: Technical Rainwear Pt. 1
When you’re outdoors and can’t escape wet weather, staying dry is a very real need. Quality rain gear not only keeps you more comfortable—in cold temperatures, it can prevent life-threatening...
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Food & Recipes
Q & A With the Open-Fire Chefs of Portland's Tournant
Tournant is an open fire cooking and events company. Based in Portland, OR, their business serves as a homage to the Pacific Northwest, to one another, and to all the...
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Profiles
Renowned Artist and Activist: Ray Troll
Ray’s Alaska adventure started in 1983, when he moved here to help his sister open a seafood retail store in Ketchikan. Ray soon turned to art to document his experiences...
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Profiles
Deep Sea Fishermen's Union
Back at the turn of the last century, a hardy group of men roamed the wooden docks of Seattle. Grizzled and gruff, they would spend days out on the unpredictable...
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Signature Materials
Signature Materials: Technical Rainwear Pt. 2
When looking at pictures of rain jackets on a web page, they all kind of look the same. How does one choose? Simple: honestly prioritize your needs as a user...
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How To's, Food & Recipes
Filson Food: West Coast Seafood Chowder
Chowder is a dish that can be found up and down both coasts of the United States and each regional interpretation has its own unique local style. Regardless of the...
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Profiles
The Ocean's Top Predator: Puget Sound Orcas
Black fins sliced the water and rose higher and higher, close to our boat. With a puff and a blow, the orcas surfaced: members of J pod, the southern resident...
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Marian Beck: The Saltry Restaurant
The first thing you notice about Marian Beck is her hands. Graying Alaskan fishermen all have the same hands, swollen and powerful from decades of picking fighting salmon from gillnets,...
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How To's
How to Preserve Your Catch
Winter brings slower days and time to cook – and a freezer full of fish after a summer of harvest. Nourishing and delicious protein, wild salmon brings brightness to the...
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Profiles
The Puzzle Master: Kathy Burek
Anyone who has ever spent hours huddled over a puzzle knows the joy of finally figuring it out. Whether it’s an obscure image coming together piece by piece, that head-scratcher...
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The History of Ballard: The First 100 Years
Today, the neighborhood of Ballard is well known for its restaurants and atmosphere. However, the history of this Seattle hamlet is a story of industry, community, and entrepeneurship.
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Elver Fishing in Maine
Elver fishing in Maine is based on a lottery system. For those lucky enough to win a license the payout can be over $2,000/lb.
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Access to Fishing, Illinois' Tackle Loaner Program
Imagine if there was a special library made for young anglers; but instead of borrowing books, they could check out fishing rods, reels and other gear. Well there is and...
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Brian McGeehan on Fly Fishing in Central Patagonia
Brian McGeehan leads annual hosted trips to Patagonia and is the owner and outfitter of Montana Angler Fly Fishing in Bozeman, MT. He has been guiding fly fishing trips in...
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In Your Words: Ralph, 12 Years Later
‘In Your Words’ explores the incredible stories we’ve received from Filson fans across the globe. Send us your own experiences with our clothing or product here for a chance to be...
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A Closer Look with Louis Cahill
Louis Cahill is an advertising photographer with over thirty years experience, and about as many holding a fly rod, Louis has spent his life looking through the lens. He’s not interested...
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Search for Golden Dorado by Brian McGeehan
Brian McGeehan is an outfitter and owner of Montana Angler Fly Fishing based in Bozeman, MT. Brian is also an avid international angler and leads annual trips to Argentina, Chile and...
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GUEST BLOG: Dick and Joanie Go Fishing by Judith O’Keefe
During the summer I worked part-time at a local fly shop, The Fly Fisher’s Place. This shop, like many counterparts all over the country, is open for business, but they...
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How To's
GUEST BLOG: Ben Smith, Prepare For Out-of-State Fishing Trips
While we all have wonderful fishing holes, rivers and lakes in our hometown states, but sometimes it's nice to get out and see what else is out there. And we...
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How To's
4 Tips To Tying Flies
As we prepare for spring fly fishing season we turn to Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings for the expert tips on tying flies. We're ready to get out on the...
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Converging: Low & Clear from the eyes of co-director Tyler Hughen
Tyler Hughen, Co-director of the documentary Low & Clear, shares with us a special moment as his dreams come to life on the big screen at True/False film festival. We...
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How To's
5 Ice Fishing Tips from Rhon Bell
Rhon Bell of Backwoods Plaid, treats every cold morning in Maine with the same excitement and enthusiasm as Christmas morning. He knows that with the company of a good friend,...
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GUEST BLOG: Judith O'Keefe, Just one last cast
Judith O’Keefe started off her fall with a fishing trip in Southeast Oregon. Her passion for fishing has developed over the years. Here she tells us about when she escaped...
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GUEST BLOG: Ben Smith, End of the road fishing hole
Ben Smith of Arizona Wanderings is a junior-high social studies and science teacher that lives just outside of Phoenix, AZ. When he is not fishing or hunting, Ben loves to...
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In Print: Branson Wallace
Last summer while in Kodiak, AK we went crabbing with Branson Wallace and his buddy Aaron Thompson. We recently reconnected with Branson to ask him about life on Kodiak, his...
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How To's
What to Pack for a Backpack Fly Fishing Trip
Backpacking is a great way to re-familiarize yourself with the often-elusive feeling of spare time. With a little extra planning, you can turn a backpacking trip into a fly-fishing trip....
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In Print: Making Art with Ed Anderson
Ed Anderson is an Idaho-based artist known for his iconic scenes using bold colors and lines to present subjects from bush pilots to bull trout and bugling bull elk. We...
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Q+A With Fly Designer Brita Fordice
Atop Brita Fordice’s desk lays a bag of eyeballs. Next to the eyeballs are a variety of feathers - some that look real, some that are real, and some that...
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Filson Food: Whiskey Cured Salmon Gravlax
Making cured fish is incredibly simple, but requires intentional time to prepare. Gravlax, a preparation of preserving salmon from the cold coast of Scandinavia, is cured in salt and sugar...
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How To's
How to Fillet a Fish
Whether you fish your local river, the lake the next state over, or the ocean on the other side of the world, knowing how to properly filet your catch is...
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With The Flow: WA Winter Steelheading
When you picture father and son fishing trips in a metal row boat, you might picture a pristine lake with a bobber and worms, goofy hats with oversized boots and...
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Filson Food: Pickled Wild Salmon
Pickled salmon is a tradition that runs deep in Alaska, preserving the summer’s harvest to last through the cold winter. Wild salmon is a healthy protein and pickled fish makes...
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Corey Forrest: Fishing Rhode Island
As a little girl, I didn’t know I was going to grow up to be a fisherman, or follow in my father’s footsteps, and his father’s footsteps. It was a...
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How To's, Food & Recipes
How to Open an Oyster without a Shucking Knife
While a shucking knife is always recommended to open oysters, it's not the only way. If a fresh bivalve opportunity presents itself while you're without a shucking knife, you might...
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In Print: Patrick Manary
Patrick Manary is an Oregon native, lanky, with piercing blue eyes and a wild beard. Thoughtful and soft-spoken, he holds himself with the steady confidence that brutal outdoor work can...
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Cooper River Trail
Some of us like hiking and some of us like fishing; a lot of us like both. The Cooper River Trail is the perfect trail for those who like both....
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In Print: Eric Jackson's Snow, Surf and Steelhead
Eric Jackson is always ready for a challenge. You may recognize him from the massive hucks in his latest snowboarding film, Alignment. Or perhaps you’ve seen photos of him fly-fishing...
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After Wildfire
A bike-pack fishing trip through a scorched landscape was not the trip that Ashlee thought she was going to take - but the things she saw and the experience she...
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A Normal Life
Living the life that you love does not shield you from loss. Fishing the remote waters of Alaska’s Alagnak River is a dream job for Russell Owen, but that dream...
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Blue Heron Lodge: Forks, WA
“I love teaching folks how to appreciate the water; the ruggedness and beauty of the river are something special. I like to share with people a means by which they...
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Life of a Guide
Alaska's Alagnak River is a place where there are no roads. A place where the weather does what it wants. A place where humans are no longer the apex predator....
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Solitude and Steelhead
Many a man has felt the pace and stress of life wash from his soul while standing mid-river, fly rod in hand. Solitude is perhaps the thing most often sought...
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Brown Trout of New Zealand
Jack Kos is a self-described Kiwi trout bum. What began as a passion for fishing soon developed into a desire to know more about the fish he sought. That pursuit...
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Salmon Centric: at the Core of a Life Purposefully Cast
Early in the long days of summer here in Bristol Bay, I constantly feel as if I am holding my breath. Our family’s 32-foot drift boat has sat on blocks...
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Red Gold: The Livelihood of Bristol Bay
The Bristol Bay salmon run attracts people from all over the globe, who work around the clock from late May until the end of July. They harvest sockeye salmon, known...
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How to Get on a Fishing Boat
Some are born into it, some stumble upon it, and some, like me, seek it out.The lure of Alaska's "Red Gold," the Sockeye salmon run of Bristol Bay, hit me...
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Food & Recipes
Filson Food: Bringing Fish to the River with Chef Kevin Davis
For Seattle chef Kevin Davis of Steelhead Diner and his crew of charismatic anglers known as the “Good Guys," catching fish on the river is seen as a plus, but being out...
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Navajo Fly Fisher: A Journey Towards Understanding
When I was 5 my dad put a spinner rod in my hands because he just couldn't wait any longer for his future (yet nonexistent at the time) son to...
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