With an El Nino “event” forming in the Pacific, we could be facing another dry winter, though one that offers early-and-late snow/rain.

Just what the hell is an El Nino? This from a story in New West Magainze:
The early-season snowfall, in fact, is itself typical of an El Niño winter. The term refers to an unusual [...]

We’re fly fishers, so we rarely hike any trail that doesn’t end at a stream or lake.
Yet it might astound you to learn the world is filled with people who hike just to see what’s around the corner. As shocking as that might seem, the hiking blogs are still worth a look. There’s even one [...]

Woe to the innocent who mentions the name of Nestle Corporation in my presence - who isn’t prepared for a lecture about big corporations preying on small, naive towns.
Nestle - as you may know - conducted a secret negotiation with the services district of the tiny town of McCloud to pump water from the town [...]

Via Moldy Chum comes news of this beauty - a wooden drift boat from Wood Watercraft.

Whoever buys one and gives it to the Underground for Christmas will receive an entire post all about themselves, including a picture. (Am I getting the hang of the fly fishing publishing business or what?)
Contact me for a complete list [...]

Is the Missouri River overfished? Are anglers in danger of loving it to death?
That’s part of conclusion reached in this article in the Great Falls Tribune (pointed out by the eagle-eyed Sully - the Underground’s Director of Quality Rivers Overrun by Anglers).
Fishing on the Missouri below Holter Dam was not what it has been, and [...]

Tom Mangan’s always-excellent Two-Heel Drive hiking blog features a good post about a Bay Area couple who got lost for five days in relatively small, well-traveled Castle Rock State Park (in the Santa Cruz mountains - not the park near Dunsmuir).

He links to a newspaper story detailing their ordeal - and all the mistakes they [...]

Ian Rutter sorted out his computer problems enough to post another fishing report, this one jammed with several fishing trips to places I have yet to fish in Tennessee.
In a clear attempt to taunt the Underground - a known connoisseur of big brook trout - Rutter actually described catching a big Brookie in excruciating detail, [...]

Earlier this year the Trout Underground was recognized as one of the top fly fishing blogs, and now its marketing “sister” blog - The Copywriter Underground - has been recognized as a Top 10 Writer’s Blog by writing blog readers.
Written by yours truly, the Copywriter Underground is aimed at helping motivated marketing writers reach their [...]

From the Clearly Insomniac Moldy Chum comes this gem of a photograph. Does the dog understand the concept of “prey” and his place in the food chain? (He kinda looks like a seal)
Frankly, it reminds me of something Wally the Wonderdog would do.

Get the bigger picture at Moldy’s place.Technorati Tags: orca, killer whale

With the Holidays bearing down on us like a red-and-green Union Pacific train carrying nothing but metam sodium, the Underground is still the only outdoor blog site willing to ask the truly difficult questions.
Like, what is the worst (absolute worst) fly fishing gift you’ve ever received?
The Squeamish May Want to Look Away
I’m going to lead [...]

Nothing kills a good dry fly bite faster than calling a friend and telling him you got ‘em today and to “come along tomorrow - we’ll catch a bunch”.
Of course, nothing makes you forget the above rule faster than a strong dry fly bite.
Thus, the vicious circle.

It’s 1:00. The sun is shining. Hope is [...]

This will be short. I’m going out again today, and in fact, between sentences I’m building the sizable pile of gear that always comes along on winter trips.
Yesterday I hit the river about 1:00, but wasn’t prepared for it to hit back so hard. I was walking and looking for rising fish, and biffed it [...]