The beauty of the outdoors is so alluring that it drives us to attempt to blend in with our scenic surroundings. We accomplish this through clothing that blends in with the environment, calls that produce sounds like the game we pursue, and even mimicking life itself through decoys and lures. Those in this community strive to mirror and better understand what surrounds us in the outdoors. Take a moment now and imagine yourself standing in a flowing stream. In your hand you hold a fly rod, ...

My fly rod lays in the grass at my feet – the line in a disorganized heap, describing a story of frustration and annoyance. Handicapped by inexperience, I had attempted to battle the wind. It was a fight I had no chance of winning. The fly I had just lost was the last straw along a journey of poor casts, unnatural drifts and spooked fish. Overwhelmed, I half-dropped, half-tossed the rod aside in a quiet tantrum, cursing under my breath. My only previous experience fly fishing was in ...

Authored by Jeffrey Edwards and edited by Brendan Woodall (U.S. FWS) The steam of freshly brewed coffee slowly rising from the BHA Stanley mug mimicked that of a freshly stoked campfire in the backcountry as we sat awaiting the arrival of our crew in the crisp Wisconsin air. Stoke the fire. A statement I’ve heard Mr. Land Tawney repeat countless times, but it still has a way of seeping deep into my soul and reverberates with every inch of my being. Every time I apply for a grant through S. ...