A new study found that the average flow volumes in headwaters, like this creek high in the Missouri River drainage, has increased since 1984, while the average flow volumes have decreased in basin outlets in the same time frame. (Josh Bergan photo)
February 25, 2025
By Lynn Burkhead, OSG Senior Digital Editor
As the strange winter of 2024-25 continues—what else can you call 1-3 inches of lake effect snow coming off of Lake Texoma in North Texas last week, along with nearly a foot of snow on Virginia Beach?—the calendar now shows that March is around the corner. That means that pre-runoff fishing for tailwater trout in the Rocky Mountains , largemouth bass heading shallow in Texas and the South , and the first wave of legendary Florida tarpon catches are not that far away.
And as we all eagerly await the spring equinox on March 20, here’s the next round of news items in the Fly Fisherman News Digest:
River Flow Rates Changing Dramatically Upstream and Downstream As the debate over climate change and the appropriate response to it continues, a group of researchers from two U.S. universities have completed a wide ranging study, published in the journal Science
What did the research from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst discover? According to a recent report on Yahoo News , the study’s authors found that the average flow volumes in headwaters has increased since 1984, while the average flow volumes have decreased in basin outlets in the same time frame.
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"We found that river outlets were dominated by significant decreases in flow, whereas headwaters were 1.7 times more likely to have significantly increased flow than decreased," noted the study's authors. “These changes result in a significant upstream shift in streamflow experienced by about 29 percent of the global land surface. We found the most changes in the smallest steams in our study: increases in erosion potential (approximately 5 percent increase in stream power), flood frequency (approximately 42 percent increase in 100-year floods), and likely nutrient dynamics (altered seasonal flow regimes)."
Why such differences? According to a University of Cincinnati news release , the research by UC Assistant Professor Dongmei Feng (the study's lead author) and UM Professor Colin Gleason (the study's co-author) utilized satellite data and computer modeling to determine that things like increased precipitation and snowmelt are likely driving the upstream findings while other things like human population growth, agriculture usage, industrial usage, and sediments settle out more easily (as decreased downstream flows lose the power to move rocks, sand, etc.) are likely contributing factors.
"Rivers have different responses to climate change and human impacts depending on their hydrologic location,” said Feng. “The opposite changing patterns between upstream and downstream rivers may impact their functions in both ecosystems and the society.”
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What does all of this mean? On the bottom end of river systems, more pieces to a complex puzzle in a world trying to respond to climate change.
“Communities that use river water for irrigation and drinking water, if that’s dropping, then is there a sustainable use?” said Gleason in a UMass news release . “Can you grow your town? Can you grow your city? Can you increase your number of [acres] in production? Can the river support it? We don’t know exactly why [this is happening], but we do know that’s what it might mean.”
On the other end, there could be a silver lining in the upstream areas, including some effects that might actually benefit some fish species.
"“Floods are disastrous for humans, but for upstream species, they may be advantageous,” noted Feng, noting that flooding provides nutrients and travel possibilities for migrating fish. “The local people [near the western Amazon River], for example, have reported that the fish migration has increased in that region because the flooding is more frequent, which means the high flow required for fish migration is more frequent.”
Lefty's 100th Birthday Celebrated The legendary Lefty Kreh would have turned 100 years old on February 26. (Lefty Kreh photo) There's little doubt that readers of Fly Fisherman magazine–even if you've come to America's leading fly fishing magazine recently–know that when it comes to the sport's greatest practitioner, it's almost impossible to argue that it's someone other than the late, great Lefty Kreh.
Put simply, Lefty was legendary and was simply the greatest of all-time .
Kreh, who died in 2018 at the age of 93 , was a literary giant in the world of fly fishing, authoring numerous articles at Fly Fisherman , as well as serving once upon a time as the associate editor of our Outdoor Sportsman Group sister publication, Florida Sportsman . He was also the outdoor writer and columnist for several newspapers including the Baltimore Sun , the St. Petersburg Times , and the Miami Herald , among others.
Kreh, whose obituary was carried by the New York Times , had a multi-faceted career that also include a stint as the director of the Miami Metropolitan Fishing Tournament, a place where he met lifelong friend and fellow fly fishing legend Flip Pallot among others.
In addition to his vast expertise with a fly rod–for virtually every freshwater and saltwater fish species imaginable, including sharks! –and authoring stories for most major outdoors publications in the country, Kreh found the time to author some two dozen books or so down through the years on fly fishing, fly casting, fly tying, fly techniques for different species, and photography skills. There was even an autobiography that was appropriately titled, My Life was This Big and Other Fishing Tales (published in 2009).
Kreh, whom lifelong friend and fly-fishing legend Flip Pallot penned a wonderful tribute for in 2018 , was so much atop the sport's "Mount Rushmore" that he was named to the top spot in Fly Fisherman's listing of "The 50 Most Influential Fly Fishers" of all-time. He was inducted into numerous Hall of Fames, including his 2003 induction into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame , and even had a postage stamp created by the U.S. Postal Service in 1991 in honor of his Lefty's Deceiver fly pattern .
Kreh, a regular at wintertime fly fishing consumer shows and summertime industry shows like the ICAST Trade Show and the International Fly Tackle Dealers Show, became a much in demand spokesman and/or consultant for numerous businesses and organizations including L.L. Bean, Bass Pro Shops, Scientific Anglers, and most recently, Temple Fork Outfitters, where he championed the idea of high quality yet affordable fly rods.
Kreh also became something of a TV star over the past few decades, appearing on a number of shows over the years. That includes one Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG) fans are familiar with since Kreh was a starring angler for Outdoor Channel’s saltwater fly fishing series Buccaneers & Bones , appearing alongside such notable figures as newsman Tom Brokaw, noted author Tom McGuane, rock and roll legend Huey Lewis, and actor Michael Keaton among others.
Why all of this memory concerning one of the greatest modern-day fly angler of all-time? Simple, were Lefty still with us, he would have celebrated his 100th birthday on February 26.
And in honor of Lefty's 100th birthday, the great folks at Renzetti– Lefty tied on Renzetti fly tying vises for years and years, becoming a great ambassador for the Florida based brand that was created by Andy Renzetti in Pennsylvania back in the early 1970s–honored the date at this weekend's Denver edition of "The Fly Fishing Show," held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center .
To celebrate Lefty's birthday, the booth from the storied Renzetti company , which included Andy's wife Lily and other staffers, had a birthday cake with an image of Kreh adorning the cake . In addition to giving away pieces of Lefty's cake, Renzetti also commemorated the occasion on its Instagram page with the note: "Yesterday we celebrated Lefty's 100th birthday. We and the fly fishing community miss you!"
Here at Fly Fisherman , we'll join in with them and wish our late friend Lefty a happy 100th birthday. And yes, Lefty, we certainly miss you!
New Federal Bill Would Open BWCA Back Up To Mining In a dispute we've reported on before , the battle looks to be on again to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) as proposed federal legislation once again seeks to open up the BWCA to copper and nickel mining.
According to the Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters (SFBW), the H.R. 978 legislation, or The Superior National Forest Restoration Act , the bill–introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn)–is a dangerous piece of potential legislation.
According to the watchdog group Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, H.R. 978 is a dangerous piece of potential legislation. (Shutterstock photo) "Not only would H.R. 978 reverse the 20-year mineral withdrawal announced by the Department of the Interior in January of 2023, it would also reinstate leases to Twin Metals, extend mining prospecting permits and additional leases, approve mine plans on an accelerated timeline, and forbid judicial review of leases and prospecting permits," says an SFBW action alert . "These actions would have severe and irreversible consequences for the Boundary Waters and surrounding regions. This legislation sets a perilous precedent for our treasured wild places."
Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 2, the bill was then referred the same day to the House Committee on Natural Resources. And according to Congress.gov , that's where things stand at the time of this writing.
If you don't already know, the BWCAW is one of the nation's ecological wonders, located in the northeastern Minnesota's Superior National Forest. totaling more than 1 million acres of pristine forests; glacial lakes teeming with smallmouth bass, northern pike, and walleye; and streams; the wilderness area–bordered by Canada's Quetico Provincial Park and Voyageurs National Park–boasts more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes alone to go along with a dozen hiking trails and 2,000 designated campsites.
After an executive order by President Donald Trump virtually cancelled a Biden Administration moratorium on mining in the area, Minnesota lawmakers have responded to this developing crisis according to a WCCO Radio Minneapolis report carried by MSN . Their state legislation seeks to extend the ban on mining in the BWCA, while also prohibiting copper-nickel mining activities.
It's the kind of political fight that the first month of the Trump Administration has brought about as the White House seeks to deliver on campaign promises made in 2024. The problem is that smallmouth bass and pristine water are neither Republican or Democrat, and lying in the balance ais a national treasure according to Ingrid Lyons, the executive director of the Save the Boundary Waters non-profit organization .
While proponents of the region's copper-nickel mining potential argue that the result would be many new and well-paying jobs, Lyons said the risk is too great for a priceless natural treasure.
"Over 165,000 people visit this wilderness every single year, and it's not just popular on the national level," Lyons said in the MSN report. "In Minnesota, 70% of Minnesotans want to see the wilderness permanently protected from copper mining."
She also added that, "Proposed copper mining immediately upstream of the Boundary Waters threatens all of this. This special place and its watershed, which is also the watershed of Voyagers National Park, Quetico Provincial Park, and like I said, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."
There will obviously be more to come in this story, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can do so by express your opinion at the SFBW website or the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters website .
Why Do Some Steelhead Smolt for up to Six Years and Others Don't? When it comes to stream systems in the wilds of Idaho, one size doesn't fit all. As the Idaho Fish and Game noted last month, some stream systems in the Gem State are small brooks that barely trickle while roaring rivers that carve through valleys and mountainous canyons exist on the opposite end of the spectrum. And for the most part, most waterways in the state fall somewhere in between.
Why do some steelhead smolt for up to six years and others don't? (Josh Bergan photo) As it turns out according to an IDFG news release , the rivers and streams in Idaho aren't the only thing sporting some differences because the smolting process for the state's steelhead isn't all the same either.
According to the agency, steelhead, along with chinook and sockeye salmon all rear in a variety of Idaho streams as juveniles. But unlike their salmon counterparts—which typically spend only a year in their natal streams before heading for the ocean—Idaho steelhead don't always follow suit.
In fact, the IDFG says that some steelhead may migrate to sea as 1-year-olds, while other steelhead may hang around in their native waters for up to six years before smolting and heading for the coast.
In studying all of this, IDFG biologists have used scales collected from migrating steelhead smolts to determine their ages, as well as to glean crucial management data.
Such study has revealed that things are far more complex than one might imagine since scales taken from steelhead in different spots—like the Rapid River near Riggins, Idaho and the Pahsimeroi River south of Salmon, Idaho—found that the scales taken from fish the same size at the same time in the two river systems had the Rapid River steelhead twice the age of the fish in the Pahsimeroi!
Why is that? With steelhead needing to reach about 7-inches or so before heading towards the sea, less productive streams like the 22.8 mile long Rapid River (described as a shallower, steeper and less productive river that drops over 4,800 feet from its headwaters to its conjunction with the Little Salmon River) and more productive streams like the Pahsimeroi (which meanders through a fertile valley for some 58.4 miles while dropping only 3,200 feet), makes an incredible difference in how steelhead grow and mature.
As the IDFG news release notes about this critical management data, "What a difference the stream makes!"
Sweep the Hooch! If you've followed our news digest updates for any length of time, you're likely familiar with the ongoing work of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK) .
Well, their vision of a trash-free Hooch has CRK getting ready to hosts its 15th annual "Sweep the Hooch" volunteer cleanup. This year's effort will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2025, running from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at more than 60 different locations throughout the famed southeastern river's watershed.
The first such event took place by in 2011, when the CRK organized a watershed-wide volunteer cleanup to address the problem of litter pollution in the Chattahoochee River Basin. That year, the inaugural event saw some 360 volunteers helped remove 7,100 pounds of trash from the Hooch's waterways in a single day.
The CRK is getting ready to hosts its 15th annual "Sweep the Hooch" volunteer cleanup. This year's effort will take place on March 22 from 9 a.m. to noon. (Courtesy of the National Parks Gallery) Over the time since then, and thanks to the continued support of community groups, businesses, municipalities, and volunteers, the CRK notes in a news release that the impact of the event has grown significantly. So much so that last year, more than 1,200 Sweep the Hooch volunteers removed 65,000 pounds (or 32.5 tons) of trash and recyclables across the watershed!
“Sweep the Hooch began as an ambitious project to clean up the Chattahoochee,” said Tammy Bates, CRK Outings Director. “It has steadily grown into an event that people look forward to year after year. The impact is undeniable: since 2010, we’ve seen our volunteer base more than triple and the amount of trash removed increase nearly tenfold. It’s a testament to how communities truly care about the Chattahoochee River and all the people and wildlife who depend on it."
Interested in helping out at this year's event? Note that participation is free, but individual registration is required with CRK providing all necessary supplies. To sign up, or to get your team, club, or community organization involved, visit the CRK website page dedicated to the event .
Regional Partners Sign Historic MOU on Eel River Recovery In a sweetheart of an agreement between California Trout (CalTrout) and other regional partners, a historic Memorandum of Understanding was signed concerning ongoing recovery efforts for the Eel River and its once abundant salmon fishery.
That MOU signing took place on February 13 when CalTrout joined with Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Humboldt County, Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission (MCIWPC), Sonoma Water, and Trout Unlimited. The various stakeholders and conservation groups signed the MOU to advance a water diversion agreement associated with Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project.
Removing the Scott (pictured) and Cape Horn Dams will make the Eel River California’s longest free-flowing river and will reconnect salmon and steelhead with almost 300 miles of cold-water habitat. (Michael Wier photo) According to a CalTrout news release , the announcement follows PG&E’s release of a public draft License Surrender Application on January 31. That release outlined the removal of both Scott and Cape Horn dams on the Eel River as part of its license surrender and decommissioning of the Potter Valley Project.
Also, CalTrout notes that PG&E is removing the dams because they lose money, no longer generate electricity, and present a seismic safety risk in the state.
On the same date as the signing of the MOU, CalTrout noted that the CDFW also committed $18 million toward the partnership. According to the news release, that financial commitment from CDFW will direct some $9 million to the design and capital costs of modernizing the old diversion and building the New Eel-Russian Facility (NERF) and a parallel $9 million as initial support for the MOU’s envisioned Eel River Restoration Fund.
CalTrout notes that the funding announcement by CDFW "...is in recognition of Californians coming together to solve a century-old conflict and to support the rural counties, Tribal government and conservation goals outlined in the MOU."
While there are a variety of other key provisions in the MOU (including flow schedules for water diversions; water rights not destined for delivery being permanent dedicated in stream in the Eel River; a water diversion facility designed to mimic a free-flowing Eel River; an initial term of 30 years, with a conditional second 20-year term; and a unified joint commitment to support the completion of the water diversion facility and restoration projects through state, federal and philanthropic fundraising efforts) the MOU signing is critical in the minds of CalTrout officials.
“This MOU represents years of collaboration and tough negotiations,” said Curtis Knight, CalTrout Executive Director, in the news release. “Our hope is that this agreement sets the standard on how to manage aging infrastructure and modernize water management while prioritizing the health of ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.”
“This historic pledge demonstrates the power of regional cooperation and shared commitment to problem-solving,” also noted Redgie Collins, CalTrout Legal and Policy Director. “The future of California’s fish, water, and people rely on solutions like this—ones that integrate environmental priorities, tribal sovereignty, and water security. We’re especially grateful for the leadership of Round Valley Indian Tribes, Congressman Huffman, and CDFW Director Bonham in this effort.”
Abel and BTT Unveil Reel and Nipper Sets to Support Marine Conservation Featuring artwork by Derek DeYoung and Eric Estrada, the reel and nipper sets support BTT's mangrove restoration in the Bahamas. (Courtesy of Abel Reels) Abel Reels and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) have partnered to release limited-edition saltwater reel and nipper sets benefiting marine conservation. Featuring artwork by Derek DeYoung and Eric Estrada, the sets support BTT's mangrove restoration in the Bahamas and bonefish spawning research in the Florida Keys. 100 of each SDS 7/8 "Bahamas Fade" (DeYoung art) and ROVE 7/9 "Flats Fade" (Estrada art) reels are available, each paired with matching nippers.
A portion of every sale will contribute to a $50,000 fundraising goal, with $200 donated per set toward BTT’s vital research and habitat restoration projects in the Florida Keys and The Bahamas.www.abelreels.com/bonefish-tarpon-trust-saltwater-reels.html
Outdoor Sportsman Group Launches Game and Fish TV FAST Channel Last, but certainly not the least in this edition of Fly Fisherman News Digest, Outdoor Sportsman Group (OSG) is making even more history in outdoors programming and content with the launching of the Game and Fish TV FAST Channel .
Thanks to the unmatched line-up of high-energy sports and outdoor lifestyle programming, the thrill of live outdoor sporting events, inspiring human-interest stories, and fascinating outdoors adventures will all be a part of this grand new OSG adventure. Designed to further OSG's commitment to bring premium sporting content directory to your various screens, the dynamic new FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channel is a fame changer to viewers everywhere.
Thanks to the unmatched line-up of high-energy sports and outdoor lifestyle programming provided by Game & Fish TV , the thrill of live outdoor sporting events, inspiring human-interest stories, and fascinating outdoors adventures will all be a part of this grand new OSG adventure. From the bass angling pros in Major League Fishing competitions to tales of rugged adventurers, info from hunting and fishing experts, and game and fish recipes from top game chefs, this is outdoors programming like never before, and all of it at no cost.
“By launching a FAST channel, we’re bridging adventure-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts to a premium viewing experience that’s completely free and accessible,” said OSG President and CEO Michael Carney. “Game & Fish TV not only entertains but also creates a deeper community for those passionate about the outdoors, presented in a way that truly captures the sporting lifestyle.”
Drawn from the libraries of Outdoor Channel , Sportsman Channel , World Fishing Network , and MyOutdoorTV , the new GAME & FISH TV offers a variety of content in the outdoors space led by OSG and its talented team.
Interested? You can start joining in on the excitement today by tuning into GAME & FISH TV at OutdoorChannel.com, GameandFishMag.com , MyOutdoorTV, and Samsung TV Plus .
There will be other outlets coming soon, so stay tuned for news and full details on that. You can do so by visiting the dedicated web page at www.GameandFishTV.com .
