Michael Hughes
Recent Posts from Michael
Pro Tip: Planning And Packing For A Fishing Trip Pt. 3
After all the above planning and preparation, you’re ready to raft and fish. However, there are a few final things to consider. Just like we leave our campsites as, or better than, we found them, we should strive do the same with our fisheries. The best way to do this is through proper catch-and-release practices. Principals The organization Keep Fish Wet is a great resource for learning about best practices when...
Pro Tip: Planning And Packing For A Fishing Trip Pt. 2
We are back with Jesse from Sage Fly Fishing to talk about gear! When combining fly fishing with a multi-day float trip, I take a minimalist approach to my fishing gear. I try hard to limit my pile to the essentials, keeping in mind that this is a river trip, not specifically a fishing trip. You certainly want the right gear, but not too much of it. Gear List Here is...
Pro Tip: Planning And Packing For A Fishing Trip Pt. 1
You and you friends are planning a rafting trip. You’ve decided that you’d like to fish on your trip – awesome! What now? Are the fishing regulations? I wonder what kind of fish live there? Are they resident or migratory? When will I have time to fish? What gear will I need? What types of flies do you expect them to take? I sat down with my friend Jesse Robbins at...
Pro Tip: Prepping For The River Season
With the days nice and long, the temperatures warming up, and the snow starting to melt it is almost river season. Unless you spend the winter months on the river your first day on the river may be coming up soon. Here are some helpful tips to make sure your first day on the water isn't a flop. Inflate Your Boat For those that keep their boats inflated and on a...
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Wrap Up
When COVID started shutting everything down just over a year ago it seemed like there would be two possible outcomes. Things would be back to normal in a couple of weeks or things would turn to a Mad Max-esque post-apocaliptic world. While neither of those scenarios played out, it has been fun to chat with people from different corners of the paddling world to see how it played out for some....
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Pt. 7
This week I chatted with my friend Val over at LEAP to see what sort of challenges she faced in the 2020 season. Tell me a little about yourself and your job with LEAP? Maybe include a little how you got to your current job as well as what LEAP does. Well my name Val Pufahl. I am the Executive Director at LEAP. I started with LEAP in 2017 as the...
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Pt. 6
We continue our journey through the paddle sports world this week with my friend David "Wawi" Alejandro Riquelme Vega from Futaleufu Chile. An international guide extraordinaire that has had his eyes on the COVID situation from Chile to Canada. Tell me a little about yourself and your job both as a guide and campground owner. River guide for the past 19 years guiding day trips on the Futaleufú River with Patagonia...
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Pt. 5
This week our journey through the paddle sports world in the COVID era has brought to raft training and education. I chatted with international training guru Mark Hirst about what this last year as looked like. Tell me a little about yourself and your job/company? Maybe include a little how you got to your current job. My name is Mark Hirst. I am originally from the city of Manchester uk. I...
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Pt. 4
This week I spoke with the Executive Director of American Whitewater, Mark Singleton. As we have learned over the past few weeks, getting outside was popular in 2020. Let's see what Mark has to say from the river conservation side of things. Tell me a little about yourself and your job with American Whitewater? Maybe include a little how you got to your current job. I’ve been a life-long paddler, as...
Paddle Sports in the COVID-19 Era Pt. 3
The U.S. saw record numbers of unemployed people last spring, into the summer, and through now. While everyone was wondering what was going to happen many people in the recreation and tourism sector were trying to see if there was a way to keep travel open. Guides across the country sat and wondered what was going to happen to their season and the number of cases and deaths rose around the...
