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Tiny Craig finds prosperity as outsiders chase trout
CRAIG, Mont.- The midafternoon heat is intense in this little town, and the fishing is a little slow. But Mike Bushly is still upbeat.There's air conditioning inside The Trout Shop, an emporium loaded with cool fishing stuff - flyrods, vests, waders, flies, ventilated clothing and a well-stocked deli offering drinks, sandwiches and chilled salads. Even the thick fleece-lined jackets have a perverse retail appeal.And Bushly has plenty more reasons not to sweat. The shop and the small community that surrounds it are awash in anglers ready to spend cold cash chasing big trout."This is our Christmas right now," Bushly said. .
Event features fishing legend
The Blue Grass Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host a special event on Monday, Aug. 14, with fly-fishing legends Dave and Emily Whitlock. Dave Whitlock is a renowned conservationist, fly tyer, writer and artist. His presentation and fly casting demonstration will be held at 6 p.m. at the Good Ol' Days Farm, 544 Old Frankfort, in Midway. Reservations are required, and tickets are $30 per person. For tickets call Holly Phipps at (859) 351-7158, or e-mail: hphipps@ballhomes.com. "How fortunate for the world of fly fishing that Dave Whitlock was born in the right place, in the right era, and got started on the right road," wrote John Randolph, editor of Fly Fisherman, in 2000. "In a sport where the arcane is standard fare, he makes fly-tying innovations and new fishing techniques practical and understandable.
Bird flu puts small dent in flyfishing business
DELTA, Colo. Lines of long, narrow, white buildings spread out across the ranch in the lush, green farmland of western Colorado. Inside are chickens, up to 85,000 in each of the dimly lit coops with interiors that feel like greenhouses and smell like outhouses. This is Tom Whiting's lab, where he creates new kinds of chickens or, more specifically, chicken feathers. Whiting is no mad scientist. He's a poultry geneticist and his company, Whiting Farms, is the world's largest producer of the chicken hackle that fly fishermen use for tying flies. Whiting keeps a watchful eye on his birds, from the time the chicks are hatched until their feathers are packaged and shipped to companies in roughly 40 countries. With the operation broken up among three ranches, Whiting has biological security from poultry diseases and protection from natural disasters that might wipe out his entire line.
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