Shore Lunch With Mario
The tip of my rod jerked and dipped toward the dimpled grey water, and I glanced up at our guide. He shook his head.
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Fishing
Fried Fish Sandwich With Arugula And Tartar Sauce
If you’d like to scale up (or down), for this recipe, the batter is equal parts beer and flour, which makes it easy to serve one person…
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Catch Of The Day
Yukon photographer Cathie Archbould headed to the Southern Lakes region recently with a group of friends to spend a day…
The Fish Camp Visitors
In 2005, I was talking with a gentleman of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation who described an encounter he and his brother had with a sasquatch…
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The Unexpected Joys of Fishing
I never thought that I would like fishing. In fact, as with many things our minds convince us of, I went through the better part of my life certain that I was very happy having nothing to do with piscine pursuits. I didn’t particularly like eating fish and I felt no need to try to catch one. And then I fell in love with a man who loves fishing.
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The value of hunting & fishing to tourism in the Yukon
Since the early Gold Rush days, hunting and fishing have played a major and valuable role in tourism in the Yukon.
The value of hunting & fishing to tourism in the Yukon Read More »
Learning to be a good person through fishing
In 2017 Paul Rath attended the North Words Symposium in Skagway. He joined an early morning session in the library hosted by Deb Vanasse, an
Learning to be a good person through fishing Read More »
Tackle box or junk box?
The water is still hard and ice-fishing is good, but now is the time to take out all your open water gear and do some
Tackle box or junk box? Read More »
The twice-caught fish
This is a story about an Ontario Northern pike that was caught twice on the same day by two different anglers.
The twice-caught fish Read More »
Local fishing in Whitehorse
Whitehorse is not a world-renowned fishing destination, but it is the entrance to the Yukon, which is one of those places on many people’s fishing “bucket list.”
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Get schooled!
Kluane National Park and Reserve protects the northernmost population of kokanee, sockeye salmon that became land-locked.
Tie one on
Whitehorse is home to a tiny fly shop with a big heart Big fish. Tiny fly shop. At just 10 feet by 12 feet, and
Ice fishing safety
Yukon rivers all have currents, bends, gravel bars, log jams and usually decreasing water levels over the winter.
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Buying a knife
Part 1 of 2 One of the more common errors made by someone young or otherwise inexperienced in selecting a knife is to buy something
The life of a conservation officer
Murray is seen here as a young conservation officer in Ontario In the autumn of one’s life, one often sits back in the easy chair
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Buying a knife
Part 1 of 2 Different knives are for different purposes, so peeling potatoes is not as easy with a Leatherman as it is with a
Boat trailering suggestions
Larry has some tips to keep your boat trailer, and boat, moving I frequently see trailered boats with the outboard in the “down” position. This
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The pinks are running
Whether you’re into fishing or not, now is a great time to pack up the car and head to Haines to check out the salmon run. At this time of year, the rivers around the small Alaskan town are spotted with a waders-clad population, all hoping to reel in something tasty.
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Pike for supper
Pike are very common, not difficult to catch and are a delicious mild-flavoured fish. Their one big negative is that they have more bones than
Telling a fish’s age
Once you cut a tree down, you can count the number of years it has stood by counting the annual rings around the stump. It
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Sport fishing and the future
Fish management is an ever-changing science. With climate change at hand, it will present many unanswered questions about the future of fishing.
Sport fishing and the future Read More »
Fish actually have ears
Although fish have ears, they do not have eardrums like humans and other wildlife A number of years ago, while writing outdoor columns for some
Fish actually have ears Read More »
Fire – RIGHT NOW!
Many situations need a fire, right now! An emergency or something you come upon. May not even be an emergency or survival situation, yet.
Ziplocs and vacuum-sealing
Great for camping, canoeing and hunting, ziplocs are watertight. It can rain for days and the items in your Ziploc bags will still be dry.
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Fish for dinner
Now that we’ve caught the fish, what do we do? Throw away the fish chain, remove the fish to a waterbox to keep the fish alive and replace it with an ice box.
Surviving (and thriving) in the great outdoors
You are also cold and you need to find a way to make a fire and warm up. If you have followed the motto of the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared,” then survival is on your side.
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Preparing those tasty fish treats
Most Yukoners like to eat fish, but sometimes people want a different taste sensation. Here are some fairly simple options to try: Tasty Fish Treat
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Living with Wildlife: Adam Skrutkowski
Lake chub missing its attempt at catching a damselfly for a snack at Judas Lake.
Living with Wildlife: Adam Skrutkowski Read More »
Fending off bloodsuckers with sweet-smelling spray
Apparently insects hate the scent of marigolds.
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Let’s go fishin’! – 3 of 3
On land we have voracious bears that will eat almost anything. In the rivers and lakes, without a doubt, the most voracious fish in North America is the northern pike.
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Get stuffed!
Stuffing for fish, birds or game should never be overpowering. When preparing stuffing, make it moist and fragrant.
Catch ‘the Kraken’!
Catch the Kraken offers Alaskan saltwater charter fishing (targeting halibut), but other species include rockfish, cod, flounder, wolf fish, pollock and shark.
Catch ‘the Kraken’! Read More »
Yukon women … hunting, fishing, harvesting, bonding
Yukon women … hunting, fishing, harvesting, bonding. 20 women in outdoor workshops developing Yukon hunting skills and knowledge.
Yukon women … hunting, fishing, harvesting, bonding Read More »
Kathleen & Kokanee in Kluane – Part 3 of 6
Kathleen Lake, which is the only place in Kluane National Park you can sleep (legally) if you have rubber wheels for your mode of transportation (rather than flying machines, skis, hiking boots or birchbark).
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The ecological web: A story of salmon caught in the middle
“Nature is not something else, isolated, out there; it is as much a part of us as we are of it, and neither can be
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Fishing with Children
The first rule of fishing with children is that it has to be fun or it will fail.
Fishing with Children Read More »
Fishing with children
Fishing for youngsters may be their first glimpse of ethics and responsible behaviour in relation to nature.
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Be Prepared
It is absolutely amazing how even a little preparation can get us through challenges that could be insurmountable without a bit of prep time.
Get the best out of the fish you caught
One of the best ways to assure the very best taste of your fish is to kill it immediately after landing it. Throw away the fish chain and any containers that just hold water. Just don’t use them.
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My fishing buddy, the chairman of the board
When one walks along the rim of the autumn of one’s life, they can’t help but to look back to the yesterdays – the “good
My fishing buddy, the chairman of the board Read More »
Tea and gin cured salmon
Salmon is a great fish to quickly cure, and the addition of a bit of tea and some gin really compliment the delicate flavours of
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Fishermen’s Tales: Robert Charles Young
This is one of the four northern pike Robert Charles Young caught this summer on a fly rod – all over 20 pounds.
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Bringing Up a Family the Old Fashioned Way
What has bringing up children in outdoor experiences and enjoying the life of camping, fishing and hunting done for the children?
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Fishermen’s Tales: Mike Gustus
There are lies, darn lies and fishing stories. In the Yukon, fishing is a huge hobby and we’d love to share your big ones, but only if they didn’t get away!
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The whole fish tale
Many people wouldn’t be surprised to hear that long-time Yukoner Josée Carbonneau is a passionate fisher. Like many northerners, Carbonneau has an affinity for fishing.
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Northern Food Fusion: Arctic Char Harvest
I can still smell the smoked fish on my jean jacket and I smile. It means I have been home to the Northwest Territories. At
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It Is Not That I Hunt, But That I Go Hunting
Last week I met a husband and wife in a local grocery store. The kind lady said she liked my columns on kayaking and the
It Is Not That I Hunt, But That I Go Hunting Read More »
Northern Food Fusion
lover of adventure & fine tastes – forager of the wild world. The life I live is close with nature, so is my diet. Spruce Tip Salmon Roe Caviar
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An Epic Weekend of Hiking
The saying in Yukon is you only truly experience the Yukon when you get out in the wilderness, and those words are accurate beyond belief.
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Big Fun at Little Atlin Lake
You don’t own a boat or a canoe? No problem – Little Atlin Lodge is one of the very rare locations in the Yukon where
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Salmon: Another Dijon Delight
Fire up the barbecue, here’s another never-fail salmon recipe. Salmon: Another Dijon Delight Ingredients: ¼ to ⅓ cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp of your favourite Dijon
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Fish Chowder
When out on a day’s fishing and you don’t catch one of those big clunkers, don’t be dismayed. You can make a great chowder with
Salmon on a Stick
This shish kabob recipe works well, but be gentle as rough handling will cause the cooked fish pieces to break and fall off the skewer.
Start South, GoNorth!
Winter in Whitehorse is beautiful, but long. By the end of April 2016 we traveled down south to find Vancouver fully in bloom already. A
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Portable Burn Barrel
On a recent half-day ice-fishing adventure with our son, I got to experience some of the benefits of a portable burn barrel that he has
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Wonder What to do with a Pike?
Pike Chowder Supreme This will take some time, but it is time well spent. Ingredients: 1 pound of freshly caught pike fillets, cut into stew-size
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Bush Gypsy’s Banquette
Sometimes when you’re in the bush you need lots of calories, but you don’t have lots of time (or energy) left at the end of
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Happy Appies
Winter is the time for socializing around the wood-stove at the cabin or just in the living room at home. We all want to be
Fishing on a Budget
The equipment needed to start out fishing can be very expensive and it’s really easy to spend a lot more than you need to. One
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From the Catch to the Table
For those who don’t like the taste of fish, the reason is because of the lack of proper handling of the fish from the time
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Heavy Metal Mountain
As Tom unpacked he took inventory: sub-Arctic self-erecting tent, sleeping bag, water/bear proof ruck sack full of high protein granola and astronaut food, zinc for
Heavy Metal Mountain Read More »
Trail Snacks: GORP and Fruit Leather
GORP, aka Good Old Reliable Protein, and fruit leather are can be bought. Quality varies depending on how much you pay. They’re both easy to
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Gone Fishing
As a Conservation Officer in Ontario in the late 1950s through the 1960s, I patrolled the St. Lawrence River to the Quebec border. I came
Coho
September is harvest time. Berries are juicy and ripe for picking; root crops need to be dug and stored. The shortening days are a clear
How-to Remember Five Species of Salmon
Remembering the five species of Pacific salmon is as easy as counting the fingers on your hand. Start with your thumb, which rhymes with chum.
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Learning to Fry
A small assembly of structures along Mountainview Drive has been quietly housing 45,000 young salmon each year for the past 25 or so years. The
A Family Tradition
When the hooligan are running, the rivers and harbour In Haines, Alaska host a fiesta of wildlife that congregate to feed on this little fish
A Family Tradition Read More »
Hot Ticket to Ride
France has the Tour de France. Italy has the Giro d’Italia. And here in the Yukon, we have the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. The
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The Little Fish With Many Names
Someone once said, “Give a man a fish, and you will teach a man where to get free fish.” If you try to give a
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Catch A Cutthroat
This is an awkward time of year for fishing. Each day, as the amount of daylight lengthens, we grow impatient to be back outside, with
Getting in Sheep Shape
We drove four hours from Whitehorse to one of my favourite fishing lakes, then an hour and a half across. As a sheep hunter that’s
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An Open Letter to the Owner Of Twenty Rusted Nails
Dear Sir/Madame; It has come to my attention that you may have lost these (see photo). They were left in a fire pit sometime over
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Golfers and Duck Hunters Have Something in Common
The golfing season and duck hunting season have something in common. I am convinced that if a person took up both sports their problems would
Golfers and Duck Hunters Have Something in Common Read More »
Visiting the Glaciers
We always said that when the kids were old enough we would take them for an Alaskan kayaking expedition, just like the one we had
Visiting the Glaciers Read More »
There Goes my Life
My hunting partner is the best. I know we’ll head out on more adventures, but it may be a while. Hayley is graduating & heading to law school.
There Goes my Life Read More »
Stay Healthy in Old Age with Vitamin D
Until December 21, the days will continue to get shorter. The light will be limited and far from adequate to produce Vitamin D, even in
Stay Healthy in Old Age with Vitamin D Read More »
Yukon vegetarian
I am not a hunter. Not everyone has to be. I’m spending time with a man who is respectful, thankful, spiritual about the process.
Dem Bones
Pike are notorious for being boney. As a child, I developed an intense fear of choking on fish bones. Not from any horrendous experience, but
Hunting for Wildlife: Mike Gustus
This 43” lake trout, which weighed in at a husky 41 pounds, was caught in Tagish Lake on Saturday, July 19 by Mike Gustus, who
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Freezing Fish
Over the years a few people have told me that due to a loss of flavour, they do not freeze fish and only eat them
Cooking and Eating Ling Cod
Ling cod, or burbot, is very common in the Yukon’s southern lakes, and is quite easy to catch by jigging, bottom fishing, or using set-lines
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Ice Fishing Equipment
Ice fishing is a cold weather activity and your hands are involved in every operation, including cutting holes, setting up equipment, and hopefully handling fish.
Ice Fishing Equipment Read More »
Fish on Porcupine River
Sitting at a fish hole in the dark on the Porcupine River, in the Yukon at Old Crow in the fall, is not unusual. Excitement
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Spellbound at Kelsall Lake, B.C.
It always seems that for other people things happen quite easily. They have an idea and voila — there it is. I don’t know; maybe
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Killing My First Fish
The day I kill my first fish I eat a tuna sandwich for lunch.I’m on a bush excursion, assisting a field biologist. On our lunch
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The Collector in Tagish
His name is Douglas Roy Rogers Dupont the 3rd. That’s what he’s known as on the water around Tagish at least. It’s his two-way radio handle.
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Fly Fishing for Pike
In the Yukon, fly anglers usually target arctic grayling, rainbow trout, or kokanee salmon in stocked lakes. These fish are readily available, fairly easy to catch
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Vacuum Sealers
Fish quality deteriorates faster than anything else in your freezer. Flavour loss and freezer-burn are the most common results. Double wrapping with plastic and butcher
Northern Romance, November 21, 2013
Dear Readers, Charley Sprucetip and I have parted ways. Fortunately, I have found an absolutely delightful and charming writing partner, Johnny Snowshoe, who has years
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Local Angler Receives National Recognition
On October 9, 2013 Dennis Zimmerman was awarded the 2013 Recreational Fishing Award. This award, which is only handed out to a handful of Canadians
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What is the Tr’ondëk-Klondike Project?
In two previous columns I have given some background behind Dawson City’s interest in UNESCO’s World Heritage Status designation. The Klondike region was placed on
What is the Tr’ondëk-Klondike Project? Read More »
Hooked on Haines
Salmon fishing in Haines is one of the most exciting fishing trips a Yukoner can take. The vast array of species creates an opportunity for
Who Wears the Fishing Pants?
There is a competitive spirit in our house. Every season my wife Heather and I bicker about the size and amount of fish we will
Who Wears the Fishing Pants? Read More »
Beginner’s Luck
We pulled into Frenchman Lake campground late at night to find it full. The day was like every other Friday, too busy to take care
From Community TV to National TV
When you hear the name Maximum Limit Fishing, you might expect the same old fishing show. But this is not the case for the Northwest
From Community TV to National TV Read More »
Fly Brooch Pin
To create a brooch pin, I have chosen a fly that has worked very well for me on Pacific salmon in Alaska. This Black Laced
Get Off the Couch and into the Wilderness
When Whitehorse was re-branded The Wilderness City it made me think of all the activities and events that are held here annually. As a director
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Fly Fishing on Skis
“Skis?” you say. I say, “Yup, that was me out there in a snowmobile suit, a fly rod and a set of cross-country skis, need
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Yukon ‘Duck’ Fishing
It was chilly morning at the far south end of Teslin Lake that mid-August morning, a reminder that it was going to be an early
Yukon ‘Duck’ Fishing Read More »
Fishing with Another Generation
As a parent with young kids, I am often concerned about the next generation. I know that children are not getting outside as much anymore.
Fishing with Another Generation Read More »
All I Want for Christmas is a Fishing Rod
You’ve written to Santa and he’s delivered. How he managed to maneuver that fully assembled nine-foot fishing rod down the chimney is best left a
All I Want for Christmas is a Fishing Rod Read More »
Bitter and Batter
If you read Dennis Zimmermann’s article last week on ice fishing and combined it with the weather in Whitehorse this weekend, you may well have
Gone Fishing
Many Yukoners live here because they enjoy the active lifestyle, interaction with wilderness, and distance from ties and pencil skirts. A visiting author from the
Ice-out Lake Trout
The three most targeted fish species in the Yukon are lake trout, Arctic grayling and pike, and are sought after in that order.
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Honing Their Outdoor Skills
“You get to learn how to notice the plants around you, how to shoot a rifle, how not to ground your boat in the river,
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Pike in the Shallows
Pike spawn in the late spring and depending on where you are fishing are available in shallow water well into early July. Among my favourite
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Bonding Through “Barbie Geese”
“Hayley wake up,” I whispered. “It’s 4:30 and we have to get ready. The sun will be up soon.” This was a very common phrase
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Lip-smacking Ling Cod
Ling cod, burbot, fresh-water cod—call them what you like, we can all agree that they’re delicious. I’ve yet to hear of a complicated recipe, but
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A Great Late Winter Catch
If you catch a fish in the Yukon that looks like nothing you’ve seen before, it’s likely a ling cod. Ling cod and burbot are
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Fish Smoking Basics
Smoking fish and making jerky are somewhat similar in that the process removes the moisture from the product (fish or meat). In either case it
Fish Smoking Basics Read More »
The Old-fashioned Shore Lunch
If you’ve ever read about—or been lucky enough to go on—a guided freshwater fishing excursion, there’s always a shore lunch included.
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Fooling Feeding Fish
For some people, fly-fishing is a sport. For others, it’s an art. But for the diehard fly-fisher, it’s more like a religion. Doug Hnatiuk chuckles
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Something’s Fishy for Dinner
While a fish stew exists in many cultures, our northern fish shines like no other in the version presented here. Choose a firm textured fish
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Fishing the Funky Blues at Chadburn Lake
I can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting out fishing with kids. Likewise, spending time with friends on the water brings memories to last a
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Picking Eddies For Takhini River Grayling
For a small fish, Grayling put on a great show. Their entertainment value is derived from their feisty nature, dramatic physical features and the fact
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Fishing the Junkyard at Snafu Lake
The goal was to get into pike at Snafu Lake. A group of us kayaked from the campground, over the first beaver dam and into
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The Neptune Streamer
The Neptune Streamer was originally used for large brook trout in Labrador. Since its inception, it has also been used successfully for numerous other species.
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The Poly Flash Carey Special
The Poly Flash Carey Special is one of the most widely used flies in lakes. Originally tied for trout in BC lakes, today it is
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Connecting to Kenya Through Fish
For many dedicated anglers, fishing is more than pulling large, toothy, scaly creatures out of the water and onto the dinner table. It may be
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