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Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
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August 31, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Fishing at o-dark-thirty

Fishing at o-dark-thirty

The clear, pale green halo of light stood out in stark relief, surrounded by inky dark water at the end of the boat basin. The properties and docks that encircled the water, normally bustling with ac…
August 21, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time on the Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley

Reel Time on the Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley, Part Two

When I planned my trip to Montana, visiting and photographing Yellowstone was one of my main objectives besides fishing. The day after fishing Lake Ennis and the Madison River, I returned to the park…
August 17, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time on The Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley

Reel Time on The Road: Yellowstone and the Madison River Valley, Part One

Rounding a corner outside of Virginia City, Montana, I pulled to the side of the road to marvel at the vista. From horizon to horizon the Madison River Valley stretched out below, an invitation to on…
August 10, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time on the Road: Montana’s Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers

Reel Time on the Road: Montana’s Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers

When Robert Redford introduced fly fishing to popular American culture in the 1992 movie, “A River Runs Through It,” he also introduced them to the storied trout streams and rivers of Montana. Althou…
August 2, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Engage and defend

This week as I watched the tribute to John Lewis, the American politician and civil rights leader, being eulogized by past presidents of both parties, I was inspired anew by the message of this great…
July 27, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Sun protection: do the cool thing

Sun protection is a topic worth repeating, especially this time of the year! If you’ve been on the water over the last few years, you’ve noticed anglers covered head to toe even on the hottest and su…
July 20, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

The Ocean Conservancy: Working to protect Florida’s future

Since the Ocean Conservancy was founded in 1972, it has changed names several times. With the support of conservation-minded individuals, they’ve accomplished many incredible things, starting with pr…
July 13, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Courtesy

Reel Time: Courtesy

Some things bear repeating. I’m guessing that you, like me, have a passion for fishing and besides the excitement of catching, a lot of the experience centers around just “being there.” It’s an oppor…
July 6, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Trouble in paradise

Have you ever driven down the Gulf beach and seen flags flying on the lifeguard stands? We’ve worked out a system to alert people who use the local beaches of potential hazards. A green flag signifie…
June 21, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time

Reel Time: Line, leaders and hooks

While rods, reels, lures and accessories are most often discussed when it comes to an angler’s resources, lines, leaders and hooks are an integral part of the equation. Line connects the angler to…
June 15, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Passing on the passion

Thinking back at the significance fishing and the outdoors has had on my life, I’m constantly reminded of the importance of protecting the resource so future generations have access to the same oppor…
June 8, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Sewage spills threaten our fishery

In this column, I express my love of fishing and the outdoors. Through these articles, I have the opportunity to share that passion with a wider audience. My aim is to disseminate the informat…
June 1, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Fly casting fundamentals

Teaching fly casting has taught me some valuable lessons. Chief among them is the fact that it’s most often easier to learn from scratch using the fundamentals (physics) of the cast than it is to cor…
May 26, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Orange Hammock Ranch

I first heard of Orange Hammock Ranch from Jon Thaxton, a former Sarasota Commissioner and a longtime champion of conservation efforts in southwest Florida. I remember him saying that if this almost…
May 22, 2020
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time

The quality of our fishing future

Fishing and the outdoors experiences that my love for the sport have occasioned have played a pivotal role in my life for almost seven decades. This infatuation has also made me passionate about work…