https://picketthillguideservice.com/ Field notes on fly fishing, hunting seasons, licenses, gear and reading water, written for the angler and hunter who plans the trip before packing the truck. en-us https://picketthillguideservice.com/hunting-seasons/hunting-season-calendar/https://picketthillguideservice.com/hunting-seasons/hunting-season-calendar/Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000How state hunting season calendars are built: zones, weapon windows, draw deadlines and limits, with typical frames by game and a pre opener checklist. https://picketthillguideservice.com/ethics-and-conservation/catch-and-release-best-practices/https://picketthillguideservice.com/ethics-and-conservation/catch-and-release-best-practices/Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000Catch and release done well: barbless hooks, short air exposure, wet hands, rubber nets, the revive ritual, and the mistakes that turn a release into a loss. https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/fly-fishing-knots-that-hold/https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/fly-fishing-knots-that-hold/Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000The four fly fishing knots that cover a full season, how to tie and seat each one, and the retie habit that prevents most lost fish before it happens. https://picketthillguideservice.com/gear-checklists/fly-fishing-gear-budget-tiers/https://picketthillguideservice.com/gear-checklists/fly-fishing-gear-budget-tiers/Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000What a fly fishing setup costs at three honest budget tiers, where the money matters most, and the checklist that keeps a first kit small and fishable. https://picketthillguideservice.com/licenses-and-regulations/fishing-license-cost/https://picketthillguideservice.com/licenses-and-regulations/fishing-license-cost/Mon, 10 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000How US fishing licenses are priced: resident and nonresident bands, short term and lifetime options, endorsements, and where the money actually goes. https://picketthillguideservice.com/reading-water/reading-river-currents/https://picketthillguideservice.com/reading-water/reading-river-currents/Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000How to read river currents: where trout hold in seams, riffles, runs, pools and eddies, the energy math behind each lie, and the approach order that works. https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/match-the-hatch-basics/https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/match-the-hatch-basics/Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000What matching the hatch really means, the four insect groups that cover most trout water, how to read riseforms, and the mistakes that keep flies dry. https://picketthillguideservice.com/hunting-seasons/deer-season-preparation-timeline/https://picketthillguideservice.com/hunting-seasons/deer-season-preparation-timeline/Sun, 12 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000Twelve months of deer season preparation on one timeline: draws and scouting in spring, food and pattern in summer, gear and practice in fall, judgment after. https://picketthillguideservice.com/gear-checklists/wading-safety-checklist/https://picketthillguideservice.com/gear-checklists/wading-safety-checklist/Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000Wading safety as a checklist with reasons: force and cold water physics, the belt and staff habits, crossing decisions, dam releases and the season first kit. https://picketthillguideservice.com/licenses-and-regulations/hunting-license-hunter-education/https://picketthillguideservice.com/licenses-and-regulations/hunting-license-hunter-education/Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000How the hunting paperwork stack fits together: hunter education first, then the license, species tags and federal stamps, with typical cost bands explained. https://picketthillguideservice.com/reading-water/water-temperature-trout-activity/https://picketthillguideservice.com/reading-water/water-temperature-trout-activity/Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000A water temperature table for trout anglers: feeding bands, cold water behavior, the warm water line where fishing should stop, and how to read a thermometer. https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/what-a-fly-fishing-guide-teaches/https://picketthillguideservice.com/fly-fishing-basics/what-a-fly-fishing-guide-teaches/Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000Not secret spots but habits: the order fly fishing skills arrive in, why drift beats distance, and the questions worth asking any instructor before a lesson.