Articles by Neil Waugh

Neil Waugh is an award-winning outdoor writer and photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta who grew up fly fishing for Athabasca rainbow trout and mountain whitefish on Alberta’s historic Coal Branch.
As a long time columnist with the Edmonton Sun newspaper, Neil’s angling adventures have taken him around the world pursuing trout, salmon and other species of game fish.
Including Scotland, Italy, Argentina, Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas, New Zealand, South Africa, Zambia plus numerous American states and Canadian provinces and territories.
Neil has had his works published in many outdoors magazines and web-sites and writes a monthly article for the popular Alberta Outdoorsmen Magazine as well as being a regular contributor to the Fishin’ Hole’s on-line content.
The University of Alberta history and English graduate and Trout Unlimited Canada volunteer also had a long career as a political and business writer with the Sun newspaper chain and as a member of the Alberta legislature press gallery.
Whether it’s sight-fishing for red fish on Texas’ Gulf Coast or swinging a two-handed salmon rod on Scotland’s legendary Spey River, Neil’s first love is working up an Alberta foothills trout stream or northern Boreal Arctic grayling creek with a light-weight fly-rod on a sunny summer afternoon.

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It’s OK to Be Little Bitty

Angling magazines, websites, film festivals and calendars traditionally are stuffed to the gills with incredible images of super-sized fish. Gonzo pike, sensational salmon, terrific trout, superb sturgeon and wondrous walleye with happy anglers wearing goofy grins holding them up to the camera for the obligatory hero shot.

More times than not caught on a budget-busting charter or at a remote fly-in lodge.

A trip-of-a-lifetime adventure for sure but sadly an unobtainable dream for many. For most of us angling locally is our more likely option.

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Put and Take Is Great

At point of European contact Alberta’s trout were pretty well confined to the cold rushing rivers of the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies or the deep lakes of the Northern Boreal where lake trout thrived. How times have changed.

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