Rusty Chinnis
Rusty Chinnis is the Outdoors Editor for The Sun.
Reel Time: Stripers on the Hooch
The Chattahoochee River has an intimate connection with Florida, one that existed long before I first visited it near its headwaters at Jack’s Knob...
Reel Time: Exploring the Ten Thousand Islands
It was one of those mornings where time almost stands still, where we wish it would. A light, cool, late spring breeze ruffled the...
Reel Time: Sister Keys cleanup scheduled
Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) will be conducting their Annual Sister Keys Cleanup on Saturday, May 4. The event is a collaboration with the Town...
Reel Time: When opportunity meets preparedness
Out there! It’s where we all want to be, and where we get so few chances to actually spend time. Whether it’s stalking permit...
Reel Time: Homosassa, river of fishes
The great American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910) was enamored with Homosassa. Homer regularly traveled to Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba during the winter months...
Reel Time: Mentors chart course
Fly fishermen and fishermen, in general, are always seeking ways to improve their enjoyment of the sport. And while that ultimately boils down to...
Reel Time: Clear water hides looming problem
The red tide is gone! I don’t know anybody that isn’t elated that the most recent harmful algae bloom is absent from local waters....
Reel Time: Innovators – Architects of modern saltwater fly tackle, part 2
Many of us take the tackle we fish with for granted, but it wasn’t long ago that anglers didn’t have the choices we have...
Reel Time: Innovators – The architects of modern saltwater fly tackle
No two people are more knowledgeable about the origins of modern saltwater fly tackle than Lefty Kreh (passed in 2018) and Flip Pallot. I...
Reel Time: Release program promotes fishery recovery
On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), in conjunction with Duke Energy and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released adult...
Reel Time: Pothole savvy, Part 2
Last week I wrote about the anatomy of potholes and how to approach them. Depending on conditions, you will want to tailor your strategy...
Reel Time: Fly fishing strategy – pothole savvy
Fly fishing is a sport that rewards the angler who carefully considers his prey and pays attention to the conditions and terrain that they...
Reel Time: New dimensions in trolling motors
Most anglers I’ve talked to have a love-hate relationship with their trolling motors. Some have sworn off electrics altogether, using a push pole exclusively....
Pulitzer Prize-winning author to speak
There has never been a more important time for residents of our Gulf coast region to understand the importance of the resource that brought...
Reel Time: Clams restored to Manatee County waters
Sarasota Bay Watch capped a two-year clam restoration effort in January. Despite windy conditions and a choppy bay, board members and volunteers placed 7,000...
