My writing covers three broad topics: Adventure Sports, Biological Sciences and Policy, and Public Health. Most recently, I have been serving as a columnist and Online Curator for Fly Fisherman Magazine, offering analysis on technique, news, and breaking research through the lens of a sport that is intimately tied to the environment.
You can also see selection of my images on Instagram, with a little additional backstory on each.
FEATURES
Latest published work
After engaging a large online community of professionals on the contentiousness between Legacy Sports and the contemporary Outdoor Industry, I was assigned by a leading trade publication to write this piece on the controversy.
• Equipment reviews can be a great help for new users, but not if they don’t understand the playing field. Explaining the best gear for a certain activity requires putting things in context, and I was assigned to provide this overview for the readership of Fly Fisherman magazine.
https://www.flyfisherman.com/editorial/new-fishing-packs-for-2020/372182
• After being invited by the Ted Turner organization to observe the amazing conservation efforts they have made restoring native trout, I became aware of the startling implications with regards to climate change.
• In my years employed as a fly fishing guide, I had the opportunity to scrutinize the biology of tiny creeks. What I found surprised me.
••••
Recent features
• An assignment piece on fly fishing a relatively overlooked river in Colorado.
• Analysis of legislative initiatives to support the $887 Billion-dollar Outdoor Recreation Economy. Starting on page 46.
• Special to the Denver Post regarding a formerly endangered trout.
MEDICAL REPORTAGE
• Coverage of an international medical symposium addressing a major and controversial public health issue.
ONLINE WORK
Various essays interpreting breaking research for the readership of Flyfisherman.com.
SCIENCE
• How lake bottom insects are crucial to public water quality.
• New genomics research shows that ancient salmon didn’t migrate to the ocean.
• Mercury in fish feed is transferred to high elevation lakes in Europe.
• Genetic analysis of stocked salmon gone wild in Patagonia shows diverse origins.
• Surprising research in Colorado indicates certain insects can metabolize something other than oxygen.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
• How an endangered species can affect resource management at the policy level.
• Subtle twists in legislation can cause unintended disruptions in public access.
• In Colorado, stream bottoms become a legal battleground.
• Corporate advocacy helps fishing guides impacted by hurricanes in the Florida Keys.
TECHNIQUE
My work as a professional fly fishing guide has given me insights, or at least opinions, on how best to catch fish with flies.
• High water in rivers during early summer can be a challenge for fly fishermen.
• Control is the key to catching trout in fast mountain streams.
• An old style of fly fishing is experiencing a resurgence with updated gear.
Jonathan Lee Wright 