fishing

Jeff Kelble, a professional fishing guide on the Shenandoah River in Virginia, was forced to abruptly change careers eight years ago when nearly all the smallmouth bass in his river died. So he re-invented himself as a full-time advocate for the Chesapeake Bay tributary, filed legal actions that helped reduce pollution, and enjoyed watching the bass populations come roaring back.

For the first time in more than a decade, Pennsylvania this spring will close most of the Susquehanna River to fishing for smallmouth bass, whose numbers have been declining because of a mysterious disease.  The closure will be hard on fishing guides like Juan Veruete (left) and Jeff Little (right), whose lives and livelihoods are caught up in the river.