Last week we reviewed a study on a novel hatchery steelhead program that was implemented in a Hood Canal stream to help save and rebuild a population of wild steelhead that were on the brink. As part of the post, we highlighted the non-traditional methods that were used and why those may have helped the program increase abundance even after …
Science Friday: Can innovative methods for a wild broodstock hatchery rebuild a depleted wild population
This week we send you off with a review of a recent before-and-after study on hatchery steelhead published by Barry Berejikian and Donald Van Doornick (find the study here). The goal of this long-term study, conducted in a handful of rivers in Hood Canal, Washington, was to determine if a well-designed hatchery program could help rebuild populations of steelhead that …
Science Friday: Deschutes River (Oregon) rainbow and steelhead, how much do they overlap during spawning?
First Friday of the New Year, and we are serving up a fresh batch of steelhead science to help you further appreciate the remarkable relationship between resident and sea-going forms of O. mykiss. In this post, we review a study published in 2000 by Christian Zimmerman and Gordie Reeves, two scientists that have contributed a great deal to our …
Trouble in Idaho
By Michael Gibson: No matter how you frame it, wild steelhead in Idaho are in big trouble. While wild steelhead numbers have never really rebounded—as expected—after the listing of the species in 1997, 2017 and 2018 returns have been exceptionally poor. In 2017, fewer than 12,000 wild fish cleared Lower Granite Dam, the last of the lower …
Oregon Wildlands and Frank Moore Bills Need Your Help
Thanks to the leadership of elected officials in Oregon who understand the importance of wild places, and the value salmon and steelhead bring to our outdoor economy, there’s a decent chance that Oregon could end up with some new public lands protections in the next few days. As we posted last week, the halls of Congress are a flurry of …
The Maury Povich Steelhead Show: You are all the father
Took a short break from our Science Friday posts to do some actual science (on Olympic Peninsula winter steelhead) and to weigh in on some important policy issues. But now, like anglers looking for fresh winter chrome: we’re b-a-a-a-c-k. As you know, in the Science Friday forum we discuss a wide range of topics important to the management and …
Lame Duck Hope
As you’re reading this, we’re right in the middle of the 2018 lame duck session of the US Congress. The lame duck session of Congress is that period following an election, but before newly elected legislators assume their roles and outgoing members bid farewell to their offices. This is a time when both parties try to push their priority legislation over …
The General Practitioner
By: Sean Dahlquist Today’s post was graciously provided by Sean Dahlquist. Sean lives on the Olympic Peninsula, where he loves fishing for steelhead and trout, and of course, tying flies. Not only is Sean a fine tier, but he is also a historian on the topic. Check out Sean’s Instagram @sean_dahlquist page for more great patterns and examples. …
Washington State Suction Dredge Mining Reform Updates
Update from Dean Finnerty, Northwest Director on Outreach from Summer, 2018: Thank you to dozens of supporters for your interest and willingness to engage and help protect fish life, water quality and make meaningful changes to rules and regulations for motorized suction dredge prospecting in Washington’s rivers and streams. If you want to be part of this team, the best way to do so is to …
Act Now to Help Protect the Methow Headwaters
We need your support to help urge the BLM to protect the Methow Headwaters and the habitat it provides for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, bull trout, mountain whitefish, Chinook salmon, and steelhead. A mineral withdrawal would make the 340,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service land in the Upper Methow Valley off-limits to large-scale mining for the next 20 years. Trout Unlimited …