By Rob Masonis The recent release of the final federal recovery plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook salmon and steelhead is a milestone in the decades-long effort to reverse the precipitous decline of salmon and steelhead runs in the Snake River system. The Snake was historically the most productive region in the Columbia Basin for spring/summer chinook and steelhead, …
Science Friday: The fate of stranded post-spawn adult steelhead
By John McMillan One significant way in which steelhead differ from salmon is that O. mykiss have the ability to survive spawning and try to make the journey again. This behavior is referred to as repeat spawning. Repeat spawner rates are highly variable among populations of steelhead, with rates being higher in coastal streams than among inland populations …
Washington proposed rule changes need your input
We are approaching the end of an important comment period that will impact our fisheries in Washington for many years to come. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) is accepting public input on proposed rule changes for Washington State through THIS Thursday Nov. 30th and need to hear that overly-simplifying fishing regulations could harm fish and …
Science Friday: Who’s who in the Elwha after dam removal
By John McMillan We should not be surprised by steelhead and salmon rushing upstream to pass former dams. That is their nature — to push boundaries, access new habitat. Unbuild it, and they will come. And come they have in Washington’s Elwha River, where in 2014 two old dams were taken down. Not only have we observed hundreds …
Arguing over crumbs in Idaho
By: Michael Gibson The decision by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to open harvest of hatchery steelhead despite record low returns may seem like a good thing for anglers, but it surely presents challenges for wild fish. In the upper Columbia Basin, we are arguing over the crumbs while the cake gets eaten downstream. In this metaphor, the crumbs …
Stand up for the Methow
Dear fellow anglers, I am writing to urge you to use the attached link to access a petition letter from our coalition partners “Methow Headwaters”. This letter with signatures will be printed and submitted to the USFS as a part of the comment period for the 20 year mineral withdrawal in the Methow Valley. A proposed copper …
Olympic Peninsula Guide Legislation
Trout Unlimited has been working with guides and anglers to discuss and facilitate limited entry guide legislation for the Olympic Peninsula (OP). As part of this process we collaborated with the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association (OPGA) to draft and pass a budget proviso during the last legislative session. The proviso directs the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (the Department) …
Ya Gotta Believe!!
By Bill Herzog Back in 1969, the New York Mets made baseball history. The “Amazin’ Mets,” as they came to be known, a team that had been dropped in the toilet like a three day old dead goldfish by most baseball experts, came from nowhere to shock the country and win the World Series that year. The Mets …
Science Friday: Why are half pounders declining in the Trinity River?
When anglers dream of steelhead, they mostly fantasize about fish that have spent 2-4 years in the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn as full adults, packing four or more pounds and brutish power into their physique. However, one of the most common forms of returning steelhead in some rivers is not the adult, but the so-called half-pounder. …
Science Friday: Behavioral Thermoregulation
Most steelhead anglers know that the family of fishes called salmonidae (trout, char, salmon and whitefish) are highly sensitive to water temperature and quality. These fishes require cold, clean water to thrive. But what happens to them when water temps become unfavorable? As you might expect, they seek out places in the river that regain cool water — now often …