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Go Wild: Poll shows support for conservation
It turns out that most steelhead anglers, despite our reputation, actually agree on a lot of things. Today, Trout Unlimited released the results of an extensive poll of more than 630 active steelhead anglers in California, Oregon and Washington that reveals broad support for wild steelhead conservation and for managing fisheries to sustain wild steelhead populations. Indeed, this …
Show me the science
Editors Note: We’re all about sound science here at Wild Steelheaders United. But we’re also about education and respectful dialogue (see credo number 5). Recently we heard from an angler on the topic of setting some rivers aside for wild fish only (as the state of Washington is looking to do with their gene bank proposal). The angler argued that instead …
The Wild Steelheader September
September 17, 2015 Hello,At last, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us – the season of wild steelhead. After a scorching summer, we are seeing rain and cooler nights and a renewed sense of urgency among anglers. It’s time to start patching waders, sorting tackle, fixing reels – time to keep one eye to the …
Wild vs Hatchery in WA: A followup
This week, Trout Unlimited’s John McMillan got a chance to talk steelhead with Seattle’s King 5 network this week. At the top of his list was the debate over wild steelhead and hatchery plants and the proposal that will designate certain rivers in the Puget Sound area as gene banks. Gene banks are rivers managed for wild fish …
Update: Smith River mine withdrawal
By Dean Finnerty, photo by Ken Morrish Back to back public meetings in Gold Beach, Oregon and Grants Pass, Oregon (Sept. 9th and 10th respectively) made history for Southwest Oregon conservation efforts. “In 30 years of conservation work in Southwest Oregon, we’ve never seen this kind of support for protection of our drinking water and salmon and steelhead streams. …
Two minutes, 14,000 miles of Oregon streams
Two minutes can help protect 14,000 miles of Oregon streams. The Oregon Board of Forestry (BOF) will soon decide whether to increase Oregon’s riparian buffers. These buffers supply cool water in the heat of summer, water necessary for steelhead, trout, salmon and other organisms important to Oregon rivers and streams. Currently, Oregon requires only a 20 foot buffer — far smaller …
Blueback’s Chapter leading the way in Angler Science
John McMillan Last weekend I returned to the Siletz River on the Oregon Coast to participate in snorkel surveys being led by the Blueback’s Chapter of Trout Unlimited. The Siletz River was my adopted home river during my graduate studies at Oregon State University, and I spent as much time as possible fishing for and observing steelhead. So it will …
Pudding Creek Gamble
By Sam Davidson There’s a little gambling going on right now in an obscure coastal stream in Mendocino County, California, called Pudding Creek. No one is throwing dice or yanking on a one-armed bandit here. We are talking habitat restoration. And the habitat restoration game always involves a bet. Trout Unlimited, a landowner, a timber management company, resource agencies and …
Take Action: Smith River Mining Withdrawal
TAKE ACTION Tell the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to protect salmon and steelhead streams in southwest Oregon and northern California from large-scale strip mines What’s the issue? Two companies, (one foreign owned) have been working to develop surface strip nickel mines in an area that would threaten Rough and Ready Creek (a tributary to the Illinois River and world …