Life history diversity: dispersing risk

In California, Science Friday, Steelhead Files by steelheaders

By Brian Hodge Just as investors diversify their portfolio of assets to minimize financial loss, fisheries managers may diversify their portfolio of conservation strategies to minimize species loss. Another fishy analog for the “portfolio effect” comes from the steelhead—it reduces risk of extinction by displaying a diverse array of life histories, or pathways from hatch to spawn. My colleagues and …

Rules for catch-and-release of steelhead

In Alaska, California, Canada, Idaho, Oregon, Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Nick Chambers

There is no worse feeling than bringing a steelhead to hand and seeing the gills pumping blood.   Such experiences are one of the reasons that anglers have created flies that reduce deep hookings.  Still, fishing is a blood sport, and despite our best efforts, we ultimately cannot eliminate the potential for some mortality.   While we can’t control where the …

A Better Way

In California by Shauna Sherard

Tim Frahm, Central Coast Steelhead Coordinator for Trout Unlimited, admires the newly restored Carmel River above the site of the old San Clemente Dam at the celebration event on June 6. By Sam Davidson There have no doubt been many parties on the Carmel River, one of the best steelhead streams on California’s south-central coast, over the years. This scenic …

DeFazio: Smith is a place worth preserving

In California, Oregon by Shauna Sherard

In the first of three videos from the Oregon delegation, Rep. Peter DeFazio talks about why Oregon/California’s Smith River is such an important resource to protect. Get your comments in today to encourage the BLM and Forest Service to implement a 20 year mining withdrawal on the headwaters of the Smith.

Another opportunity to protect the Smith

In California, Oregon by Shauna Sherard

Please Take Action now to help Wild Steelheaders United preserve this amazing wild steelhead fishery from top to bottom. See “HOW TO COMMENT.” Comment period closes May 27, 2016.   The jade-green waters of the legendary Smith River are hauntingly beautiful. But for the better part of a century this stream has haunted anglers primarily for another reason: it’s consistent runs …

The Lost Coast

In California, Steelhead Files by steelheaders

The Lost Coast The name alone is enough to get any steelheader’s pulse racing. Shrouded in myth and the coastal fog which often blankets this region, the Lost Coast of California is one of the cradles of modern steelhead angling. Legendary wild steelhead rivers such as the Eel, Trinity, Mattole, and Van Duzen flow from and through its rugged, scenic …

Are there any wild steelhead left? Yes, there is no doubt. But it is up to us to ensure their future and the fisheries they provide.

In California, Idaho, Oregon, Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Nick Chambers

A topic that is commonly raised in the steelhead conservation world is whether there are any “pure” wild steelhead left.   Before I answer, I want to take a step back first. There are two types of hatcheries. We have integrated hatcheries, where fish used for broodstock are taken from the same population in which they are planted. These are …