By Dean Finnerty, In early February, members from the Redsides and Coastal Cutthroat chapters joined forces with members of Project Healing Waters and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife to begin several week’s worth of volunteer work as part of Trout Unlimited’s “citizen science” effort. Volunteers are working in the West Fork of the Smith River (Oregon’s Umpqua tributary) …
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.
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 …
Suction dredging in your backyard
This week, anglers will gather for a hearing on House Bill 2467. If passed, this legislation will bring some much needed reform to rules (or lack thereof) regulating suction dredging in the state of Washington. [Show your support for HB 2467 by attending the hearing: House Hearing Room B at the John L. O’Brien Building Olympia, WA. Time: 8a.m. Or, tell the House Agriculture and …
The Wild Steelheader Jan 2016
January 19, 2016 Hello, As I write this, we are deep in the heart of winter steelhead season. Snow levels have crept down in elevation and river gauges resemble roller coasters. One thing is now certain: We finally have water. After a summer of lethal river temperatures and wildfires, is it ok to complain about blown-out or frozen rivers? …
Steelhead Angler Science
Sportsmen have a long history of taking it upon themselves to conserve and protect fish and game species. Their conservation programs have greatly contributed to available habitat and enhanced protections of the same. In addition to the critical habitat work that is being done, many people are taking it upon themselves to contribute to scientific research under the guidance …
Kitsap Sun letter Steve Burns OP Steelhead
LETTERS: State can help restore salmon stocks 3:22 PM, Dec 9, 2015 58 mins ago opinion | letters to the editor Steve Burns, Poulsbo State can help restore salmon stocks There are times as anglers where we must evaluate our lot — look at our rivers, their habitat and the health of their fish populations, contemplating the opportunity they provide while comparing …
Happy Birthday Wild Steelheaders United
By Shauna Sherard We made it. One year. 365 days passed. 365 steps toward a better future for steelhead. One year down. So many to go. There are those who thought we were crazy. Crazy in what we believed. Crazy in our attempt to unite anglers, to try to solve allegedly unsolvable problems that had plagued steelhead rivers for decades. …
Finishing the job
By Rob Masonis Darn lucky. That is what I consider myself for having been able to make a living for more than two decades protecting and restoring the great steelhead and salmon rivers of the Pacific Northwest. The muscular, jaw-droppingly beautiful rivers themselves have provided plenty of inspiration for my work. But the wild steelhead that swim in their waters …
WSU: Good excuse to go fishing
By Sam Davidson Among the better excuses for going fishing is to celebrate a birthday. One’s own, of course. But also your father-in-law’s, the 4th of July, Christmas, Rutherford B. Hayes’s, and your yet-to-be-born nephew’s. The point is that you can use “celebrating a birthday” as a legitimate excuse to go fishing for any day of the year. I …
Steelheaders amass for Olympic Peninsula
As a rule, public comment periods for proposed regulations are not sexy. They are not attention grabbers. They’re not headline makers. Sometimes, they’re not even interesting enough to garner the attention of a single citizen. For that you need protests. Public displays. But comment periods? While they exude patriotism, practically stinking of the fundamentals of democracy, let’s be honest. …