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 …
Fishing shouldn’t suck
By Gregg Bafundo and Crystal Elliot The bomb-like crater in the side of the creek was the give-away. Suction dredgers. A bucket was overturned on a log, “No dredging this hole,” indicating the pending return of a gold miner. Walking up Scotty Creek with Nils Cowan, a reporter looking into the world of suction dredging, we saw the change – …
An uprising and next steps on the Olympic Peninsula
An uprising and next steps on the OP An angler uprising. That is what we felt over the past few months as momentum began to build towards the Fish and Wildlife Commission (the Commission) meeting this past Friday. And the payoff was a step forward for wild steelhead and the famed Olympic Peninsula (OP) fishery. Several months have now passed …
Sean Gallagher on the OP: Remain vigilant. Continue Forward.
Déjà Vu? By Sean Gallagher The wipers strained as sheets of rainwater slammed the windshield. It sounded as if one thousand marbles were bouncing off the roof—we swerved and just missed another puddle. If Larry and I turn around now we have the perfect excuse, I thought. Our destination on this dark, blustery, Saturday morning in November was the …
Wild Steelhead License Plate
Have you ever thought, Oregon has a salmon plate, why not Washington? Well now is your chance to secure the opportunity as a Washingtonian to show your love of Washington’s state fish, the steelhead. WDFW has been working on a plate featuring a wild steelhead, but before this can become a reality they had to reach a minimum of 3500 …
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. …
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 …
Anger.
By Bill Herzog Anger. Steelheading brings on many emotions- pure joy, anticipation, frustration, wonder, disappointment for sure. But anger, now, that should never manifest itself at any time during an anglers’ day. Unfortunately, most of my days after wandering the banks of my beloved Olympic Peninsula winter rivers the last half dozen winter seasons have ended with an …
When worlds collide
By Gary Strassburg Back in the early 90’s I was drift fishing the upper reaches of the Skagit River above Rockport for winter steelhead. It was nearing the end of February and soon the river would close to the killing of steelhead and the use of bait, and give way to an army of fly anglers that cared less about …