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 …
Doing what we can as anglers to ensure the future of the OP fishery
Change is never easy. This is particularly true for anglers. We are passionate about our fishing and our fish – in this case steelhead. We are reluctant to change, if only because we have lost great steelhead fisheries to closure, such as the Skagit, and fear losing further opportunity. But in the face of such change, we must ask ourselves: Would …
Olympic Peninsula fishing regulations a step towards realizing a world-class fishery
Do you fish the the Olympic Peninsula? Do you dream of fishing it? It is time to speak up! Make your voice heard on the OP by Nov 4th! Every few years, anglers have an opportunity to shape the rules and regulations for winter steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula(OP). This is such a year, and it could not come at …
Meadows: Survey results not suprising
By Dwayne Meadows Some folks might be surprised at the results of a recent poll of steelhead anglers commissioned by Trout Unlimited. The survey of more than 600 anglers from Oregon, Washington, and California found a strong majority of anglers in favor of both protecting wild steelhead runs and a balanced management approach, with some rivers managed for hatchery …
The Data: Steelhead Angler Poll Full Report
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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 …