What happened to my summer runs?

In Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Shauna Sherard

    Editors note: This is the first in a multi-part series looking at both the decline and recovery of wild steelhead runs.    By Bill Herzog Here I am, as far into the corner of eastern Washington as you can get, waist deep in the mighty Snake River, two hander whooshing around me every few minutes. I’m immersed, literally …

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 …

New Conservation Atlas and Trip Planner: Custom maps with the click of a mouse.

In Idaho, Oregon, Steelhead Files, Washington by steelheaders

  The mapping applications available on wildsteelheaders.org have just been updated and now include two new cutting-edge map viewers – a wild steelhead Conservation Atlas and a steelhead fishing trip planner. Both maps are presented in an interactive format, allowing users to select layers to show on the map, pan and zoom to an area of interest, click on layers …

Oregon HGMP scoping comments

In Oregon, Steelhead Files by steelheaders

March 17, 2016   Sent via email to: OregonCoastHatcheryEIS.wcr@noaa.gov     National Marine Fisheries Service Sustainable Fisheries Division 2900 NW Stewart Parkway Roseburg, OR 97471   RE: Oregon Coast Hatchery EIS Scoping Comments   To Whom It May Concern: Trout Unlimited (TU), the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring our nation’s trout and …

Rapid Genetic Change in Hatchery-reared Steelhead

In Oregon, Science Friday, Steelhead Files by steelheaders

Rapid Genetic Change in Hatchery-reared Steelhead By John McMillan Here is another paper hot off the press from Mark Christie, former researcher at Oregon State University in the Michael Blouin genetics lab, and several other authors. They looked into whether and how quickly genetic changes could be detected in the offspring of wild steelhead when they were bred in a …

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 …

Oregon’s loss of funding shows we’ve got work ahead of us

In Oregon, Steelhead Files by steelheaders

Loss of funding shows we’ve got work ahead of us  By: Dean Finnerty Oregonians have known for years about the need to clean up our act with regard to water pollution standards along our favorite salmon and steelhead streams in western Oregon.   That reality hit home recently. After the Oregon Board of Forestry ignored its own science and refused to make significant changes to address …

New Steelhead Science and Potential Management Changes

In Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by steelheaders

Surviving Puget Sound: One of the best parts of my job is sharing scientific research with anglers, who seem to have an almost insatiable appetite for understanding steelhead. Sharing information is important not only to help anglers understand steelhead, but also because more informed anglers make better advocates. Wild steelhead will need as many advocates as possible if we are …

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 …

Steelhead Angler Science

In Oregon, Steelhead Files, Washington by steelheaders

  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 …