View Post

Voices from the River: Welcome to Winter Steelhead Fishing

In Oregon by Sam Davidson

Dean hollered from upstream as a steelhead took his fly, then hollered again a moment later as the fish released it. At another spot Dean had a nice fish on for perhaps a minute, his rod bowed and bobbing. But that steelhead, too, practiced detachment. Welcome to winter steelhead fishing.

View Post

Stee-Lee: The Tributary Boss

In Lee Geist by Jonathan Stumpf

When confronted with tiny streams northwest steelheaders often reach for a spinner. A spinner is an excellent choice, but there is a perfect small water option for those of us who prefer to wobble our way into a steelhead’s lie. Acme Tackle’s ½ ounce tear-drop Stee-Lee spoon is a true steelhead hunter and I am not the first to say so.

View Post

COVID and steelhead: how anglers can stay safe and sane during the pandemic

In Alaska, California, Columbia River, Idaho, Oregon, Washington by Jonathan Stumpf

It’s been close to a month now since the first wave of stay-at-home orders were issued here in the Pacific Northwest due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, and anger, are all emotions that I’m sure we’ve all felt at one time or another as close to 92% of United States is under a stay-at-home order because of …

A Genetic Basis for Summer and Winter Steelhead – a follow up

In California, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

By Charlie Schneider   We’re going to bring things full circle this week, with a look at how emerging science can meld with policy and restoration efforts to help reach our ultimate goal of improving steelhead runs.   A previous SF post (http://www.wildsteelheaders.org/much-at-stake-in-listing-decision-on-northern-california-summer-steelhead/ ) highlighted the petition to list summer steelhead on the Eel River in Northern California, and discussed …

View Post

Science Friday: Why is your lateral line different than mine?

In Science Friday by steelheaders

Most of us working on behalf of wild steelhead love our jobs. Still, after a long week we are ready to hit the water — and share some more Science Friday steelhead knowledge.   This week we touch on a study conducted by Andrew Brown at the University of Washington, along with several co-authors. The paper is here:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059162   …

Science Friday: Can innovative methods for a wild broodstock hatchery rebuild a depleted wild population

In Oregon, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

This week we send you off with a review of a recent before-and-after study on hatchery steelhead published by Barry Berejikian and Donald Van Doornick (find the study here).  The goal of this long-term study, conducted in a handful of rivers in Hood Canal, Washington, was to determine if a well-designed hatchery program could help rebuild populations of steelhead that …

The Maury Povich Steelhead Show: You are all the father

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Took a short break from our Science Friday posts to do some actual science (on Olympic Peninsula winter steelhead) and to weigh in on some important policy issues. But now, like anglers looking for fresh winter chrome: we’re b-a-a-a-c-k.   As you know, in the Science Friday forum we discuss a wide range of topics important to the management and …

View Post

The Life Cycle of Wild Steelhead

In Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington by Nick Chambers

Well, it is steelhead season. No doubt. “Septober” is officially underway.   To celebrate the changing season we are re-posing the question that every serious steelhead angler should be able to answer in the affirmative: Do you really know a steelhead?     Think about it, we spend thousands of hours pursuing steelhead, but how much of that time is …

View Post

Science Friday: Sand bars, lagoons and moving steelhead

In California, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Back to back Science Friday posts focusing on California and the unique challenges that steelhead face in the state. This week we pivot from juvenile steelhead coping with ponded pools to a look at juveniles that enter and live seasonally in lagoons at the mouths of creeks and rivers — a phenomenon fairly common in smaller coastal watersheds in California …