Western Washington steelheaders are faced with some tough decisions this year as runs on the Olympic Peninsula are forecast to be low but a reduced fishery is being allowed by WDFW. Here are some considerations before hitting the water.
New Support for Game Wardens on Washington’s Coastal Rivers
Wild Steelheaders United has partnered with our partners at the Wild Steelhead Coalition and the Wild Salmon Center to support Washington’s game wardens and have donated a variety of gear and technical equipment that has a retail value over $20,000 and gives WDFW Law Enforcement the ability to monitor many more miles of river and public lands.
A new normal for steelheading
In Washington, co-managers of coastal winter steelhead fisheries were faced with the difficult task this year of balancing angling opportunity and conservation. We break down the new emergency regulations and what the future may hold.
Washington Coast Winter Steelhead: Will There Be A Season?
Next week, WDFW hosts the second town hall in a series of meetings for the planning of the coastal winter steelhead season on Washington’s coast.
Planning set to begin for Washington coast winter steelhead season
This week, WDFW kicks off the coastal winter steelhead season planning with the first in a series of virtual town halls.
An unfortunate reality: Depleted Olympic Peninsula steelhead and emergency conservation measures
Last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) enacted new regulations coast-wide with the stated goal of reducing our encounter rates on these last, best wild runs here in Washington. This includes some serious changes to the way we fish for steelhead.
WDFW grants permission to Cooke Aquaculture to raise triploid trout in Puget Sound
By John McMillan, Wild Steelhead Science Director Conserving and restoring our wild steelhead runs requires a blend of habitat work, adjustments in management and angling policy, and advocacy from the angling community. As anyone who follows us here at Wild Steelheaders United knows, one of the issues we look at frequently is the impact of captive-hatched or reared fish on …
An update on the Skagit steelhead fishery and implications for the Olympic Peninsula
By John McMillan Although winter steelhead season has begun, between the rain and snow those of us living in Washington haven’t had much of a chance to hit the rivers. That is by definition winter steelheading, however, and we wouldn’t love it so much if the weather and river flows were perfect all the time. Whether drifting or banking it, …
Skagit to Open to Steelhead Fishing Once Again
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 12, 2018 Contact: Rob Masonis, VP for Western Conservation, Trout Unlimited, rmasonis@tu.org, 206-491-9016 Nick Chambers, Wild Steelhead Initiative Organizer, nchambers@tu.org, 541-908-1329 Trout Unlimited and Wild Steelheaders United applaud decision to re-open Skagit River wild steelhead fishery, call for additional analysis of fishery impact limits to ensure consistency with recovery SEATTLE—Trout Unlimited (TU) and …
Upcoming Public Meetings for Skagit Catch and Release Fishery
One of the few real success stories in steelhead conservation over the past decade is the comeback of wild steelhead in the Skagit River system. As we have been saying for several years, the rebound of this population has been substantial enough to consider re-opening the Skagit for a spring steelhead season. Wild Steelheaders United and other angling advocates have …