View Post

Science Friday: Turn up the A/C

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Summer-time is here. That means hot weather and hot water, two things that don’t mix well with a cold-water fish like steelhead.   As we suffer through the largest heat wave of the summer, we wanted to review a piece of research that looked at how adult steelhead alter their behavior and use micro-habitats to cope with warm weather and …

Stand Up For Clean Water

In Live Action Alerts by Nick Chambers

When anglers think of steelhead water, we tend to think of big, muscular rivers like the Skagit, Umpqua and Eel. We don’t usually think of tributary streams small enough to step across, or even that go dry at times.   We should. Such streams are very important for steelhead, particularly for spawning and rearing. In California, for example, 64 percent of …

Science Friday: Ephemeral Streams Provide Key Steelhead Habitat

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

    Previously we wrote about the importance of ephemeral streams to steelhead. These are smaller waters, typically in headwaters and tributary drainages, segments of which dry back in summer or that flow intermittently. Today we pick up the topic again because of recent developments on the federal policy front that threaten these important habitat areas.   On July 27, …

How to rig a spoon

In Oregon by Nick Chambers

By Bill Herzog   Casting and retrieving/swinging spoons for steelhead has made a bit of a comeback the last ten years. Nice to see the oldest technique for steelhead experience a bit of career resurgence. Rigging our spoons- that is the configuration of swivels and hooks- has to not only be the right size and style but also serve a …

Science Friday: Hitch-Hiking Smolts

In Idaho, Oregon, Science Friday, Washington by Nick Chambers

Last week we talked about the importance of spill for out-migrating kelts and smolts in the Columbia Basin. Increasing spill is only one method employed to enhance downstream survival of smolts. As early as the mid-1950s smolts were loaded onto barges and moved downstream past the dams through the lock system. While fisheries managers experimented with this tactic early on …

Anglers ask NOAA to expedite Skagit decision

In Washington by Nick Chambers

Hundreds of anglers, industry representatives and community businesses all signed on to a letter urging the National Oceananic and Atmospheric Adminstration to expedite a review that would re-open the Skagit River for the 2018 winter/spring steelhead season. The following letter was recently submitted:   Barry Thom West Coast Administrator Peter Dygert Branch Chief Anadromous Harvest Management National Marine Fisheries Service …

What is a B-run steelhead?

In Oregon, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Fisheries managers predict this will be a very bad year for returning B-run steelhead in the Snake River. The Snake, with its headwaters straddling the Teton Range on the Idaho-Wyoming border, is the largest tributary to the Columbia and its intact habitat and steelhead runs are vital to the overall health of Columbia River steelhead populations. Despite the high quality …

Science Friday: The different life histories of adult steelhead

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Last week we reviewed the terms used to define different stages of the juvenile steelhead life cycle. This week we break down the life stages of adults and describe their different life histories, which are remarkably diverse.   The adult steelhead life stage may be delineated into two categories: adults and kelts. Adults are fish that are mature or preparing …

Science Friday: The life stages of juvenile steelhead

In Oregon, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

We have spent the last several weeks introducing and defining a variety of terms used in steelhead management. This week, we shift to looking at terms related to steelhead biology, specifically terms used to describe different life stages of juvenile steelhead.   Let’s start with eggs. These are the little round suckers that produce the fish. Seriously, everyone understands the …

Science Friday: What the heck do all those acronyms mean?

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Science Friday! Another chance to dive into the weeds and define some of the jargon used when discussing, studying and evaluating hatchery steelhead. This week we focus on acronyms commonly used in hatchery management plans.   Anyone who has read through a Hatchery Scientific Review Group plan or review, or most any resource management plan for that matter, has probably …