March Slab of the Month Entry: Whistler Steelhead

I fished with Whistler Fly Fishing and Bulkley River Lodge guide Pat earlier this year on the Thompson.  We got blanked that trip. On a recent trip to the windward side of the hill, Pat makes up for it and then some...

Poachers armed with gill nets threaten endangered steelhead

Due to a lack of enforcement manpower State Department Fish and Game Wardens have resorted to the cunning use of signs.

It goes on all the time. Virtually every drainage in the county, we have found gill nets in," said the local supervising warden Don Kelly, who has worked on and off in the area since the early '80s.

LINK  (Via:The Santa Cruz Sentinel)

During the dry season 98% of the Eel River flows are diverted to the Russian River

In a last ditch effort to save crashing salmon and steelhead runs, the Friends of the Eel River have brought legal action before the State Water Resources Control Board to get the state to significantly cut back on the diversion of Eel River water to the Russian River. Conversely, the resulting elevated flows on the Russian are also threatening the State and federally listed Russian River’s endangered salmon and steelhead.

Prior to the diversion project the Eel used to get a run of 500,000 salmon and steelhead....the run today averages 15,000 fish.

LINK (Via: The Times Standard)

March Slab of the Month Entry: Oregon Steelhead

Photos Courtesy of Mike Davidchik

Brian Chou's coastal buck ain't the only one with a low hanging jaw...

Steelhead Stimulus

The federal government is considering spending $7.5 million to design and build a new fish ladder to help steelhead trout negotiate Santa Paula Creek in Southern California.

LINK (Via: Scripps News)

Santa Paula Creek, located in southwest Ventura County, California, is one of three main historical spawning tributaries for endangered southern steelhead. 

Worried Yet?

Motivated by my love of fly fishing for steelhead, and my desire to help preserve them and their habitat, I recently joined the board of the Wild Steelhead Coalition. Since joining I've had a chance to see first hand the hard work put forth by the volunteer advocates of these great fish and the places they return to every year. It is work bound together by a desire to save wild steelhead and all to often it seems like a losing fight.

I'd like to make a personal appeal to the entire Chum nation to read the five actions you can take to help save wild steelhead and consider joining the Wild Steelhead Coalition. Every contribution is critical, every voice is vital - and your voice could make a difference.

Thanks!