News — editorials

Salmon & Steelhead declines in Southwest Washington

Posted July 13, 2014

A large & rare wild steelhead. The following is a short interview with Richard Dyrland, a hydrologist and river conservationist. He is an active participant in the conservation of our local streams & rivers. I met him during a plant of Chum Salmon into one of our Southwest Washington rivers – The Lewis to be specific. Upon meeting Richard, I was immediately struck by his down-to-earth manner and caring spirit towards our water systems and fish populations. Below are my questions and his answers. I hope they shed some light into the state of our fisheries. What prompted you to get...

Gearing up for Winter Fishing

Posted July 02, 2014

Winter fishing is an amazing but unpredictable time in the great Northwest. The weather can change in a blink of an eye with temperatures dropping below freezing and water levels can change drastically within a couple of hours. Fishing conditions become more and more dangerous as the winter days go by. Being prepared for these conditions will make your next outing much more safe and enjoyable.First things first, you need to wear a good set of thermal layers and warm socks for they keep your body heat in the best. If you are going to be wading make sure you buy...

EDITORIAL: WHY DO YOU KILL HATCHERY FISH?!!

Posted May 20, 2014

Browsing over the interaction prompted from a recent picture we posted on our page, the question was posed “Why do you guys out west kill all of your hatchery fish?” I paused, immediately a little defensive. That question gets at me. I love fish. I love fishing. I don’t mindlessly kill fish without a good reason. It makes sense however though that in other regions of the country the hatchery vs. native fish conversation is a foreign concept. They aren’t familiar with the balance (or imbalance) with which we have managed our rivers and fisheries. In the Pacific Northwest we live in...

3 Rules for Handling Steelhead

Posted May 19, 2014

I remember fishing the summer of 2013 for Fall Chinook on the lower Columbia. As we held anchor in deeper water we watched the summer steelhead fishermen on the sandy banks, plunking for Steelhead. They we're doing pretty well as a matter of fact. It was difficult however, to see someone kicking a wild fish back into the water. They hauled it up onto the sand, let it flop around and then kicked it back into the water.This reminded me that education has still got a long ways to go.We're talking Wild Steelhead. What is it about wild steelhead that...