Steelhead south of us...

[Bryan Allen]

Last Chance to Get It Right - Patagonia Stories

Rule changes and the future of the Olympic Peninsula’s wild steelhead. On Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, February is cold, dark and wet. Storms move

www.patagonia.ca

A long read-- but given how we are treating our steelhead, it is noteworthy that in the US there are attempts to get ahead of the extinction curve for steelhead that we quietly allow in the Thompson and other BC steelhead streams

 

[Sharphooks]

Just to clarify the time line, the fishing-from-boats ban was in 2021. This year, WDFG shut down the entire Olympic Peninsula as of 01 March. As of today, still shut down....”until further notice”....ALL the rivers

Lots of eyes watching the Skeena return this coming August. If it’s another repeat of 2021 with returns falling below the 8,000 fish threshold, it’s time for FLNRORD to see the writing on the wall and shut that river and all its tributaries down, all the shrill guides and lodge owners of that world notwithstanding

 

[wildmanyeah]

According to him the best steelheaders are tho ones who don’t fish for steelhead.

oh and when your not fishing for steelhead join an ENGO and become an activist for thePerhaps for the activist group Patagonia.

once the fisheries get closed all that’s left is a bunch of old guys with stories of the good old days.

the pike minnow thread on FWR is a pretty good example of this.

“Instead of arguing for more opportunities to keep pounding on fish, we should be fighting for policies that give their populations time to rebuild. We should be proud to catch fewer fish, even if that means closing rivers when it is necessary. And we should push back against anyone who says otherwise.

 

[Sharphooks]

I’ll admit I had a bit of the same gag-reflex as wildman on that piece. The guide wants everyone to leave them alone, but of course there‘s the obligatory picture of him with his hand on a wild peduncle....meanwhile, he‘s thrilled the gear guys can’t fish from boats any more so the fish get “left alone”, but he just has to be out there with his clients working really hard so as not to leave them alone.

Meanwhile, that guy, before he had his Spey awakening, was a notorious plug puller.... which is just another way of saying he was a big numbers guy. Nothing more self-righteous then a reformed numbers guy?

And the whole Kabuki play about fly fishing being somehow a more righteous and less obtrusive way to fish for a vanishing resource is complete bull shiat given normal flow conditions. I had lots of places to myself up on the Skeena system in the 70’s and 80’s and saw first hand how ridiculously effective and consistent you could be with a floating line, long leader and weighted fly...nice combo...no people and lots of fish. Yes, I was a numbers guy because...well....there they were and lots of them and 12 hours of daylight

The gist of what we should consider doing in the face of a dwindling steelhead resource is there in the article and that makes it constructive, but If you really think they should be left alone, then get off the river and leave them alone.

 

[dradons]

According to him the best steelheaders are tho ones who don’t fish for steelhead.

oh and when your not fishing for steelhead join an ENGO and become an activist for thePerhaps for the activist group Patagonia.

once the fisheries get closed all that’s left is a bunch of old guys with stories of the good old days.

the pike minnow thread on FWR is a pretty good example of this.

“Instead of arguing for more opportunities to keep pounding on fish, we should be fighting for policies that give their populations time to rebuild. We should be proud to catch fewer fish, even if that means closing rivers when it is necessary. And we should push back against anyone who says otherwise.

Once the fish are gone all that is left is a bunch of old guys with stories of the good old days. Sadly, I don't think we are going to have a different result, my personal feelings we should do all we can to save runs and that includes putting rods down when it can help runs.

 

[wildmanyeah]

I have no issues with in season management closing fishery's when numbers are low. In fact i think that's the basics of a good fishery management system.

 

[dradons]

I have no issues with in season management closing fishery's when numbers are low. In fact i think that's the basics of a good fishery management system.

That is great. It sometimes is unclear in your posts.

 

[wildmanyeah]

That is great. It sometimes is unclear in your posts.

Well because there a lot of nuances in management that I take issue with and lots of recreationally closures are not for the benefit of the fish.