Save The Metolius....Again

Here is the scenario folks. Let's take a pristine wilderness area with the most wonderful trout river in all of Oregon and do what with it???? Make a couple of destination resorts!!! Hell yeah! We need a few more damn golf courses so rich fat cats can chase a little white ball all over what used to be Ponderosa pine forests.
All in the name of money. Thing is most common middle class Oregonians will not be able to afford to even stay at places like what they are planning to build.
I have to wonder is anything sacred anymore? Must we spoil the truly magical and beautiful places we have left?
They say minimal impact huh? We'll see but the point remains that these resorts bring hordes of people to an area where the human footprint has been minimal.
For those of you not familiar with the Metolius river and the area surrounding it just picture a trout stream bubbling up from deep volcanic caverns. Crystal clear water and so breathtaking in it's beauty that one can literally shed tears over this place.
It's a damn shame!

Article from "The NuggetNews" Sisters, Oregon

The decision rendered last week by the state Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) appears to be little more than a speed bump in the road to building two destination resorts within a few miles of Sisters. One of the developers is pleased with the results of the decision, and the other is cautiously optimistic about the ruling, which will require further work by Jefferson County on identifying wildlife habitat and descriptions of forest zones.
Nothing in the remand ruling would appear likely to derail resort plans.
The two "Final Orders and Opinions" were issued on February 11. One document consisted of 48 pages and the other was 49 pages in length. The various parties are still studying the documents to determine the finer points of the decisions, and in some cases it may be a few weeks before each of the parties has determined the full implications.
Ponderosa Land and Cattle Company, with a 2,500-acre development in the Green Ridge area has expressed cautious optimism but is waiting until their legal representatives have had the opportunity to examine the decisions in detail.
"We haven't yet gotten together to really go over it as our lead council is on vacation. We expected it to come back and are pleasantly surprised that it is a manageable short list, but it will take some time to unravel all of what needs to be done," said Rick Allen of Ponderosa Land and Cattle Company.
Oregon Landwatch is both pleased and disappointed by the final order and is considering whether to appeal the decisions which must be filed by March 3.
"We haven't yet completely digested the decisions or talked yet with our clients. Obviously, we were pleased with the remand that we got, but the significant decision that we are not happy with is that Code 5 doesn't protect the water," said Paul Dewey of Oregon Landwatch.
Friends of the Metolius are in much the same situation. They still haven't had the time to fully digest the information.
"We will be getting together to discuss the decision and see where we will go from here," said Gregory McClarren, the president of Friends of the Metolius.
Sisters-based Dutch Pacific Resources has already examined the two opinions in some detail and is pleased with the decisions on several fronts.
"We were very pleased with the decisions, especially that most of the complaints were dismissed by the Land Use Board of Appeals and the one that was remanded was really more of just a request for more data," said Jim Kean, co-manager of Dutch Pacific Resources.
Kean also believes that the decision was an important one for Jefferson County that created the furor through its development of a new comprehensive plan for the county that included destination resorts.
"Jefferson County went overboard in their process to comply with state law when they adopted the mapping amendment. The main contention was that Jefferson County ignored everyone and didn't do a good job and it was incomplete. I think that Jefferson County has been vindicated. They (Jefferson County) knew that it was going to come to this and went the extra mile with their process. For a small and under-resourced county, it was no small achievement to develop such a comprehensive plan," Kean said.
During the time of appeals and while waiting for LUBA's rulings, Dutch Pacific has not let the grass grow under its feet.
"We have been quietly working on the project, and there have been tons of people who have come out of the woodwork wanting to be involved. We have a really top-flight team working on our project, and we have received tons of invitations to come to charrettes (meetings) about sustainability and water use. I think we are in an exciting time," said Kean.
The Dutch Pacific destination resort development is called "The Metolian" and is unusual in that it is designed to have minimum impact on the land and the environment. Sustainable principles and green building practices are at the heart of the development, and it is believed by the owners that this kind of development may serve as a model for future resorts in the growing eco-tourism market.

For Shelly

I lost a friend today. I wrote about her back in 2006 although I never revealed her name.

"One person stands out to me as one of the most real and sincere people I know. She suffers from a very serious health problem but you would never know it by reading her posts or her blog. She does not complain at all! She also will rip you a "new one" if you cross her but those who do cross her have it coming. She does not mince words and I find that very refreshing. She knows I'm talking about her and she is what I consider a good "net" buddy and besides she has some really cool tattoos"

She lost her long battle with lung disease but she fought a courageous fight until the end. Shelly had classiness about her that we all could learn from and I know I did.As I wrote previously she didn't seek sympathy or pity! She was tough as nails and never minced words but if she liked you she would do anything for you.
It's a lonelier world tonight as I mourn the passing of Shelly Talent. Too many times we tend to over glorify a person after their passing but it's not the case as far as Shelly is concerned. To borrow a cliche she was the real deal in every sense of the word.

Perhaps William Shakespeare says it best

Fear no more the heat o' the sun
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust
Fear no more the frown o' the great,
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.
Fear no mote the lightning-flash
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash
Thou hast finished joy and moan:
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

Goodbye Shelly I will miss you

So Much For Tradition

Sad news!
Hardy of Alnwick England, the maker of legendary fly reels and the major caretaker of fly fishing tradition has fallen to the riches of a global economy.
So hold on to those old Perfects, Bougles and St.Georges because they are now relics of a bygone day when tradition meant something in our sport.
Certainly the Hardy Brothers must be rolling over in their graves at this.
Here are the details from nebusiness.co.uk
World famous fishing tackle manufacturer Hardy & Greys aims to double in size within the next five years.
The plans come after dramatic restructuring saw the Alnwick-based company make 16 redundancies at the end of 2005 after moving reel production from its headquarters to Peterlee.
It has farmed out manufacturing abroad, upped its exports and moved out of solely producing its celebrated fly-fishing gear into coarse angling equipment and even making aerials for military vehicles.
And as the changes began to take effect, 2006 saw the 128-year-old company generate £9.1m worth of sales, 10% up on the previous year and £4.6m higher than 2003. In three years, Hardy's has reduced costs by moving 80% of its manufacturing to the Far East and by looking beyond its traditional fly-fishing market into sea, carp and coarse fishing.
As part of this strategy, Hardy & Greys took over European distribution for the US company Fishpond in 2006 and in 2005 bought Chub, an Essex-based carp fishing equipment firm.
It now employs 87 people, most of whom are located at its headquarters, with seven employed at a new 50,000sq ft warehouse in Cramlington. Hardy's managing director Richard Sanderson said: "Three years ago, 66% of our staff were employed in manufacturing our products. Now that figure is less than 20% [about 20 people], with a far greater emphasis placed on sales and marketing and research and development."
Now after driving through the changes and seeing the business double in size since his arrival in 2003, Mr Sanderson is bullish about the future. He said: "We are confident of achieving our objectives by continuing to incorporate three main thrusts to our strategy.
"The first is that our products are now largely manufactured in the Far East and, as a result, they have become price competitive in foreign markets like the US [because the pound is much stronger than the dollar]. Secondly, during the course of 2007 we anticipate producing around 350 new products with in excess of 500 anticipated for 2008, which will give us a tremendous sales boost.
"Thirdly, we are aiming to expand in all markets where we are currently under- performing. Despite enjoying a significant share of the fly-fishing market, we have now also entered the carp and course fishing business and they are the biggest parts of the UK market."

A Master at Work

I was fortunate enough to take a trip down a coastal stream today with guide Mike McCune of Spey Water Guide Service and although I did not hook any steelhead I had a great time! Mike is an expert of the Skagit line for two-handed rods so the learning experience itself was worth it. Mike is also an expert oarsman as he floated my over fed carcass down some very tricky white water and I also got to see him hook,land and release this beautiful wild coastal winter steelhead.

I don't usually promote a business on this blog but I will make the exception for Mike as he is a true gentleman and a fine angler.
Thanks again for the great day Mike!
Actually I was doubly lucky to share the front seat with another expert spey angler and good friend John Bracke. John has a passion for wild fish and so it is no surprise that he and I get along so well.

John has helped me focus on what is truly important as a responsible fly fisherman and conservationist. He has long fought the battle for our wild coastal steelhead and anyone who share a concern for wild fish owes a concerned conservationist like John a debt of gratitude.

Dr. Lenox Dick 1916-2008

From The Fly Fishing Shop in Welches Weekly Newletter 2/17/08

A treasured friend, Lenox Dick passed away peacefully and apparently at his own wish after a short hospital stay several weeks ago. Len's notable list of accomplishments included being a founding member of the Fly Fishers Club of Oregon, author of many fly fishing articles & the book The art & Science of Fly Fishing. He was perhaps the oldest person to row his drift boat through White Horse Rapids when he was 86 years old. At 91,he was still scrambling up and down the steep banks of the Deschutes on his stretch above Maupin. The fly fishing community will miss him.

Guess What? Hatchery Steelhead Do Spawn!

Flyfishing for hatchery steelhead on Oregon's Umpqua River


The following article by Bill Bakke of Native Fish Society generates more questions than answers for me.
If hatchery steelhead are allowed into upper areas of a river with a wild steelhead population and can spawn then why would fish and wildlife department release hatchery smolt at the upper reaches of a river?(This happens in Oregon) They had to know that this could be disastrous for rivers with a population of main stem spawning wild steelhead.
This goes to show that we cannot take what our fish and wildlife officials say at face value.I would also exhort anyone fishing for hatchery steelhead to harvest the maximum the law allows...please. You may get a warm fuzzy feeling releasing a hatchery fish but in truth you are doing the wild steelhead population of that river no favors by doing so


I’m sure it’s a surprise to most of you reading this to find out hatchery fish do spawn naturally in rivers. At one time Oregon declared that they shouldn’t do that, but it has now been confirmed that they do anyway.
The Skykomish River is a tributary to Puget Sound. In a recent genetics study of Skykomish summer steelhead by Todd W. Kassler and others said, “Hatchery salmonids can naturally reproduce.”
Since 1962 from zero to over 200,000 hatchery steelhead smolts were released in the river per year. Because many of these were released above Sunset Falls, (an impassable barrier to steelhead on the NF Skykomish River), the fish are transported over the falls.
Since 1998, the authors note, “the number of non-ad clipped adult steelhead has been between 26-73% of the number of steelhead counted at the falls.” Since there was no wild production above the falls, these fish are naturally produced by hatchery fish above the falls. They also found there are three distinct groups of summer steelhead in the river, but Sunset Falls steelhead are more similar to hatchery fish than to NF Skykomish river steelhead.
This research came to the startling conclusion “that there has been mixing between hatchery-origin and wild-origin steelhead in the Skykomish River basin.”
Since the hatchery summer steelhead came from Skamania Hatchery on the Washougal River (a Columbia River tributary) the scientists have also proved that it is possible to transplant fish successfully from one ecosystem to another. It is a great success story that confirms the theory behind WDFW’s long-standing “one size fits all” steelhead management policy. All one has to do is set up a structure where steelhead are reared at a hatchery then transported around the state for release. Oregon has long followed this same policy. Borrowed from industry, it is an economically efficient model that is more concerned with supplying hatchery fish to the sport and commercial fisheries than protection of wild runs.
The Skykomish steelhead study has uncovered an additional benefit of this industrial hatchery approach: hatchery fish create their own naturalized run, adding to the benefits of stocking.
Over forty years ago, I asked Cliff Millenbach, Washington Game Department, about the wisdom of stocking non-native hatchery steelhead in Washington Rivers. With firm conviction he told me that all the steelhead raised in Washington hatcheries are native to Washington. That was not only the agency’s version of sound science but a summary of their genetic policy. We know better now, and probably knew better back then, but both WDFW and ODFW continue to release non-native steelhead and salmon into far-flung rivers, even those with ESA-listed fish.
Wild steelhead in Puget Sound rivers are now listed as a threatened species, so it was with relief that the researchers concluded that: “…hatchery steelhead have reproduced naturally for multiple generations, but does not provide any evidence that they would be sustaining if the hatchery program quit supplementing the run.”
The WDFW leadership may take that statement to mean the hatchery program must continue so the sportsmen can have a kill fishery. 
It would be entirely progressive and welcome if they stopped the hatchery releases and invested their time and money in recovering the Skykomish River wild summer steelhead as required by the ESA.

                    Do you wear this badge RJ?

The Angry Angler

Yep, that's me apparently. I make no excuses or apologies for my scorched earth attitude concerning wild salmon and steelhead.
The way I see it is there can be no fence sitting as we watch the steady decline of the abundant wild fish we once took for granted.
I think, as I've written on this blog, that those who are in the spotlight of the fishing scene have a responsibility to the fish and to all who put these people on some sort of pedestal.
They can claim that they never sought the notoriety they now have but since they accept it and in some cases profit from it then it's time to step up and set the example but many do not.
I get angry when they don't and their undeserved influence causes their followers to take the path of least resistance when it comes to conservation.They need to be called out publically and I'm not the only one who does it.
Apathy will defeat us if we let it and we just cannot afford to let that happen besides apathy got us here in the first place didn't it?
Perhaps my methods are crude and annoying to some but how else do we motivate and educate those who do not realize the peril our wild fish are in.
My good friend says "Shane, you are too confrontational" and maybe I am but since the whole future of wild salmonids has been politicized and marginalized what other tactic is there?
Could I say "Please help wild fish...pretty please" ? Would that work or would the in your face, get involved or get the hell out of the way technique be more effective?
I've no doubt made some enemies along the way but I suppose that is inevitable and while I never wanted to make enemies I accept it as the consequence of my fervor.
I'm not in the mood to make nice as the Dixie Chicks would say because making nice does not work when the harvest mentality is being dealt with.
So as Popeye would say "I yam what I yam" and I'm not involved in helping wild salmon, trout and steelhead to make a name for myself and I'm not about to spare the spare feelings of those who are the stumbling blocks to wild salmonid recovery.
The use of the word "recovery" might be too euphemistic though. It may be more of a case of trying to staunch the hemorrhaging as much as possible but it has to be done.
So if I've offended some then really all I can say is deal with it because it's the way I am and the way I will be.
Thanks

Ain't it Glorious?

What are some of the most wonderful words one can ever hear? Certainly "I love you" would be at the top and especially today. "Congratulations,it's a boy or it's a girl" would rate right up there as would "Would you care to come up for a drink?" at the end of a date a with a beautiful woman.
For this old man though, I would have to put "PITCHERS and CATCHERS REPORT TODAY" right up there as wonderful,glorious and invigorating a statement I would like to hear this time of year and at this time of my life
There is plenty of time as the spring and summer progresses to get disgusted in the plight of my favorite baseball team but right now today, February 14, 2008, those words are music to my ears.
With the beginning of spring training comes a renewal of hope after a tough winter. A rite of passage from the gloom, a moment in the sun...ain't it glorious?

John Fogarty knew the feeling

and so did Kirk Gibson

Are Wild Fish Just a Commodity?

Websters defines a commodity as one that is subject to ready exchange or exploitation within a market. The key word here is exploitation! With this in mind have our wild salmon, steelhead and trout become just another means to make money?
I certainly think they have. The state of Oregon will take a run of wild steelhead and turn their offspring into harvestable hatchery fish with the claim that these broodstock fish are a better hatchery product. In truth what they have done is use these wild steelhead as a means to sell licenses and provide area fishing guides with a way to capitalize on this diminishing resource. My friend describes this as guide welfare.
How about allowing a harvest of wild coastal cutthroat trout? Again the state claims that by doing this it will get young people excited about fishing and since they are the future license buyers it will be a win/win situation? See the big picture here?
It's really not a new concept at all unfortunately. The country has been exploiting nearly every natural resource this tired old planet has to offer without putting anything back. We have pushed our environment to the brink!
It's not a very encouraging scenario and one could easily get discouraged but there does seem to be an awareness emerging among concerned people who want to take whatever steps necessary to turn this alarming trend around.
In the past I've witnessed the state of Oregon take steps to return our runs of wild salmonids back into some semblance of recovery. The north coast wild steelhead were making a come back due largely to angler education like catch and release for wild steelhead. The Nestucca river was turning the corner and we were seeing good runs of these wild fish returning and successfully spawning proving that it can be done with some intelligent fishery management. Well you probably can guess the rest of the story and the sad saga of the steelhead broodstock programs on the coastal rivers. We are now seeing these recovering runs slipping back into critical condition and for what? To sell more licenses and give the fishing guides a money making opportunity on a run of fish that should have been left alone or at least not exploited for profit.
It's all about money and keeping antiquated programs afloat and maybe a little cronyism thrown in just for good measure.
It is time to get a grip with reality and that reality is easy to understand. We cannot allow our last few remaining wild salmonids to be bartered about like a sack of corn.
The Quiet Pool has been likened to some radical Eco-terrorist group like ALF (Animal Liberation Front) because of my outspoken defense of wild salmon and steelhead. First of all I really doubt that I have that much influence, if any, on ODFW policy through my writings here. This is just my thoughts and opinions and while I strive to back what I say with facts I make no claim to be an expert.
I am simply a concerned angler trying to make a difference in whatever humble way I can.
Thanks for reading

Save the Coastal Cutthroat Trout

It's a pretty sure bet that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will advance a public proposal to allow a harvest of coastal cutthroat trout in all rivers above the Salmon river near Lincoln City. Although the fish biologists have no real clues as too actual populations of these trout their desire to make up for a shortfall in fishing license sales will make them focus their attention on the last remaining wild cutthroat trout populations in order to boost sales and public interest.
This is a battle we fight every four years and this year will be no different. The harvest drunk "sportsmen" of Tillamook county are already salivating over the prospect of two a day, with an eight inch minimum, harvest.

You find a few of these knuckle draggers on the internet in the usual places talking about how great it would be to kill a few of these fish. After all how are we going to keep our kids interested in fishing without letting them kill their catch?
So friends I am asking you to make your voices heard and let the ODFW know how foolish this notion is. I am not claiming to be a biologist but I do know a bit about the cutthroat trout populations in this region and the huge numbers that locals claim are just not there. Anyone who gives a damn about wild fish and is familiar with these trout will tell you the exact same thing.
They can be reached at the Tillamook Regional office of the ODFW 503-842-2741 and you can talk directly to the individuals that will be involved with any cutthroat harvest.
Ask for either Rick Klumph, Robert Bradley or Keith Braun at the Tillamook ODFW office. Ask them where they are getting their evidence that these trout can sustain a harvest and be sure and ask them where in the watershed they are collecting this information and by what means.
I'm pretty sure you will get a lot of double talk but ask them anyway. I will write more information as to dates for public hearing etc. where this harvest can be addressed in public.
I'm putting everything on the line to save these fish and if you have enjoyed anything I've written over the almost two years the Quiet Pool has existed I am asking you to please help save the wonderful and wild trout.
Another thing you can do is register on the discussion board of the largest fishing forum in the northwest Ifish.net and post your feelings about a potential harvest of these trout.There are many on that website who want to kill cutthroat trout....even the owner thinks it's a good idea after once saying she was against it.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us!

The much anticipated spring chinook salmon allocation hearing has come and gone. The sports groups have pounded their chests with grandiose promises of vanquishing the hated commercial gill netters into some kind of salmon bizarro world. Yep! The vocal masses of the internet fishing website ifish.net promised to unite sports fisherman of the Columbia and Willamette river and kick ass.They made a lot of bold claims and vowed to finally get their day in the sun.....fat chance!

First of all I was not at the meeting and even if I could have I would not have gone! One lonely voice for wild fish was their from Trout Unlimited but this was not a day to discuss wild and endangered spring chinook. This was the day of fighting over the scraps of hatchery fish that the upper Columbia river native American tribes were not entitled too and what a spectacle it must have been. I followed the play by play from Oregonian outdoor columnist Bill Monroe who was present at the meeting as he gave the cyber world an outline as to what was being said before the ODFW commission.
In the end the sports groups still got the lion's share (57% to 43% for the commercials) but it was not the lion's share they anticipated. They still get six out of seven days to fish with the commercials getting only one day and still they bellow like a spoiled fat kid who didn't get the whole candy bar. Oh yes and they also started to do what they do best! Fighting amongst themselves and finger pointing. The out numbered commercial gill netters, putting their individual differences aside, still outflanked them and both user groups will have to vie for the available salmon between the I-5 Bridge and Bonneville dam.
So we once again see greed win out and sports fishermen still come out of this looking as ridiculous, greedy and fragmented as they always have.
Hope these people will be as motivated when addressing issues that affect wild fish but I will not be holding my breath. Sports groups have always been conspicuously absent when it comes to conservation issues.
The one winner of the day is, as it always is when it comes to dividing the hatchery pie, greed.

Pimping the Resource - Revisited

Yes friends I know that I am kind of cynical sometimes but hey if the glass is half empty then that is the way I see it.
So once again this year I go to the Portland Sportsman show and yes I got in for free. Seems someone actually thought my meager fly tying skills was something to be exhibited so go figure.
The one thing that was different this year was the presence of the CCA. I must admit that I was impressed at their efforts as far as getting their name out there.
Their banners proclaimed "Save our Wild Salmon and Steelhead Join CCA" Hmmmm. One would think that this group is going to be force in anadromous fish conservation. Well , as I have stated before, we shall see.
So anyway back to my day at this outdoor sports extravaganza. Once you get passed the buxom young females hawking archery gear and the seemingly endless array of lodges, guides and outfitters what do you have? Well let's simply put it this way. If you go there expecting to find a plethora of nice fly fishing gear, conservation groups and the intimate camaraderie of fellow anglers you will be disappointed.
What you will find is huge amounts of testosterone, stuffed animals and good old American excesses and oh yeah, a lot of cowboy hats. I mean come on folks why would anyone display a mounted head of an African elephant or an African lion? I found these displays offensive! Then you have the caged up north American predator exhibit. Wolves, coyotes, bobcats and foxes looking miserable as people filed by no doubt many of them wishing they could put a bullet in one of these pitiful captives.
In short I found this "Sportsman's" show to be little more than a chest thumping display of gluttony and greed.
Trout Unlimited was there, safely sequestered in some distant corner of the hall but the lack of true conservation organizations was noticeable and troubling. Instead I saw a lot of wild fish being hoisted out of the water for ego pictures and a lot of dead animals that should not have been dead like a full sized mount of a Grizzly bear.
Even in a depressed economy there was a lot of money changing hands with many poor saps who didn't get a freebie admission like I did having to shell out almost twenty dollars for parking and admission before setting foot in the door.
I found this bazaar to be a microcosm of the state of our natural resource awareness and I'm sure the "Kill the Sea Lions" stickers sold well. The things that really matter like wild fish and responsible conservation practices are not profitable enough to merit much attention.
Oh yes and most of the northwest fishing celebs and guides were there for maximum face time. These are the folks that make their money on northwest hunting and fishing but give little back! A $3 salmon and steelhead lure with a popular NW fishing websites URL printed on it???? How does $10 sound?
To quote one of the few enlightened people from ifish.net when commenting on a well known NW fishing guide who was lamenting on ifish.net about how much money he lost from lack of fish.

"It is all about money, nothing more nothing less. To not express concern for the resource but for the money you did not make, you should be ashamed of yourself.
People look up to professionals for accurate and expert advise on issues such as this, what appears to have happened is it turned into an issue if you do not help I will be broke.
Good luck in abusing your resource wait a minute you are also abusing mine!"

The enlightened poster is describing resource pimping of the worst kind here! I think one of the biggest pet peeves I have is people making money on the backs of our resource and giving nothing back. If you think I might be talking about you then I probably am.

Super Tuesday for Coho Salmon

NOAA's Fisheries Service Lists Oregon Coast Coho for Federal Protection

NOAA's Fisheries Service said today it was listing Oregon coast coho as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. A federal district court said last October the agency had erred in deciding not to list the stock in 2006 because it took into account certain information provided by the state of Oregon. The court directed NOAA Fisheries to issue a new listing decision by today, without considering the information from Oregon that the court identified as not being the best available scientific information.

Oregon coast Coho have been the subject of debate and litigation almost continuously from the time the agency was first petitioned to list the stock in 1993.
"As the court ordered," said Bob Lohn, head of the agency's Northwest regional office in Seattle, "we have made a new determination based on the information available to us in this limited time. This schedule didn't allow us to develop and consider new information about the condition of the habitat and the benefits the coho are receiving from the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds."
"Had it not been for these limitations," Lohn added, "we may have reached a different conclusion. I continue to believe that there is great value in the Oregon plan. It boosts salmon recovery through funding, protective regulations, and -- most of all -- through the voluntary restoration efforts being undertaken by thousands of Oregon's landowners. I think the plan is making an important difference."
The agency said it would also put into place specific ESA protections, including a so-called 4(d) rule, which prohibits certain activities that harm fish, and the designation of critical habitat. The agency said there would be some impacts to state and local governments and landowners as they adjust their actions to avoid harming the newly listed coho stocks, but these effects are expected to be minor.
State restrictions on harvest and hatchery operations have been in place for some time, NOAA's Fisheries Service said, and no new restrictions are expected.
Lohn said that Oregon has mounted a "sustained and serious" effort to protect this stock, even before the court's ruling, and he hoped that work would continue.

So do you suppose the harvest drunk folks on the north coast are upset?

Can Spring be Far Behind?

Mark February 14th on your calendar folks. No, I'm not talking about Valentines day either because I would think all you guys should have that date ingrained in your psyche and if you forgot then your wife or girlfriend will probably kill you in your sleep anyway.
I'm talking about the first day of baseball spring training. Now that we have the unpleasantness of the NFL safely behind us we can turn to the sport that every fly fisherman should love.....baseball.
I've always looked to Super Bowl Sunday as the first indication that winter will eventually end, even though this winter seems endless. Although the teams are in either Arizona or Florida where even the winter temperatures are warm at times, it still invigorates me and gets me thinking about the warmer weather,insect hatches and the Deschutes.
Even in this day and age of inflated contracts and over inflated cap sizes due to steroid use I love baseball! Always have and always will.
I've always said that the football season is just a way of filling the time between the end of the World Series and the beginning of spring training.
I like tho think that spring training is much like fly fishing. You begin with high hopes and optimism. Sometimes your hopes are dashed but sometimes you meet with success. Hey if you succeed only one third of the time in baseball you are considered a star! I succeed about one third of the time in my trout angling endeavors so what does that make me? Of course my steelhead fly fishing success or I should say lack of success would surely put me back in the minor leagues.
So as the players head to the sunshine of Florida or Arizona I am anxiously awaiting the sunshine and warmth of my favorite trout haunts. I am anticipating a great season because even if I do not hook many fish I know that just being out in the sunshine will be enough.