Time to Ban Sulfite Based Bait Cures

Native Fish Society, Trout Unlimited and other interested partys have petitioned ODFW to ban all sulfite based eggs cures.
Research has shown that sulfite cures have been proven to kill juvenile salmonids.

Here is what I wrote on The Quiet Pool  last December

So something we have suspected for many years turns out to be true! Sodium Sulfite cured salmon and steelhead eggs kill fish.

When this study was made public a few well known bait guide David Johnson was quoted on ifish.net as saying 

"They should do the same smolt study with twinkies and see how many die"



"I'll quit using cured eggs if you quit using toilet paper"



One unenlightened bait guide from Washington brags about how he discards left over baits in the river to "imprint" on the juvenile salmon and steelhead what to look for when they return in a couple of years....sheer brilliance huh?

The fact is these knuckle draggers have never evolved as anglers. They cannot leave their comfort zone of bait use no matter what the consequences.

This study is just another hurdle that wild salmonid must face and so far the professional guides out on the river could not care less.

The article below was taken from Bill Bakke's Home Waters and Wild Fish





CURED SALMON EGG BAIT KILLS JUVENILE SALMON AND STEELHEAD



By Bill Bakke - Native Fish Society



In 2007 Jeff Misler asked the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to test cured salmon eggs for toxic compounds, for he was concerned juvenile salmonids were being killed by ingesting the bait.

Oregon State University and ODFW researchers conducted the study for ODFW and made the following discovery: Cured salmon eggs killed juvenile salmon and steelhead.

The research discovered that within a 23 day span 30% of the juvenile salmonids were killed. Upon further investigation, they found that eggs cured with sodium sulfite were lethal. It is this chemical that kills the fish.

They also tested the eggs by giving them a soak to see if they were less lethal. They were testing whether fishing softened their impact. Soak times ranged from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, but the results were the same: the fish died.

Salmon eggs are a favored bait used by anglers fishing for salmon and steelhead. Anglers cure their own eggs or buy them, but if sodium sulfite is used in the curing process they are fishing a poisoned bait.

Additional research on nutrient enrichment of salmon and steelhead streams has pointed out the fact that eggs are preferred by juvenile salmonids. Most salmon eggs are available in early winter months when the juvenile fish are seeking food in cold water when other food supplies are less abundant.

Juvenile fish are seeking the fat rich eggs and anglers fishing steelhead and salmon are using cured eggs. The combination is lethal.

ODFW officials said in a news release that “We’ve already talked with several manufactures and we’re encouraged by their commitment to solving this problem.”

However, ODFW researchers said they “…cannot predict what impact, if any, the ingestion of cured eggs by juvenile fish has on the final size of the adult population.”

In the research proposal to investigate the toxic effect of cured salmon eggs on juvenile salmonids, there is evidence of even more mortality than what was found in the OSU research. A 1979 study showed that consumption of borax cured eggs led to decreased growth and an increase in plasma corticosteroids in chinook and rainbow trout juveniles. Furthermore, we recently observed between 50-60% mortality in a preliminary study feeding cured salmon eggs (Clements Pers Obs).

Measuring the impact based on the effect on adult salmon and steelhead production, is like taking pins out of the voodoo doll. They can reason that not all juveniles survive to return as adults, so the loss of a few or even a gob of young fish is, at best, immaterial and mitigates any need to manage the use of eggs as bait.

At a time when most of our wild salmon and steelhead are depleted and designated a threatened species, sensitive species, and candidate species for ESA-listing, one would hope that the management authorities would recognize a problem rather than trying to minimize it.

Salmon Are Vital

We all know about the economic value of healthy salmon runs to our northwest rivers. Tourism, commercial and recreation dollars and the well being of many towns along both the Columbia and north coast is vital to hundreds of thousands of people.
How about the ecological value? The value of salmon to the well being to the river in this region cannot be counted because it is huge.
Having healthy salmon runs and what they add to the ecosystem is important to not only future generations of salmon but other salmonid species like steelhead and trout as well.
Juvenile salmon and steelhead depend on the nutrients supplied by the decaying carcasses to sustain them during their stay in fresh water before their out migration to salt water. Aquatic insect that these juveniles also feed on depend on those carcasses not to mention other stream side animals that feed on the dead salmon.
When this cycle is interrupted by a lack of salmon then the whole river life cycle is interrupted. Young salmonids will not survive to return to the river for future generations. Without salmon and steelhead returning to their spawning grounds the future will be bleak! Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife claimed that 5 spawning salmon per river mile is enough to sustain the needs of the river for the future. Thanks God that science and a federal judge intervened.
We need spawning salmon and I cannot put it more succinctly than that.  When wild salmon are removed from the system, whether it be by sports anglers, commercial fisheries or even tribal nets then those fish will, obviously, not spawn and the progeny they would have produced will be lost forever. Those decaying carcasses will not be their for the salmon and steelhead juveniles to feed upon.
Am I painting a bleak picture? Yes I am but it's reality folks.
Those of you that use salmon roe as bait might want to think about the long range consequences when killing a female chinook for her prized eggs.
Many experts think that the over harvest of egg laying fall chinook contribute to the decline of coastal fall chinook runs.
I would think ODFW would recognize "hen hunting" as a culprit to dwindling salmon populations but they seem to think that this is not a problem.
The numbers don't lie and instead of ranting about seas lions and Caspian Terns some of you bait guys should release that over ripe hen.

Think about it guys because you can play a part in salmon recovery instead of being one of the road blocks hindering it.

Thanks
to Bill Bakke for some of the material used in this post

Deschutes Steelhead in Hot Water...Literally!

Lots of debate going on at the various fishing websites here in the Pacific Northwest but, of course, it's mostly mindless whining by guides and hatchery steelhead lovers.
I am not going to offer an opinion on this because guess what? I wouldn't know what I am talking about just like most of the other internet geniuses that do have an uneducated opinion.
I decided to communicate with Bill Bakke of Native Fish Society who does know what he is talking about and here is the the information he emailed me.

Bakke spoke with Don Ratliff, biologist for PGE, about temperature profile changes for the lower river due to adjustments in temperature below the dams from the newly constructed fish passage and temperature adjustment tower at Round Butte Reservoir.

He asked the following questions:

1. Have you modeled the temperature changes using blend 17 at the mouth of the river, 100.1 miles downstream?
2.Have you modeled the effect of temperature changes in the lower river on resident trout, steelhead, and fall chinook?
3. Have you modeled the effect on small mouth bass breeding response in the lower river due to temperature changes?
4. Can adjustments be made in outflow temperature to deal with high ambient temperatures in the lower canyon and its affect on water temperatures?
5. Is there funding available to monitor the temperature effects on fish below the dams?

Here are the answers he received
Question 1:
According to Ratliff the temperature changes have not been modeled at the mouth using blend 17, however, the work of Chuck Huntington on temperature changes in the lower river have been used to estimate the effect of these changes.
Question 2:
The temperature changes and their effect on salmonids in the lower river, primarily below Sherars Falls to the mouth have not been determined.
Question 3:
The improved spawning and rearing conditions for small mouth bass in the lower Deschutes River below Sherars Falls due to temperature modification have not been evaluated.
Question 4:
Water temperatures in the lower Deschutes will be cooler due to releases at the dam in August and September, but it would be difficult to make adjustments in releases of water to adjust for hot ambient temperatures affecting the river in July. A concern regarding the flexibility to adjust temperature to meet environmental hot spells in the lower river is unclear because of existing regulations.
Question 5:
There is no funding available from PGE to monitor temperature effects on fish below the dam. This would have an impact on adaptive management for temperature in the lower river. Monitoring funds are directed at re-establishing salmon and steelhead above the dam.

I'm not going to try to second guess the PGE biologist but it seems to me that this whole thing was kind of a "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" by PGE.
One thing the colder water temperatures do is bring in straying hatchery steelhead destined for other watershed like the Grand Ronde. Higher temperatures would help keep those fish out in the cooler Columbia and reduce that straying.
One thing we do not need is hatchery steelhead straying into the Deschutes to inter act with wild steelhead that belong there.
I know that the Deschutes is a favorite river for many anglers throughout the region and of course they welcome steelhead to catch no matter what river they are headed for.
Let's also not forget the probable increase in small mouth bass that warmer temps will bring. I can just see it now! Metallic painted super charged bass boats hauling ass up and down the Deschutes in search of a "hawg" or two.
All I can say is I really don't trust PGE to do the right thing and I certainly do not respect any of these "Johnny Come Lately" concerned guides that are worried that their hatchery meal ticket is not going to get punched this year.
Stay tuned.....

Please Help Kyron!!!

For the Brokenhearted

Fly Fishing Ethics

For various reasons we fly fishermen are held to a higher standard as far as angling ethics go and while most of us try to exhibit good angling ethics some don't. So if you are confused or wondering what good fly fishing ethics are then you've come to the right place.
Here are a few to ponder.

Spawning Fish

Never fish in an area where you can see spawning fish working. I know it's tempting but just move on and let those spawners do their thing in peace.

Redds

Same as above. You want to leave spawning redds undisturbed. Not sure what a spawning redd looks like? Google it!

Low Holing

Gear and bait fishermen do this a lot and if you have evolved from the gut slinging crowd into fly fishing then leave this rude habit, along with your Powerbait in the past. Always ask if it's okay to step below a fellow fly angler! I like at least 100 yards of swing water below me and on the short coastal winter streams that is hard to come by. Even on big rivers like the Deschutes it is hard to get that much space. Some fly guides take it to the other extreme and act like they need a mile of river below them.

Barbless Hooks and Nets

If you intend to release your catch then pinch those barbs and try to avoid using a net. Sometimes you have to net your fish so be sure it's a rubberized net that won't remove slime from the fish. Be sure you are educated on handling wild fish.

Photos of your catch

If you've hooked a wild fish then keep it in the water. It is not good for the fish to be held out of the water for your ego shot.

Remove hatchery fish from the river

You and I pay BIG money for these fish so for cryin' out loud utilize them! You are not doing the wild salmonid populations of your river any favors by releasing hatchery salmon, steelhead and trout. Unfit to eat? Simple!Bonk it, Tag it if that is the law, open up the body cavity and THEN release it back into the river. This will provide stream nutrients for smolt, aquatic insects, crawfish and other river life. You can also take it home and use it for crab bait or fertilizer.
Disclaimer - This is what I do and might be against the fishing regulations so do this at your own risk.

Leave the river in better shape than you found it

Pretty simple actually. Anything you brought in please take it with you and maybe some extra.

It's Hatcheries to the Rescue

Once again hatcheries are going to ride to the rescue and save us all! The California Department of Fish and Game released 16.5 million fall chinook smolt as an effort to bolster horrendous returns of fall chinook in the states central valley streams.
16.5 million is a shit load of smolt! However it is pretty well known that fall chinook hatchery programs do not work out well and I would be surprised if this turned out to be any  different.
In Oregon we have our own hatchery fall chinook failures in nearly every coastal river from the Necanicum all the way south. We don't see the massive numbers like California is planting but we get about a .03% return. That makes those fish that do return about as rare as Sasquatch and about as expensive as an Imelda Marcos shoe buying trip.
This all reminds me of the saying "The height of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result"
So good luck California! I'm sure you are going to need it.

Here is the original press release from California F&W

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) completed the release of 16.5 million young Sacramento Fall-Run Chinook salmon in northern California on June 15. The majority of the young salmon, called smolts, were placed into acclimation pens in San Pablo Bay prior to release, while others were released in rivers that flow to the bay. Smolts that survive to adulthood will return in two to four years to spawn in Central Valley rivers, boosting the recovery of the species in California waters.

“We hope this year’s above-average water flow and the use of a variety of release sites will improve the overall survival of the smolts and increase the return of adult salmon to their home rivers,” said Neil Manji, DFG Fisheries Branch Chief.
On June 8, the last major release of 650,000 Sacramento Fall-Run Chinook smolts took place near Mare Island Straits adjacent to San Pablo Bay. They were trucked from Nimbus Hatchery in Rancho Cordova to the site, confined in net pens to acclimate and towed out into the bay and released on the outgoing tide. The acclimation pens are operated by the nonprofit Fishery Foundation of California (FFC).
Since the collapse of the Sacramento Fall-Run Chinook salmon stocks in 2007, DFG has stepped up acclimation efforts and selected new release sites to help improve survival rates. This year, new sites for release included the mouth of the American River (to boost returns to the American River) and Eddos Harbor on the San Joaquin River near the Antioch Bridge (to boost returns to Mokelumne and Merced rivers).
“The releases went well,” said Biologist Kari Burr, FFC Acclimation Project Manager. “Once adults return and information is collected, biologists will be able to fine-tune release locations for the coming years.”
At release sites in the San Pablo Bay and Eddos Harbor, acclimation pens provided safe haven for the 3- to 5-inch-long salmon when they were released from pitch-dark transport tanks into bay and river waters. The pens allow the smolts to adjust to their new surroundings inside the safety of the net pens.
The release sites were selected in order to minimize in-river losses due to predation, pollution and other causes, and to help minimize the number of salmon that return to a different river than the one where they were raised.
The salmon smolts were raised at and trucked in from four DFG-operated Central Valley hatcheries.

The Story of Heartbreak Hill

I guess I'm a typical angler. Somewhat superstitious, prone to rituals and mostly full of shit!
With all of that in mind I want to tell you the story of "Heartbreak Hill"
Through my fishing life I have known more than one "Heartbreak Hill"
Let's see...there's the steep hill going down into Cedar Creek on the Sandy. Then there are a few spots on the Wilson that I should call "Cardiac Hill" because I swear I am going to have a coronary infarction hauling my over fed carcass up to the road after fishing at that spot and so I don't fish there anymore.
The one I'm talking about is really a slight incline going east bound on Highway 6, better known as the Wilson River highway. It's not a hill one must ascend on foot either.
The reason I call it "Heartbreak Hill" is mainly because of the frame of mind I am most times in as I travel home after a day of swing flies for steelhead on the north coast..get it? I'm heartbroken that I didn't hook anything.
It's not always a heartbreak though. If I have a particularly good day on the river, whether it be hooking a fish or two or maybe something like seeing a bald eagle up close or a nice herd of elk. This last Tuesday I travelled to the north coast in search of trout or steelhead. My first stop was at my former go to hole for big cutthroat trout. This spot has yielded many big trout for me over the years but since ODFW, in it's infinite stupidity, deemed that these wild trout are plentiful enough to kill a few my former honey hole is now occupied by plunkers! You can only imagine the horror and anger I felt last year as I was shown a cutthroat trout near 20" gutted and in some assholes ice chest.
It was on to another former go to spot that the trout just don't hang out in that much anymore. After doing my typical ritual of working this spot downstream I was rewarded with the unmistakable take of a coastal cutthroat trout. These trout are not nibblers or slurpers as some rainbows tend to be. They announce their presence firmly,aggressively and acrobatically after they are hooked.
I was pretty pleased with that and hoped that there were other trout present but there were not so on I moved to another nearby river.
I swung steelhead flies for a while with no success and I decided to move upriver to another favorite spot.
I got a very strong take on my first cast into a quick run but he didn't stick so I moved a bit upstream and after playing tag with this fish he finally committed and I played him until he did a long line release and went on his way. I fished my way down stream but had no other willing trout. Now I know many of you catch a lot more fish than me but in my advancing years I no longer feel the need to whip the water to a froth and put up big numbers. Those days are gone and I have my memories of fish long past.
These days a couple of quality encounters do me just fine and this day was no different.
As I travelled home I did not go up "Heartbreak Hill" this day. The day was a success all in all and this old angler was more than satisfied with what he took home from his day on the river.
I guess "Heartbreak Hill" rarely shows up much anymore. I cannot think of too many bad days I have had while fishing. Sometime it's just the little things that make a trip a success. If I find a nice agate or quartz then it's a great day indeed.
It's important to me to make sure a day does not end with a ride of"Heartbreak Hill" and I fish or don't fish in my own way to see to it that that happens.
I would think that some first time visitors to this blog thinking it's site full of fly fishing secrets..sorry to disappoint. I chose the title "The Quiet Pool" for a reason and after some refinement over the 4 years of it's existence it's about where I wanted it to be from the beginning.
And while I still do my rants at the mismanagement of ODFW I mostly just like to reflect.
Thanks for reading

Spawning Wild Steelhead

Wild steelhead spawning in the river is an awesome thing to witness. When you take into account that these ocean going rainbow trout travel thousands of miles into the ocean from their river of birth and return to the same river 2-3 years later boggles the imagination.
This is why the conservation of wild salmon, steelhead and trout is so important and something very near and dear to my heart.

Hatchery Accountability by ODFW

Ever wonder how much those coastal hatchery summer steelhead cost? I can tell you they cost a hell pf a lot. We pay a premium price for our fishing here in Oregon but are we getting our moneys worth?


NATIVE FISH SOCIETY ASKS ODFW TO PROVIDE BETTER ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE STATE’S FISH HATCHERIES
By Bill Bakke
The Native Fish Society has asked the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to complete a cost/benefit analysis of Oregon’s hatchery system. Fiscal and ecological accountability is needed in the operation of Oregon’s hatchery system. This need is even more acute now with the recently announced declines in the state’s general fund.
Oregon’s fish hatchery program is growing at the rate of about a million dollars a year. This growth rate is unsustainable given the likely loss of general tax revenues that currently help fund the program. The only way to compensate for the loss of state taxpayer support for the hatchery program would be for the recreational and commercial anglers to support additional large increases to their license fees.
NFS has asked the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to complete a cost/benefit analysis for each of its separate hatchery programs in order to help determine the risks of these programs to native species and to help prioritize individual hatchery operations as reductions in these programs occur. The Hatchery Accountability Project provides a legitimate process that the department could use to determine which hatchery programs need to be reduced or eliminated. This process could lead to a smaller and more fiscally sound and sustainable hatchery program over the long term.
Oregon operates a fish hatchery system statewide that includes several dozen separate facilities. These facilities produce millions of salmon, steelhead and trout each year for release into the waters of the state to support commercial and recreational fisheries. For many years, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has said reform of the hatchery system is underway. The only major visible reform that NFS has seen has been the relocation of coastal coho releases to the Young’s Bay area and the expansion of supplementation and acclimation programs. These small changes are relatively insignificant and some may actually be counterproductive. There has not been any fundamental change to the way ODFW operates the hatchery system.
The Hatchery Accountability Project would provide the department with a legitimate way to prioritize its various programs based upon which programs are the most cost effective, which ones provide the largest benefit to the most anglers and which projects have the least potential for inflicting harm to native fish and wildlife resources. Saving the best programs and eliminating the worst ones should help lead to a more sustainable state hatchery program.
The Oregon Hatchery Accountability Project is based upon the following criteria:

• What is the return on investment in terms of fish caught in commercial and recreational fisheries?

• Are the angling opportunities provided commensurate with the investment?

• What are the environmental risks and costs associated with each hatchery program?

NFS has asked ODFW to begin the analysis on hatchery programs that a) seem overly expensive b) only serve small segments of the angling community or c) have a high risk of adversely effecting native fish and wildlife populations. Examples of such programs include:
1. The Atlantic salmon stocking program

2. The Cascade lakes brook trout stocking program

3. Trout stocking in flowing waters

4. The Willamette basin summer steelhead program

5. Programs that utilize non-native or introduced fish stocks

6. The transfer of anadromous salmonids among watersheds

“The Native Fish Society believes that the information provided by the Hatchery Accountability Project will provide ODFW, the Governor, the Oregon Legislature and the public with valuable tools to use in assuring that Oregon’s fish hatchery program is operated in the public interest for the long-term benefit and health of our native fish populations,” said NFS Executive Director Bill Bakke, “All we ask is that ODFW conduct an annual cost-benefit analysis of its hatcheries. That way the taxpayers, who are paying for the hatcheries, can make informed decisions about them. It just makes sound business sense to do so.”

The ODFW Commission will decide on the agency’s budget at their July 16 meeting, and it is NFS’ hope that the Commission will direct the agency to begin the Hatchery Accountability Project at this time.

Russ and Mike

Well dear readers I once again miscalculated the famous Deschutes river salmon fly hatch. This year it was way back in the early part of May!
As Cubs fans would say maybe next year.
I did venture over last Tuesday and while the fishing was not exactly spectacular I did have the pleasure of meeting two elderly gentlemen named Russ and Mike. We chatted for quite a while as we waited for some kind of hatch to materialize that never did.
Mike told me about his father's 1930'sNorth Umpqua encounter with none other than Zane Grey. Seems like all those stories about Mr. Grey being an arrogant ass were indeed true according to Mike's father. It was a pleasure talking with them
I fished until dark and finally enticed a couple of trout to take an interest in my caddis dry fly.
Every trip to the Deschutes is a mystery. You never know what you are going to see or who you are going to meet. I met Russ, Mike and a little toxic reptile friend that I gave a wide berth to.
I enjoy seeing the diverse wild life of central Oregon. The red winged black birds and Ospreys. The wild turkeys and the turkey buzzards lunching on a roadside carrion meal and of course the rattle snakes.
The ride home through the wilderness between Pine Grove and the Timberline turn off is something I always enjoy.
I use that time to think and ponder everything from how my ball club is doing to how to save wild fish. Most times I listen to books on CD. Through the public library I found a copy of David James Duncan's classic "The River Why" so that has been on my CD player for my journeys to the Deschutes or to the "Tamanawis" on the north coast. This is my third time either reading or listening to this wonderful book...the movie does not do it justice.
On another note I'll bet none of you noticed that The Quiet Pool turned 7 years old recently last June. I am amazed myself that much useless ramblings and mindless drivel can come out of my water logged brain. I wanted to thank those of you who have been following my poor punctuation since 2006 although I would imagine that most if not all have moved on to more enlightening endeavours like playing Angry Birds.
I plan on doing this as long as I have silly notions to type or ODFW to bitch about. I hope you haven't been too bored.

Opening Day!

Imagine my surprise when I found out that the coastal trout season opened on Saturday! A full week sooner than I originally thought. So tomorrow I officially open my 2010 pursuit of coastal cutthroat trout, my favorite fish on a fly.
I am going to put some effort into keeping a journal of my trout fishing. I want to record each and every trip, fish hooked and landed, fly used etc. I want to, hopefully, show ODFW that their harvest is folly...I doubt I will succeed though.
Anyway which rod do I take? I would like to take one of my bamboo rods like maybe the Dickerson 8013 taper 5 weight or perhaps the modified Thomas and Thomas taper 4 weight but if the weather is damp I prefer to not take them out in the really wet weather. I'll settle on the Winston LT in 5 weight with my Ross Evolution and a WFF4 Scientific Angler Sharkskin line. Tippet will be a safe 5X but there are a few steelhead around so maybe 4X would be better you think?
I've taken care of all my morning toiletries the night before so I can just roll out of bed, brush my teeth, clean Moira's box and go.
Ah the anticipation of opening day. I'll be fishing the north coast in all my usual spots. I'll probably hit the Kilchis first and hopefully no one throwing bait will be in my Legend water where my biggest trout have come from over the years. My biggest is the wonderful pencil and acrylic portrait that adorns the banner of this blog. That's my T&T bamboo and Peerless reel in the picture.
I have a circuit that I fish when I am after cutts so after the Kilchis I will head over to the Trask and then south to the Nestucca leaving the Wilson until last.
Yep that is four rivers I fish and sometimes I include the Nehalem. I know the water will be higher on that river so I'll save it for later in the season since there will be no salmon fishing going on and I will have it to myself.
The early season cutthroat fishing is kind of fickle and I am never sure what my success will be. Some years have been good and some years, like last year, have been very slow....I'll just have to see what is in store for me. When the river levels get low and the water warms up I take a month or two break until fall when the best fishing is.
So it's west on Highway 6  I go as I travel along the Wilson river highway past Jones Creek and what I call the "Shrine to Logging" Might see an elk or two along the way and that is always a treat or maybe a bald eagle.
Despite my rantings and bitching about ODFW and the current state of our anadromous fisheries this day is what I look forward too all winter long. Through the cold and gloom of December and January it's the cutthroat trout that give me something to look forward to.
Here is to the 2010 season and the fish I encounter. Fly fishing is the adventure that keeps me young...ish. I feel my absolute best out on the river, it's like a tonic that even the bad days are good! Good luck to all of you in your fly fishing pursuits this year.

Cutthroat Trout

I love to fly fish for these wonderful trout on a early summer day before the water gets too warm for them. the northern. Perhaps it's the wild abandon that they come to a fly. Either way they are my favorites.
I am pretty defensive about them when they get mistreated and cannot understand why someone would stoop to using bait for them and kill them. It is legal to do so but in my opinion it's very unsportsmanlike. Their excuse is always the old "Well you C&R them don't you? and doesn't that cause mortality?" Sometimes if you are not careful it will....I am careful and will not take them out of the water or use a net before I release them. I guarantee you though using a sand shrimp for bait while fishing for this aggressive species will definitely cause a much higher mortality rate!
Set your ego aside and do what is right for these trout.

You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks

I had the distinct honor of floating down a north coast river this week with none other than Skagit /Spey casting expert Mike McCune and it was an awesome day. Nope we didn't run into any willing steelhead but that was totally secondary to what made the trip so "awesome"
For the entire day I had personal casting instruction from Mike. Could you put a value on something like that? Mike was extremely patient and helpful as I know he must have been at least a little frustrated with my foibles and crappy casting habits and I ended the day a much better caster than when I started.
For those of you that are not familiar with Mike McCune and desire to become a better two handed rod caster and steelhead fisherman you should get Rio's 3 DVD set "Modern Spey Casting" or Ed Ward's Skagit Master" DVD.
Mike, along with Ed Ward and Scott O'Donnell, have turned the fly fishing world and specifically the spey world on it's ear with their innovations in spey casting better known as Skagit casting.
These three friends revolutionized the sport like no others. They also operate Speywater Guide Service on legendary rivers like the Grand Ronde, Skagit and the Nehalem.
Anyway my day on the river with Mike proved, once again,that you can indeed have a spectacular day fly fishing without catching any fish.
The weather was great and of course the company was legendary...thanks Mike!

Hatcheries Stand in the Way of Wild Salmonid Recovery

This white paper, done by Bill Bakke of Native Fish Society, is a long read but an important one. If you are concerned about wild salmon, steelhead and trout then please take the time to read it.
It is said that one hatchery salmonid planted in a river with a native population will displace one wild salmonid smolt. With the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife investing heavily in programs like the steelhead broodstock where hatchery smolt steelhead are released high into the upper stretches of a watershed it is small wonder that these wild populations are dwindling at an alarming rate.
Enlightened fish biologist know this to be true.

HATCHERIES STAND IN THE WAY OF WILD SALMONID RECOVERY

Moon's "O" Tick Story

I want to share this story by my friend Moon. Some of you probably know Moon from the Westfly website and know what he is capable of.
Moon is a great guy and a good story teller and I just had to include this here.
Please note that I deliberately did not include a picture as you readers really need to use your imagination on this one...enjoy!


I've been known to enjoy the camp “O” experience….. For me – it’s a place to wrap up a summer of camp fishing with a canyon unlike anything I’m used to. I have no idea if what I’m getting ready to say is true or not – but it sounded true when the guy told me this. I was just standing and looking up at the sculptured heights of the canyon there, and all the different colors that bounce around as the sun hits it with its last light of the day….. It is absolutely stunning.
Anyhow – this guy walks up and we start talking, and I told him how much I appreciated the sight I was witnessing. He asked where I was from and I told him. He then went on to explain that this canyon, though eroded by water over time – was and is sculpted by the wind. (like I said – I don’t know if this is true, but it sounded true)….Then he turned and walked right through my camp to get to the water.
Now this isn’t such a big deal I guess – except I don’t want strangers walking through my camp. And because of this, I had gone to the trouble of planning around this happening. So I placed my camp where anyone could access the water by a trail just a few feet outside my camp. As a matter of fact, the trail leading from my camp – re-connected to the above mentioned trail before hitting the water. There are a lot of people who use this river and you have to share, but like I said – I had already thought of this and therefore - no reason to walk through my camp like that.
And he did this for two straight days in a row – but he never fished the water. He would just look and leave always coming straight through my camp. On the third evening, I stopped him in my camp and asked him why he was accessing the water through my camp – instead of using the trail just outside of my camp. And he said, “because I can” you’re not a local….. I thought about this – and thought about this, and finally decided he was a big Richard Cranium and if he came back through tomorrow – we’d just have a little talk.
Anyway my lovely wife was coming into camp that night. So I quit fishing early that day to do a camp clean up and get ready for momma. I had gotten done with camp chores and had just finished taking my shower when I heard him (the camp stalker) pull up. It just sort of peeved me off, and I kinda lost it.
(STOP READING NOW) – if you don’t want to read about a “FAT NAKED GUY”….
So I’m standing there in my shower tent naked looking out at this guy when I decided – he didn’t need to be in my camp, and especially with the women folk that were coming in that evening….So I went out to meet him….. Except, well – I think it kinda freak him out a bit cuz I never, ever saw him or his car again.
Anyway – instead of getting dressed, I just walk out the shower and headed right for him. Of course I had my marble sack in my hand and had stretched it up to my chin (or at least it felt that way). So this guy looks up and sees a big fat naked guy not only walking straight for him, but this big fat naked guy has his family jewel’s sack stretched out like an old hide tacked to the shed drying wall. And I said, hey bro, since were such good friends – would you mind looking at this and telling me if it’s a tick (as I pointed with my other hand at the nether regions of my self) …… Well, he never did let me get close enough so he could look and I never saw him again…..

That’s my “O” tick story….

Kudos to ODFW...Sort Of

Bet you never thought I would give any "atta boys" to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife on this blog did you? Well to show I am not a complete asshole when it comes to ODFW I thought I would give credit where credit is due....here is why I am patting ODFW on the back.
I attended a public meeting in Tillamook, put on by ODFW, to discuss fall chinook on the north Oregon coast and specifically the Nestucca, Nehalem and Tillamook watersheds.
Chris Knutsen and Robert Bradley did a good job at presenting the facts and the facts do not bode well for the salmon in the Nestucca and Nehalem systems. I feel that the Tillamook ODFW regional office did the best job possible with a somewhat hostile crowds of sports anglers in getting the point across that if there isn't some serious cutbacks in season we may be looking disaster in the face for future runs of chinook salmon.
The public in attendance were about 95% against any curtailment. They feel the salmon are their fish to plunder. To say that there were some real selfish and ignorant people there would be an understatement but Knutsen and Bradley handled it well.
The two of us that were there to represent conservation both agreed that it was a tough situation but the best possible scenarios, short of complete closure, were offered and I really think that the best interest of the fish was the main concern by ODFW in those two watersheds. Unfortunately the majority present did not agree.
So if any of you are planning to visit the northern coast of Oregon for some prime fall chinook season any time soon take your wife to Hawaii instead.
Okay enough of the kumbaya thing with ODFW because I do have some sharp criticism for their plan for the Tillamook watershed. With terrible returns predicted for the Nestucca and Nehalem systems ODFW felt compelled to actually double the annual bag limit for the Tillamook streams.
Last year the seasonal limit was 5 wild fish with a daily limit of 1. This fall they doubled that to 10! They say the runs look better for the Wilson, Trask and Kilchis rivers for 2010. I certainly hope they are right but I suspect that since the Tillamook streams are the ones that get the heaviest angling pressure and generate the most revenue for Tillamook county they were pressured to increase the bag limit and dwindling populations be damned!
Of course ODFW is a state agency and is vulnerable to the whims of politicians who feel the need to make salmon a political pawn but crap guys! How can you double the bag limit with no discernible signs of an large enough upswing in populations to warrant this?
I feel we took two steps forward and one step back on Thursday which I could live with if ODFW would continue in that way but I am skeptical. ODFW's track record has been less than stellar the past decade now hasn't it?
Stay tuned

Any Day on the Deschutes is a Good Day

Last Friday I took my first trip east to fish the Deschutes for trout and I had a wonderful time. There were no large March Brown hatches coming off the river and the river was a little too high and off color. The presence of smolt could have been annoying and the weather was cooler than I had hoped for but you know what? I was, please excuse the school boy exuberance, fishing the "friggin" Deschutes! Hell I even fell in the river but who cares? This is the Deschutes we are talking about here folks.
That really says it all doesn't it? A less than great day on the Deschutes is still a great day compared to anywhere else. Yeah I got a few trout and had one monstrous take on a dry that I think may have been a down river steelhead.
That first glimpse the river as I rounded the corner just outside of Maupin for the first time in about six months. The smell of the sage, especially in the spring after it had been raining....I truly love it.
Of course I brought along my favorite bamboo rod and Hardy reel as it was only fitting to start this years pursuit of trout with them.
The wind was minimal and my casts were true. The Deschutes never disappoints even when I get skunked or the wind is blowing at a gale force.
So trout lovers here is to another great season pursuing our favorite fish on our favorite rivers wherever they may be.
My hope is that your casts are straight and your lines tight.

Amazing Insight from 1968

This video, courtesy of Oregon State University and Mark Stangeland of North Umpqua Fly Guide, is from 1968. What amazes me is that 42 years ago there were concerned and enlightened conservationist/fly fishermen who were cared about their river.
See if you can spot a much younger Frank Moore in this video

Why Catch and Release?

In a time of diminishing resources it just makes sense to not kill everything we put our hooks into doesn't it?
Why do people have such a difficult time with that notion? It's not like there are not a lot of hatchery fish to take home. It's also not like a sixteen inch trout is going to provide a hearty meal for someone! So why not let some one else enjoy that nice wild trout?
Lee Wulff said it best "Game fish are too important to only catch once" I fully agree! The trout you hook and release might have been someones gift to you so by releasing that trout you are letting someone else enjoy it.
Please release all wild trout and steelhead

There Are Places I Remember

Despite all the turmoil and strife there is still a lot of beauty in this world. In my travels I have been very blessed to witness some beautiful places, many only a two hour journey from my home. I hope all of you are as fortunate...enjoy!

Along the road to Hana

The Deschutes

The Metolius at Camp Sherman

The North Umpqua

Near the source of the Metolius

Sunset on Maui

Trask River

                                                                   Oregon Coast

Yellowstone

Crater Lake

Why Is Conservation So Hard To Grasp?

Why do some people reject the idea of healthy wild fish populations, clean water and clean air? I'm not asking a rhetorical question here, I would really like to know.
Why is the concept so foreign to so many? I know that for the wealthy corporations it's all about money and , although I vigorously oppose the greed at the expense of the environment,I understand why they think the way they do.
I'm talking about the every day person that bristles at being required to release a wild trout or salmon. Does it have something to do with not liking to be told no? Do they figure they are owed a fish for the frying pan?
It seems like we Americans are always doing things that are contradictory to our best interest! Just look at the way we vote in some elections.
Do they think it's unconstitutional to be told that they cannot ride their quad runners off road wherever they want?
Is it just ignorance and selfishness? How and why did so many of us become this way?
I've expended a ton of verbiage on this blog about wild salmonid issues and for the life of me I cannot understand why conservation is not important to everyone who stands to lose so much.
For being the most advanced society in the world we seem to have advanced very little from the idea that the earth is ours to plunder as we see fit.
The "Me First" attitude is passed on from parent to child and one has to wonder how this all of this bodes for the future. I think if we are waiting for some kind of enlightenment to happen with future generations we are fooling ourselves. I just don't see it happeneing.Those future generations are never going to know the joy of clean running rivers and the salmon that ascend them...truly sad if things do not change.

The "Sport of Gravel Raping" by Erik Helm

This post from the Classical Angler by Erik Helm  compliments my annual post about leaving spawning steelhead in the upper rivers alone which follows Erik's piece.
Well, here we are. Spring is in the air, the robins are singing, “Cheer up… cheer up…cheerily!” cardinals are calling their mating song, and ‘fly-fishers’ are on the gravel chasing spawning steelhead. In the past week, the water level has fallen and cleared enough to allow the use of those nifty polarized glasses to spot fish on the gravel. Guys with expensive cigars wade the shallows looking for bedding fish, hook them on nymphs and glo-bugs, and drag them away from their mates during the act of procreation. The poor fish flop around on the gravel until trapped in a net effectively damaging their protective slime layer, and then get to star in grip and grin ego photos.

Is this sporting? I guess the answer depends on what one considers fair chase. Would it be sporting to wait for a deer buck to mount a doe and then shoot it? That is effectively what is happening here.
To me, and this is my opinion, chasing steelhead, or any fish while they are attempting to build redds and spawn is the lowest form of ‘fishing’ shy of intentional snagging. Even the snagger is probably being honest in his or her game, however illegal it is. Gravel rapers on the other hand actually think they are fly-fishing. Sad.
After many years of swinging flies for steelhead, I can spot a gravel-raper just by looks.
Usually the most expensive vehicle in the parking area, Lexi, Range Rovers, and other obnoxiously large and irresponsible SUVs, will belong to them. Often they sport fly-fishing stickers, or even TU logos. The anglers rarely fish alone. They most often show up in twos and threes. It must have something to do with the glory photos, and the sense of camaraderie in pounding the gravel with your buddies ready to offer congratulations on your ‘catch.’ They wear all the latest gear, especially if it has a logo. They dress up to look like some image in their mind of how a fly-fisherman should look. They ask every person they come across, “Have you seen any fish?” They wander around the river in unpredictable directions, most often again, in groups.
Most of these guys are trout fishermen. That is sad in itself. Instead of learning the skill of reading water in a large river, they just do what everyone else is doing, and rely on sighted fish on gravel before they can make a single cast. I am a trout fisherman as well, but it just kills me to see people that I know from the small streams rely on these tactics for steelhead. Would they fish that way on a trout stream? Is that why the streams are closed for part of the year to protect spawning fish? If the streams and creeks were not closed, would these ‘anglers’ hook as many spawning trout off their gravel beds as they could?
It is getting to the point that an ingrained belief, culture, or even tradition surrounds the use of single-hand rods: nymphing, or glo-bugging over gravel. Swinging streamers seems to be relegated to spey rods now. This is sad too. The single-hand rod is an excellent tool for streamer fishing, if only this method would catch on here. If only these legions of anglers in the Midwest ( and Pacific Northwest) would depart for a day or two and not rely on sight-fishing, the sport that would be discovered by them would be enough to put them off the bedded fish forever.
Alas, this takes a leap of faith, and the ability to appreciate a single fish caught fairly after a full day of wading and casting, versus tallying numbers and measuring the skill of the angler by the sheer number of fish to hand, however crude the method. That leap of faith, and sense of fair chase seems to be beyond most anglers. Indeed, they often defend the practice, and I have been told by one fisherman that “He feels sorry for me, if I don’t get enjoyment out of sight fishing for steelhead.” Sight fishing and gravel raping are not necessarily bonded together. If a fisherman walking the banks and looking down into a pool spots a pod of fish holding in the water, and then swings flies or nymphs for them, that is different than fishing bedded fish. In our rivers, 99% of steelhead spotted are on the gravel.
The thing that really bothers me is that these gravel rapers think that, because they are using a fly rod, they are somehow elevated above the gear fishermen or center-pinners that are legitimately hooking their fish. This very deservedly gives fly-fishing a bad name. Being snobby about an abominable method of fishing is just sad. This is sad, and a disservice to all the other anglers, whatever the method or gear, who are actually fishing.

A Hot Summer Ahead for Fish

As those of you in the Pacific NW know, this is supposed to be a hot summer, and combined with little snow pack, it looks to be very tough going for native fish on most streams in Oregon and Washington. Native Fish Society is encouraging ODFW to stop chinook harvest based on temperature rather than a harvest quota, which is an also outstanding idea. Ideally fishing would stop at over 70 degrees, which is probably an unrealistic goal, but a good place to start when negotiating. You might consider contacting your ODFW district bio and other contacts you have with ODFW suggesting they consider fishing stoppages based on water temperature. Another option is to allow fishing only in the morning or until noon. Last year, ODFW did put out a press release with some information regarding hot temperatures and recommendations to reduce mortality, so at least they have made a step in the right direction already.
Here are those suggestions for warm weather fishing.

•Fish early in the mornings when water temperatures are lower.
•Fish in lakes and reservoirs with deep waters that provide a cooler refuge for fish.
•Use barbless hooks, land fish quickly and keep them in the water as much as possible in order to minimize stress.
•Shift your fishing efforts to higher elevation mountain lakes and streams where water temperatures often remain cool.

Remember that hooking and playing a trout or any salmonid in warm water temperatures is toxic even if you are going to release that fish.  Please Think about curtailing your fishing this summer for the sake of the fish.

Fly Fishing Myths - Pacific Northwest Edition

As I sit here impatiently awaiting the UPS driver to deliver my new trout reel I am thinking about some of the legends about fly fishing in this region that simply are not true so here goes.
Feel free to comment....

1.The Holy Water on the Rogue - With a massive dam looming over you and poison oak everywhere I just didn't feel like I was fishing in some sort of sacred water.

2.Using indicators is fly fishing  - Using these is not fly fishing in the truest sense of the word. They are a short cut to success and a gimmick...nothing more. So don't go feeling all smug and superior if you catch a lot  fish using this method.

3.Cutthroat trout are not selective feeders - The bigger ones in the fall are definitely selective.

4.Native north coast summer steelhead exist - No they don't. They say the Siletz has natives but further up the coast a summer steelhead with an intact adipose is a mis-clipped hatchery fish.

5.You can fish along any stream bank you wish to in Oregon - Nope! Not unless the river has been determined to be navigable by the Oregon Department of State Lands. You could be cited for trespassing!

6. Deschutes River Rattle Snakes - They do exist but are very shy and I've only seen a couple of them in 35 years of fishing that river.

7.You can use salmon roe as money in Tillamook County - It almost seems that way and since I do not use salmon eggs I cannot completely debunk this myth (that I kind of started)

8.PNW internet fishing forum owners care about more than just making money - Show me one!

9.Association of Northwest Steelheaders and the CCA are conservation organizations - Funny how these groups are never present when wild salmonids are the issue unless it's to advocate their harvest.

10. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife always does what is best for wild salmonids - Hey are you interested in buying the Fremont Bridge?

11.My profile picture flatters me - Truthfully I am much more handsome in person....really...no really I am...I'm not lying!!!!