As a catch and release wild steelhead fly fisherman I have immersed myself in chasing wild steelhead where they thrive, from SE AK to the famed Dean river in BC to the North Umpqua in Oregon.
HOME WATER:
I consider my home water to be all of Washington state, more precisely the Olympic Peninsula and the Upper Columbia tributaries. The Peninsula having the last remaining stocks of giant wild winter steelhead are presently undergoing much needed changes for there continued rein of supremacy. This comes with much sacrifice by all concerned in an attempt to regain our allotted 50% management criteria. Most importantly with out closing the fishery.
The Upper Columbia River tribs have undergone years of closures, management changes on the state and federal levels and supported extensive study that has developed a blue print for recovery elsewhere. Here are the rivers that began my development into the lifestyle I now live. My all-time favorite the Methow the river of my ancestry. The wild run of summer steelhead has blossomed into a growing population witch has exceeded expectations. This season will be the first with a highly reduced federal bloodstock program, and zero tribal hatchery plants in the Methow itself, we will see if it takes hold. I have faith!
Beyond all the passion and love we display for our sport of fly fishing, the majestic wild steelhead, fills the personal need to just fish and be happy. Catching any fish on the swing somehow acknowledges that there is still greatness in the wild environments we call rivers. Its an astonishing victory making everything feel right with the world.
This summer for me, has been about that reconnection, with a twist, we don’t have that many wild summer steelhead cursing through our rivers in July and August many rivers in Washington never did. We do however have the replacement players. The hatchery fish that have been labeled and demonized by so many that we have forgotten the ideal of just fishing.
CORECTIVE MANAGEMENT:
We are now blessed with corrections in our management of wild steelhead, the re-introduction of wild gene bank river systems. It was hatched in the 80’s and buried in mountains of red tape ( a guess) It finds itself once again exposed from idea to reality. Watershed by watershed management is not new, but it is reappearing at the best of time. We can save our wild genetics and also fish for them under corrected management i.e. regulation and enforcement. The “fish for them ALSO” is the key here, as without fishing there is nothing but looking and that alone is not what fishing is about. Not to mention there will be no $ for the fish enforcement and management, they will become a mere ghost of what was, possibly never reaching “sustainable” levels. Absentee management is not a sound solution.
The second Key to the support of wild steelhead is the option of utilizing improved hatchery management strategy on the OTHER rivers deemed non gene bank. Supposing there is not a lawsuit in the waiting by special interest groups killing this agenda, it may well be the savior of steelhead fishing and wild steelhead in Washington state, the alternate bonus is the “OPEN river sign”. This will accommodate anglers with more river miles far reducing the pressure on the Gene bank river = double bonus. This Bonus of substitute players carries over to the TRIBAL side as they will have hatchery fish to target therefore reducing their wild kill. Wild kill is a real issue and the lions share belongs to the tribe.
THE HATCHERY CANUNDRUM:
Hatchery steelhead can support fly fishing, they do bite the swung fly and they do fight very hard. Hatchery steelhead in a designated NON wild fish river (wild Gene bank) should be supported by all anglers. Simply because it was the increase of population and development of land for profit that interfered with the success of wild steelhead. Why would we want to give that recreational resource up to those that profit from its demise? Or simply because we want wild fish on the end of our line “all of us do”, but some wont come to grips with the fact that population/urbanization will not reverse at the same rate steelhead habitat and population will increase. The nature of things wont accomplish that in generations.
By blanketing the region with a non hatchery approach we give up on many things:
Fun and enjoyment of fishing any river we choose.
The social and family connections we learned and wish to pass on to others.
We give up on our passion.
We give in to those who want no fishing.
We give up our 50% right awarded to us by MR. Bolt.
We give up to industry that takes from the one that gives the most, us. Need we go on?
Without Designated hatchery waters:
We, the angler that cares the most, will be forced into the crowded “wild steelhead” supporting rivers left open for shorter and shorter periods of time. Causing the opposite of our intensions, “more pressure on wild stocks”. The tribes will still net them, the C and R anglers will try and catch them. The remaining wild rivers will be closed one at a time and only the researchers will be fishing our public rivers, till the money runs out. IRONIC AINT IT. Its been heading in this this direction for decades or more and has infected its problem on the remaining stable stocks 10X since the closure of the Skagit, we need to stop it there.
We need to fish to save fish!
Thanks for subscribing, Jeff Brazda
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