Thanks Judge Redden

Sad news for fish.  Judge Redden will no longer be keeping the federal government honest in recovering Columbia River fish.

I do not fish the Columbia very often, but the impacts of Columbia fish runs impact us on the Northern Olympic Peninsula, especially saltwater anglers.

Thanks for your years of service and I hope the next judge follows your lead.

The Ghost Run

If this series of videos doesn't get you jazzed to go swing some flies nothing will.


The Season Episode 2.8...Lewis and Clarke from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.



The Season 2.10...Top Dog from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

The Season Episode 2.13...Down Stream from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

The Season 2.18...Disaster Prone from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

With Friends Like These

"Rivers need friends.  The more people fishing the river the more advocates that river and fishery have."

I have always been troubled when I hear this common justification for overcrowded and over hyped fisheries.  It seems to make sense but I just cannot connect crowds and commercial hype with more wild fish advocates.

What I found interesting and quite sad after resuming going to meetings within the past couple years is that for the most part it has been a step back in time.  The same people that were fighting ten to fifteen years ago are the same people fighting today.  While seeing familiar faces was nice it also reminded me that the vast majority of fishermen do not attend meetings or write letters.  When it comes to the guide industry it is even worse.

I have always been awestruck and jealous of the wild fish advocates who continue to fight the battles year after year and decade after decade.  For every small victory there have been hundreds of losses.  I personally have wavered over the years with my activity rising and lowering like the tides.  Lately whenever I question whether to just enjoy fishing until it is all over and forget about getting involved I remember the faces that have been in this fight since before many of us were born and realize I have no right to be frustrated or impatient.

We've all seen the increasing pressure over the years on the wild fisheries we hold dear.  What we are not seeing is any kind of corresponding increase in attendance at important meetings involving our fisheries.  Our rivers need more friends but they need real friends who will get involved.  Regulations that impact overcrowding or the angling experience will not result in less people being involved in saving the rivers.  The same people in the fight now will be the same people in the fight in the future regardless of angling regulations.

Farmed Fish Disease Spreading

NY Times - ISA found in the Fraser

More evidence that fish farming is a dirty industry and more evidence that a large scale offshore farm in the Strait of Juan de Fuca should not even be considered.

With WDFW reducing the seasons on Strait of Juan de Fuca rivers by one month to protect declining steelhead populations we should not even consider raising steelhead in farms off these streams river mouths.  Where do the farm proponents think the escaped steelhead will go?  If we are concerned about Chambers Creek steelhead in the Elwha, we should be even more concerned about farm raised steelhead escaping and straying into the Elwha and other small streams along the Strait.

The Strait is a major feeding ground for both outgoing and incoming salmon.  How will the sealice, waste, and disease impact the populations of forage fish our wild fish depend on.  With the strong currents these negative impacts coming from the farms will be less localized and impact the entire Strait.

How much more evidence do we need to stop the expansion of fish farming?

Deep Wading

Seattle Times Article on Strait of Juan de Fuca Fish Farms

 

The corporate BS is getting deep on this one.  Just after the discovery of a major disease from farmed salmon in BC this quote from the article jumped out at me.

"Bielka, with Pacific Aquaculture, said he knows the company will face scrutiny, but "the science is behind us 100 percent," he said."

100 percent?  Your aquaculture operations are perfect according to all the available science?

Take Action for Wild Fish

Two important things to do for wild fish.

First up is the 2012-2013 Sportfishing Rule Proposals from WDFW.  There are important rule changes regarding wild fish protection throughout Puget Sound and the Coast.  Write or attend the meeting (or both) regarding protecting juvenile salmonids and resident trout.

2012-2013 Rule Proposals

Second up is the Wild Fish Conservancy's campaign against non-native hatchery fish in the Elwha River.  Help them help wild fish recovery after the dam removal.

Protect Wild Elwha Steelhead and Salmon

Summer's Last Stand

The call came late in the evening asking if I wanted to head out for some saltwater coho action.  I immediately answered yes without checking with the wife.  It was a good call as we ate fresh coho the next evening for dinner.

The next day was spent swinging flies on glacial rivers.  Bushwacking through the woods and exploring new water is always worth it regardless of getting skunked.  Enjoying almost 70 degree sunshine on the coast in October is a rare treat.

A couple days later spent a day exploring a favorite cedar stained creek for cutthroats.  Found a few beautiful specimens.  The coolest thing about the day was seeing stray pink salmon spawning in the lower reaches of this coastal creek.  Amazing to see the amount of straying that comes from the huge Puget Sound pink runs.

And to top it all off the fall colors on the west end of the Olympic Peninsula are just spectacular right now.