Imagine the value of a WILD STEELHEAD...

Imagine if we were to have wild steelhead, our Washington state fish back to sustainable numbers around the state to allow 8 months a year of guiding for them.  Here is what I would place as a monetary value of said commodity if 1 angler from out of state was here in WA for a single day of fishing with the idea that just 1 of these wild fish had the potential to be caught, admired and released.

Air Fare: $500
Gas: $150
Hotel: $150 per night
Guide: $650 per day
Food and Beverage: $40 per day
Fishing License: $20
Rental Car: $200
Ferry Fees: $50 Daily Shuttle Fee: $50
Incidentals: $150 or more

On a single day, 1 angler could account for this much to the local economy: 

$1960 for 1 single angler

I have a staff of 10 licensed and insured fly-fishing guides. With a higher percentage of WILD steelhead we could have them booked every single week of the season.

If each of my guides were booked every day: 

$19,600

If we were to have well managed fisheries for the survival and sustainability of these wild steelhead, we could have a dual season between summer and winter where for 180 days of the year, we had a good shot at these fish.  I could confidently advertise and keep my entire staff busy for 180 days a year. 

Here is that value:

$3,528,000

This represents 180 days or 25 weeks of the year keeping 10 local Washington residents employed.  Paying sales tax on nearly 100% of this figure, supporting other local Washington businesses and several Washington state agencies in the process.

This hypothetical is for just my business, Emerald Water Anglers.

Imagine if all the fly-fishing businesses in Washington of similar size were able to do the same?

What if ALL FISHING businesses in Washington could and if that season of only 6 months was extended for another 2-3 month period as it once was?

Can you imagine if we valued these fish as a symbol of this awesome state and made sure not only our residents but every sport angler from surrounding states and provinces were able to put this same value on them as well?   

Wild steelhead are one of the single greatest game fish on the planet. We should be embarrassed at how much better the wild steelhead fishing is once we leave our state in any direction.  We should use this as the fuel to turn the table and set the tone for change. We need to return our state fish to the glory and stature it once possessed and still deserves.

Imagine...