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Sprinting Out of 2020…Slowing to Enjoy 2021

January 13, 2021 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Wow, I could go on for…forget it, let’s bid 2020 adieu!

So long and so on to what I hope is a beloved 2021 and what to look forward to here in the Seattle area, the greater PNW and beyond. A decidedly paltry understatement would be there is much anticipation for 2021 on nearly every front…obviously!

I live, guide, photograph and travel from Seattle, WA.  I have broken rods, reels, lines some laws and bones in 40 countries and because of this I have come to greatly appreciate the incredible diversity of our surrounding fisheries. My friends, we have some extraordinary fly angling here and maybe for better than worse, little of it receives much time in any spotlight. Well here is a bit less than 15 minutes for some of them.

First and most immediately we are smack dab in the middle of our winter, wild steelhead season. Within 150 miles of Seattle lie some epic names in steelhead angling such as the Skagit, Sauk, Skykomish, Stillaguamish, Hoh, Queets and Sol Duc but we have others too!

However, this season comes with fishing restrictions unlike we have ever seen before and sadly, for good reason. Numbers of fish on many of these rivers continue to decline, enough so, we should count ourselves lucky to be fishing them at all this year. New restrictions affecting Olympic Peninsula rivers that would impact some fly anglers is no fishing from a floating device and all rivers closing at the end of March. For me and the rest of us here at EWA, this bears little impact as we have always used boats for transport and fishing upon arrival at our next run. 

That said, our rivers here in WA and OR are stunning. Arrival in the rainforest should be cherished for the soulful experience it provides.  Regardless of fish or no fish, we should be grateful for the time spent here.

Following closely and nipping at its heels will be the arrival of Chum salmon fry into the salty waters of Puget Sound. Every year, sometime in late February or early March, these migratory fry exit their birth rivers to enter the dangerous hunting grounds of the Clarki Clarki or sea run, Coastal Cutthroat trout.

Puget Sound has over 2000 miles of shoreline but as luck, or actually nature would have it, their safe haven is very near shore, the shallow water beaches of the Sound attracting our beloved SRC’s within striking distance of us, the overwhelmed by its magnitude but otherwise dauntless fly angler. 

Having toted a fly rod around the world over the past 10 years, I can say with experience and some degree of favoritism that when all 3 of these elements collide it’s just silly.

Small pods of SRC’s from 12-20 inches, aggressively pursue these fry, scattering them with wreckless abandon. Hook ups are often within 20ft and surface flies imitating injured bait draw regular attention. When it really goes off, multiple pods are going about their business all around, you have a fish on and more are jumping around you and at times it feels like a mini Nat Geo episode and you are smack in the middle, shin deep.  Did I mention migratory Coho salmon during the later summer and fall, yeah, that happens too!

Should the Sound be a bit much to wrap the mind around, our one and only year around trout river, the Yakima is awakening as well. BWO’s, Skwala and March Browns will challenge and delight. If flows are down, take the to banks, plenty of walk and wade access on this river and experiencing the high desert from a boat can be equally rewarding so choose your destiny and prepare accordingly for Mother Nature, you never know what’s in store in February, March and April.

As the Yakima moves into May however, still be prepared but have those summer shirts and pant waders available, spring can show its face on occasion and it shouldn’t be missed. Mother’s Day Caddis Hatch is on everyone in this regions calendar and while seasonally it shifts around, just plan on throwing PMD’s and Caddis from mid May through mid July and with luck, for most or all of the day.

When most fly anglers fly into Seattle on a sunny day, the obtuse amount of water visible from the air typically incites childlike anticipation of getting on the ground and stepping in, somewhere, now!

We do have a ton of water here in Washington, no doubt but it is not all created equal. We are not Montana or Colorado on steriods, at least not in the way most would think. Washington’s true treasure trove is our small creeks and streams. Those often times nameless blue lines littered across Google Earth in absurd quantities through the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges.

It’s silly. I have lived here for over 20 years and every year I make myself go learn a new blue line. I mean why not? The Yakima garners nearly all the airwaves of attention while many of these small streams boast serenity on a level I have seen people pay many thousands of dollars to experience elsewhere. Crystal clear water, spotting rising or resting native trout, surrounded by old growth forest with few if no other anglers around and within 90 minutes of Seattle…meh, forget I said anything!

We won the lottery in this respect, we really did. I always tell people around here, if you are looking for an excuse to buy a new rod, here go, you NEED a 2-3wt.

Some of the water we consider “creeks” would be in the top 10 rivers size wise in other states so you should see them regularly or you could feel out of sorts from one month to the next, as if it is new water each time, which is wonderful too!

And there it is, the excuse to go fish, often.

Mid summer here is ridiculous. All the creeks, Puget Sound, summer steelhead, carp in a myriad of lakes, bass in the same, high alpine lakes, pike, muskie and should you really desire it, let’s toss in a bit a Pacific Albacore of our coast. Have a 12wt with some dust on it? Bring it!

Tuna is the epitome of putting your skills to the test. Balance while casting a 12wt with 500 grain sinking head and big fly, playing a 20lb fish trying to swim to China through the bottom of the Pacific without ripping the fly out of its mouth and keeping your lunch down while 3-5 others do the same around you keeping in mind, none of you actually have control over your fish for the first 10 minutes or so…it’s good practice!

All the above stay with us into fall until we reach November when creeks close, cold precip returns and my mind circles back to winter steelhead.
Sprinting Out of 2020…Slowing to Enjoy 2021!

Somewhere in that crazy schedule of changing tactics, location, species and equipment I usually slip away to somewhere new. This is the tick in my brain I am unable shake…new water!

This past year has been rough to say the least on all of us. Looking ahead I can see NZ, Seychelles, Costa Rica, BC, AK and Russia doing their little dance in front of me like a tease. My hope for everyone in this sport is they find a way to fuel their engine to get on the water and if there is a way to do so without the liability of whether or not a fish is caught making the experience, then you have truly succeeded.

It is the adventure, the road, all the sideways occurrences from flat tires to no plug in the boat, diverted airplanes, bears/cats/elephants/shark, broken rods, lost passports, language barriers, hurricanes and the lot that are going to make up the bulk of any fish story. Think about it…

Here’s to a safe and vibrant fishing year in 2021!





Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Cascade Mountains, Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, Fly Fishing, Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Albacore, Puget Sound, Puget sound fly fishing, Sea Run Cutthroat, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle fly fishing reports, spey casting, trout, tuna, tuna fly fishing, washington fly fishing, Washington fly fishing reports, Wild Steelhead, Yakima River

Seattle Fly Fishing Report – November 11, 2020 – Getting Cold Out There!

November 11, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Time is doing this weird thing where it feels as though it is standing still and yet passing by so fast…don’t know, just hard to explain. Seems like we were just talking about great fall fishing was and while leaves remain on many trees, snow is happening on our lower passes.

Anyway, here we are and while we have said good by to most of our creeks for the season, our main stay fisheries are in great shape and fishing very well.

Puget Sound is in prime shape right now. Resident Coho and Blackmouth lurking around amid SRC’s and not too astonishing, we have been bringing them to hand on a number of patterns from shrimp and baitfish to surface flies so pick your poison.

Lately, our very own Capt. Jeff Crosetto has been fishing these two lines from the boat and doing very well with the Rio Clean Sweep and the SA Sonar Titan Full Intermediate lines. The RIO, specifically a great boat line the SA would do great from the beach as well. If you want to be effective on the Sound you must be versatile so having a second spool/reel with a different tool is ideal.

You read that right, we are now booking Puget Sound trips from a very well equipped Boston Whaler. $400 1/2 day, $500 3/4 day and $600 full day leaving from Des Moines Marina.

The Yakima has been a bit of a roller coaster as we did get some rain recently pushing it up just a bit but it is dropping back into shape for those on foot and a perfect level for those in a boat. Hatches are few and far between but that shouldn’t keep you from heading out. With low water, dry droppers will work well across shallow water from the boat or in the riffles and streamers will absolutely move fish.

Otherwise it is bobber time OR…OR time to pick up a trout spey and begin to look at the Yakima as a fantastic swing river for trout. Should you choose that road, smaller streamers and soft hackles are your new best friends and the luxury of more thoroughly covering less water will be bestowed upon you. Keep in mind, clicking the link under our “Reports” icon on our site provides a direct link to water flows set against the flows we like to see most of our fisheries at to help you gauge when and when not to hit which watershed.

Finally, steelhead season is not just sneaking up on us, it is literally here! We are as excited as ever both for engaging with our favorite fish of the PNW and helping you get on the water and navigate the ways of steelhead in the region.

We swing for our steelhead exclusively as guides and anglers. This is simply because of our passion for the process and what comes with it. Want to learn to spey cast, swing flies and become a far superior fly angler in the process? That is exactly what we do…call, email or stop in!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Reports Tagged With: Dave McCoy Photography, Emerald Water Anglers, keepfishwet, Olympic Peninsula, Puget sound fly fishing, Rio Fly Lines, Scientific Angler Fly Lines, Seattle Fly Fishing, Seattle fly fishing guides, Seattle Fly Shop, Skagit River, spey casting, steelhead, steelhead guides, swinging flies, Thomas and Thomas Fly Rods, Yakima River

Upcoming Fly Fishing Events – March 2020

March 3, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Wow, spring is coming at us so fast, not even funny. Soon these snouts will be more prevalent on the Yakima as BWO’s/Baetis/Blue Winged Olives and other spring hatches begin to emerge. Steelhead season is in full swing on the OP until the end of the month and Chum Fry are beginning to show their tiny little silhouettes along the beaches of Puget Sound. All in all, it is a fine time to be picking up a fly rod in our beautiful corner of the world.

Upcoming Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – Coed – 3 students per teacher. We cover essential knots, fly selection based on entomology, casting skills, reading water, approach and line management. Equipment happily provided.
April 18
May 23
June 20

Women Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – 3 students per teacher
March 21
April 11
April 25
May 9
May 16
June 6
June 20

Women’s Intro to Fly Casting – 5 students per teacher
March 6
March 7
April 5
April 19
May 3
May 17
May 31
June 7
June 21
July 12
July 26
August 9
August 23

Montana Fly Fishing Film Festival – Admiral Theater – 7pm
March 20

Come see some regionally focused fly fishing films to help kick off the spring season. Always a fun evening.

Art on the Water – Mercer Island Community Center – 7pm – 9pm – $25
March 27

A spectacular event joining all th elements we love…fly fishing, water and art. Join our very good friends and fellow Patagonia Ambassadors Dylan Tomine and Riverhorse Nakadate and former editor of The Flyfish Journal Steve Duda for a reading and fundraiser for The Red Badge Project supporting veterans.

POSTPONED – Movie Night @ EWA – Tomorrow’s Fish – Hosted by AFFTA 7pm – 9pm
April 1

Come join us for a private screening of Tomorrow’s Fish, a great new film on fly fishing off the coast of New York City.

POSTPONED – FFI Casting and Education Fair – 9am – 5pm – Mercer Island
May 2

Dave McCoy will be teaching an introduction to fly casting class at this event and there will be plenty of other instructors working on everything from beginning to advanced techniques.

EWA Fly Fest – 9am – 3pm @ Seattle Community College
May 9
Our annual event to try all the latest fly rods and lines, get personal instruction, attend seminars, ask questions and meet other local anglers. Patagonia, Thomas and Thomas, Scott, Sage, Redington, Echo, Winston, Gloomis, Hardy, Scientific Anglers, Airflo, Rio and Bridge Fly Fishing will all be on hand.

EWA Youth Fly Fishing Camp – 8 Youth Max – 8am – 5pm – $650
August 10 – 14

Finally, we are putting together a camp experience for mid teen youth to experience how we view the sport through the lens of education, stewardship and conservation while exploring and enjoying our outdoor world.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Events Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, fly casting classes, fly fishing events, Hoh River, Olympic Peninsula, Patagonia Waders, Puget sound fly fishing, Seattle Fly Fishing, Sol Duc River, spey casting, steelhead fly fishing, washington fly fishing, women's fly fishing, Yakima River

Upcoming Fly Fishing Events – February 2020

February 1, 2020 by adminewa Leave a Comment

Sauk Magic steelhead fly by Nathan Keen.

Bienvenidos, willkomen, benvenuta, ようこそ and welcome…to winter steelhead season! We are writing this as nearly every river on the coastal side of the mountains is at or near flood stage, a momentary refuge for our andadromous friends making their way into the local rivers!

We just finished up our 4th annual EWA Spey Day and the buzz coming out of that was incredible. Maybe one of the biggest highlights was the time spent throwing the new long belly lines from Bridge Fly Fishing and having Tim Arsenault on hand to help take away some of the anxiety. Seems like another life when we were using rods longer than 13 feet and heads were longer than 25ft. With some Canadian encouragement, we watched as many got after the 60+ foot heads, we all felt like little kids again. Fabulous to see that level of enthusiasm on the water. Thank you to everyone who came out, sales reps, FFI instructors, friends and new spey casters, it was a blast.

Some great events still to come with us here at EWA and our surrounding area and we hope to see you at one or all of them, scroll on down and have a terrific February!

Upcoming Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – Coed – 3 students per teacher. We cover essential knots, fly selection based on entomology, casting skills, reading water, approach and line management. Equipment happily provided.
April 18
May 23
June 20

Women Intro to Fly Fishing Schools – 3 students per teacher
March 21
April 11
April 25
May 9
May 16
June 6
June 20

Women’s Intro to Fly Casting – 5 students per teacher
March 6
March 7
April 5
April 19
May 3
May 17
May 31
June 7
June 21
July 12
July 26
August 9
August 23

Tie One On – Coed Fly Tying
February 6 – Nathan Keen and Bill Marts – Steelhead and Salt
February 20 – Saltwater
March 3 – Tying Party!

The Fly Fishing Show – Lynnwood
February 15 – 16
EWA will not be in attendance with a booth this year but two of our Women’s Program leaders Jenn Fluke and Bethany will be at the Women’s Meet and Greet. But if you find something you really NEED, come on in and let us know and we will get it in your hands.

TreFin Seafood’s Tuna Pick Up – 3pm – 7pm
March 1
Come by the store and get the skinny on fishing for Albacore off the Washington and Oregon coast and pick up fresh tuna from the guys who line caught it and processed it in Ilwaco. Pre Order and Pick Up HERE

Montana Fly Fishing Film Festival – Admiral Theater – 7pm
March 20

Come see some regionally focused fly fishing films to help kick off the spring season. Always a fun evening.

Art on the Water – Mercer Island Community Center – 7pm – 9pm – $25
March 27

A spectacular event joining all th elements we love…fly fishing, water and art. Join our very good friends and fellow Patagonia Ambassadors Dylan Tomine and Riverhorse Nakadate and former editor of The Flyfish Journal Steve Duda for a reading and fundraiser for The Red Badge Project supporting veterans.

Movie Night @ EWA – Tomorrow’s Fish – Hosted by AFFTA 7pm – 9pm
April 1

Come join us for a private screening of Tomorrow’s Fish, a great new film on fly fishing off the coast of New York City.

FFI Casting and Education Fair – 9am – 5pm – Mercer Island
May 2

Dave McCoy will be teaching an introduction to fly casting class at this event and there will be plenty of other instructors working on everything from beginning to advanced techniques.

EWA Fly Fest – 9am – 3pm @ Seattle Community College
May 9
Our annual event to try all the latest fly rods and lines, get personal instruction, attend seminars, ask questions and meet other local anglers. Patagonia, Thomas and Thomas, Scott, Sage, Redington, Echo, Winston, Gloomis, Hardy, Scientific Anglers, Airflo, Rio and Bridge Fly Fishing will all be on hand.

EWA Youth Fly Fishing Camp – 8 Youth Max – 8am – 5pm – $650
August 10 – 14

Finally, we are putting together a camp experience for mid teen youth to experience how we view the sport through the lens of education, stewardship and conservation while exploring and enjoying our outdoor world.

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers, Events Tagged With: 5050 on the water, AFFTA, casting instruction, Emerald Water Anglers, FFI, fly fishing events, Fly Fishing Seattle, fly tying, Meet and Greet, Olympic Peninsula, Pacific Albacore, spey casting, steelhead, swinging flies, Trefin Tuna, washington fly fishing, Wild Steelhead, women's fly fishing

G.Loomis IMX PRO Short-Spey Rod Review

January 3, 2018 by Caldwell Rohrbach 1 Comment

From the moment you pick up the IMX Pro 7 11’11” you know this rod is different. It redefines lightweight while also maintaining a strong enough rod to turn big fish in heavy water. Where I used to think a 13′ 7wt and a 9′ 8wt with a single hand skagit line were the perfect quiver on a number of Washington rivers, I now think the compact modern “Short Spey” will take the place of both.

This is the first short spey of it’s kind and I do differentiate this from other switch rods. THIS IS NOT A SWITCH ROD! This is the next generation of Spey rods that marry’s the feel of a 13′ rod with the fast action necessary of modern short skagit heads.

The first time I cast this rod was with a 480 grain Skagit Scout line (18.5′) and 44lb Impact mono running line and there wasn’t a situation this rod struggled with. We fished the Deschutes for two day’s in high water and cast a number of tips effortlessly including: 10′ Flo Tips in the t-10 and t-14 ranges as well as straight sections up to 12’ in t-10 and t-14. We battled high winds as well as cold temperatures and were able to feel a few nice tugs on the end of our line. (Since that trip, I have enjoyed fishing the 480 grain Skagit Switch line, just a foot longer than the Scout at 19.5’.

When you cast this rod, you seem to forget how compact it is until you find yourself tucked under overhanging trees and wading deep, tight against the bank.

The other thing you can’t seem to believe is the price of this rod. Compared to other rods in excess of $1000, this rod excels. For $575, this rod is a home run and one that I can’t wait to get out and fish. A component I typically overlook on other spey rods is the reel seat. However, on this one you are drawn in by its modern looks, sleek design, and smoothness.

For those gearing up for our winter run fish, the 7wt is the perfect addition to your existing lineup or a single rod quiver for the new spey angler.

As for trout spey, I think you can stop searching once you land on the IMX Pro 4wt 11’11”. This rod has all the power you could want but still has some major play when fighting a fish. For those searching for the lightest rod, that can still throw big streamers and heavy sink tips, the 3wt can be another great option. Karlie Roland prefers the 3wt.

As for the con’s associated with this rod, it is hard to come by. We literally cant keep these on the shelf. If there was one thing that I had to change, it would be the bottom grip, I prefer a slightly larger knob but that is one that you quickly forget once fishing! GLoomis knocked this one out of the park.

Other lines we enjoy on the IMX Pro 7 11’11”: Skagit Switch G2 510, Rage Compact 450, Scandi Compact 450

Karlie: 3wt 270 Scout, 225 OPST Commando

Give us a call with any more questions or feel free to stop by the shop to see for yourself 206.708.7250.

Photo’s and text: Caldwell Rohrbach

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, fly shop, Gloomis, IMX Pro, Olympic Peninsula, PNW, Puget Sound, rod review, Sauk River, Seattle, Short Spey, Skagit River, steelhead, swinging flies, Washington, wild fish

Steelhead Fishing is Hard…Simply Put!

January 10, 2013 by adminewa

cowlitz_witwerflybox1a
What you do at work when you are bored depends on a myriad of criteria: where you head is, what your passion is, what did or didn’t happen last night, what is coming up in the next week or two and so on…the list is long! Well when you pretend everything revolves around a two handed fly rod, your favorite dance is the swing and your partner is always a native fish named Mykiss, this is one possible tangent your mind might travel down on a lack-luster day at work, from Ted McDermott:

Hey guys,

From this data:

Seattle Times Article

I did some math. Check out the attached spreadsheet for details and river specific data, but here is the overall analysis: This was fun.

Based on Data from 12/1/12 to 1/6/13 on the Major OP Rivers for all fishing styles:

Steelhead caught per hour: .0805
Native steeelhead Caught per hour: .0167
Hours spent on each steelhead: 12.42
Hours per Native steelhead: 59.95
Steelhead per fisherman: .3917
Native steelhead per fisherman: .0812

Would love to compare this to other watersheds during the same time (Puget Sound!!??) and also different times of year on the OP and see what we come up with. The analysis doesn’t take into account weather, so take the data with a grain of salt.

Either way you can use this to casually tell clients that steelhead fishing is hard. Now you have the numbers to prove it.”

Doubt most the catch were from swinging steelheaders so if that is your zen…these numbers might look really good to you. Either way, steelhead fishing is hard, and we love it!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, mykiss, native steelhead, Olympic Peninsula, spey casting, swinging flies, Washington

Sol Duc River to be First Wild Salmonid Management Zone in WA

February 16, 2012 by adminewa

Now matter how you spin it, this is good news, my hope is that we will learn enough from this to force change on other fisheries in our state that need it so badly. Read the full article here:

Sol Duc River Management Zone

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Emerald Water Anglers, Olympic Peninsula, Sol Duc River, steelhead, Washington

Elwha River, Dam Removal, Hatchery and Wild Fish…headed to Court!

September 18, 2011 by adminewa

This is going to be an interesting year for the Elwha River and what should be one of the most prominent live experiments in natural recovery of wild fish ever. Many of you likely know this already but if not, a hatchery is planned to allow for stocking of fish throughout much of the Elwha River, even above where fish have been cut-off from migration for decades. In the paper today a piece on the impending litigious battle brewing over this controversial decision.

By Lynda V. Mapes of the Seattle Times

Just as dam removal gets under way on the Elwha River, wild-fish advocates say a hatchery built as part of the restoration threatens the recovery effort, and they have filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue.

The notice says that various agencies did not seek adequate consultation before deciding in a 2008 fish-recovery plan to use a new $16 million hatchery to “jump-start” recovery of wild fish in the Elwha River.

The groups say hatchery fish reduce the vigor and survival of fragile runs of native fish, and that the decision to plant nonnative Chambers Creek winter steelhead in the river poses particular risk. The filers are far from alone in their concern: Scientists from every agency that has weighed in on the question of stocking nonnative steelhead in the river have opposed it as an unreasonable and unnecessary risk to wild-fish recovery.

The lead fish biologist for Olympic National Park, the habitat biologist for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, and scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are all on record opposing the practice.

“This is the world’s largest river-restoration program and it should reflect the world’s best science,” said Kurt Beardslee, head of the Wild Fish Conservancy, one of the groups involved. “We think the hatchery is threatening the recovery of wild fish and we really don’t think it went through the proper review process.”

Also joining in the action are the Wild Steelhead Coalition, The Conservation Angler and Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee. The recipients were the Olympic National Park, the NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The notice is intended to spur negotiations between the parties to work out their differences within 60 days. If that is not successful, a lawsuit could be filed.

The hatchery was built for the tribe as part of the $325 million Elwha restoration program because taking out the dams will render the tribe’s old hatchery inoperable. The tribe has for years stocked the river with nonnative steelhead to provide a fishing opportunity for tribal members.

Native steelhead in the river are listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act, as are chinook, bull trout and eulachon. Robert Elofson, river-restoration manager for the tribe, notes that without stocking nonnative fish, the tribe might not have anything to catch at the end of a five-year fishing moratorium, because wild runs will still be too fragile.

But critics warn that the hatchery will prevent recovery from ever taking off.

Will Stelle, northwest regional director of NOAA Fisheries, said the hatchery program has been open to review and will remain so, as details for the stocking program — and dialing it back — are developed.

“Do we need the lawyers and litigation in order to compel a continued substantial engagement?” Stelle said. “That is going to happen anyway and you can count on it.”

The tribe must be assured an exercise of tribal-fishing rights over the next 10 years while fish runs are still diminished, in part because the river will be carrying elevated levels of sediment long trapped behind the dams, Stelle said.

The hatchery has been sharply controversial, including during a science symposium this week in Port Angeles as part of the commemoration of dam removal.

At a gathering Thursday night, Dylan Tomine, an ambassador for the clothing company Patagonia, which champions dam removal, said wild fish in the Northwest evolved to cope with elevated sediment levels brought by everything from landslides to volcanoes.

“My wish,” Tomine said, “is that we could have the patience and faith to let Mother Nature do what she has always done.”

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Elwha River, Emerald Water Anglers, Endangered Species Act, Hatcheries, NOAA, Olympic Peninsula, salmon, steelhead, Tomine, Washington

Steelhead OFF Menu, Kudos to Ray’s

January 21, 2011 by adminewa

I am really happy to say that Ray’s Boathouse Restaurant here in Seattle reconsidered their plan to put wild steelhead on their menu after what I would assume are many emails from the public calling for them to refrain from such sales. Many kudos and compliments to Executive Chef Peter Birk for moving forward, my recommendation would be that everyone who emailed or called with their displeasure take the same amount of time to provide positive support for his decision. Those who criticize can’t just expect to point fingers and then not reciprocate in kind when something goes our way. Our presence has to be felt and measured on both sides of the coin.

With that in mind, this video which originated on Skate The Fly will show exactly why so many restaurants and markets continue to pop up with wild steelhead and their “caviar” on their menus. It comes from misinformtation provided to them by a misinformed and what sounds to be an uneducated supplier and whether that is by choice or via the native Americans he purchases from. Watch this video and see for yourself:

Mikuni Wild Harvest

One thing to keep in mind here is that these wild steelhead, once harvested and sold to a supplier sell for around $1.50-$2.50 per pound!! That equates to around $7.00-$9.00 per pound at the retail price.

Just ponder that for a moment and think about how much money we have spent pursuing these fish and that is all they are worth on the open fish market…REDICULOUS!!! Definitely let listen to what he has to say about these fish he is selling, commentary welcome!

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Olympic Peninsula, Queets River, Quinault River, Skate the Fly, Wild Steelhead

Wild Steelhead on the Menu — AGAIN!

January 18, 2011 by adminewa

Brought to light by our beloved friends at Moldy Chum, iconic Seattle waterfront restaurant Ray’s Boathouse has chosen to put wild steelhead on their menu and other in the area are also considering this option. Obviously propaganda in favor of this and in support of “sustainable wild steelhead” from the Olympic Peninsula is working and ours against it is not. Time for that to change, right now.

Below is the note sent to the restaurant by our good friend Pat Jenkins of Recycled Waders and the response from the Executive Chef who is obviously misinformed and willing to stand tall anyway, his contact info is at the bottom, please respond in kind:

Patrick wrote:
Hello,

It has come to my attention that your restaurant is serving wild steelhead from the Queets River (and presumably other rivers) from the Quinault Indian Tribe. Wild steelhead are endangered species act listed throughout much of their range in the United States. In Washington State, stocks of steelhead in the Columbia River, Snake River, and all of Puget Sound have been listed under the ESA within the last 20 years. Steelhead in other areas in Washington continue to decline. In coastal areas on the Olympic Peninsula where the Quinaults and other tribes fish, rivers are largely protected in the Olympic National Park, so freshwater habitat is in very good condition. Yet in recent years several of the rivers including the Hoh, Queets, Quileute (including the Sol Duc, Bogahciel and Calawah), and others, have failed to meet the minimum spawning escapement goals established by the state. The Hoh river has failed to meet its goal the majority of years recently, and in 2009 none of the above mentioned rivers met their goals, and the Queets missed its goal by more than 1/2, meaning that less than half the minimum number of fish needed to spawn to produce the next generation did so. This failure to meet escapement goals is a major conservation issue and could result in coastal stocks being ESA listed eventually too. Yet it is totally preventable. In all of the cases where escapement goals were not met, had tribal harvest been curtailed, escapement would have been met, meaning that the run was large enough to meet the goals but due to irresponsible and unsustainable tribal overharvest, the runs did not meet their goals. I am very disappointed to see your fine restaurant supporting this unsustainable harvest of wild steelhead and would ask that your restaurant take it off the menu immediately. All of the data I have referenced above is available from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife if you would like to see it for yourself. Please stop serving wild steelhead. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patrick Jenkins, Owner
Recycled Waders, LLC
206-669-4115
Recycled Waders

Ray’s Response:
Dear Patrick,

Thank you for your concern regarding the Olympic Peninsula Steelhead that we are currently offering as a special in our restaurant. We agree 100% with your position that serving unsustainable, endangered and threatened fish is damaging to the future of wild fish and our environment. We actively support organizations, such as Long Live the Kings and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, who work toward preserving our natural resources.

The Olympic Peninsula Steelhead that we are serving has been sustainability caught by the Quileute Tribe from the Quileute River and purchased through Key City Fish. The Steelhead is a combination of both hatchery and wild stock that has spawned naturally. Since November 1, 2010, we have served about 134 fish. Many Steelhead populations are indeed endangered or threatened and should absolutely be completely avoided, such as those on the California Coast, Oregon Coast, Snake River, and Puget Sound. However, the Olympic Peninsula Steelhead population is healthy, robust and absolutely not threatened. For confirmation of this please visit NOAA’s website at: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/ESA-Salmon-Listings/Salmon-Populations/Steelhead/.

The Quileute Tribe is closely partnered with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife to aggressively manage this fishery. The state and tribe worked together to produce the Salmon Stock Inventory (SaSI) in 1992. The SaSI is a critical document for wild fish recovery and definitively identifies the status of each wild stock in categories ranging from extinct to healthy. The state and tribe actively works with citizens to catalogue details about habitat and map fish stock distributions. I can assure you that everyone involved, from tribe to state to restaurant, has a vested interest in the preservation of this fish.

There is considerable conflict between sport and commercial fishermen regarding the regulation of steelhead fishing and we completely understand the frustrations of both sides. We want to stress, though, that the Olympic Peninsula Steelhead we have served was sustainably and legally caught according to the regulations set forth by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and is not endangered or threatened according to NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

Ray’s Boathouse would absolutely never serve endangered or threatened fish. Thank you for your feedback. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best,

Peter Birk, Executive Chef | Ray’s Boathouse, Café & Catering
6049 Seaview Avenue NW | Seattle, WA 98107
206.789.3770 | www.rays.com | rays@rays.com

Filed Under: Emerald Water Anglers Tagged With: Moldy Chum, Olympic Peninsula, Quileyute River, Ray's Boathouse, Recylced Waders, WDFW, Wild Steelhead

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