Wild and Wet Winter 1/23

It’s Wednesday’s Wild and Wet Winter … a California Trout, Keepemwet Fishing and Lost Coast Outfitters initiative celebrating California’s wild winter steelhead.

M. Wier photo

Last week we covered some of the finer points of landing, photographing and releasing a steelhead that’s been hooked while drifting down river in a boat. This week lets discuss some of the other threats, besides recreational angling pressure, that Winter Steelhead face along their journey from fry to adult.

In 2017 California Trout released the SOS II: Fish In Hot Water report which chronicles the status of all 32 Native Salmonids in California based on the latest peer reviewed science and research. Within California, there are actually 8 different classifications of Steelhead; Central California Coast Steelhead, Central Valley Steelhead, Klamath Mountains Province Summer Steelhead, Klamath Mountains Province Winter Steelhead, Northern California Summer Steelhead, Northern California Winter Steelhead, South-Central California Coast Steelhead and Southern Steelhead. Each group of fish displays different traits and behaviors based on their habitat, there for each group is managed differently.

Within the SOS report, each classification of steelhead is given a level of concern based on a number of factors that determine their likelyhood to survive long-term without human intervention. Each of the 8 classifications for Steelhead range from Moderate, to High, to Critical in their level of concern. That means all 8 groups are in peril and have a likelihood of extirpation from their native range within the next 50 years. Some classification segments, like Southern Steelhead are on the brink of extinction and angling for those fish has not been allowed for many years. Northern California winter steelhead are in a state of long-term decline over much of their range due to land use practices that reduce habitat for juveniles, such as diversions that desiccate nursery tributaries during summer months, therefore they are listed as Moderate level of concern.

The top 3 major anthropogenic threats to winter steelhead listed in the report are:

Major Dams- Scott Dam on the Eel River blocks access to an estimated 290km (180 mi.) of potential habitat, while Matthews Dam on the Mad River blocks nearly a third of historical steelhead habitat. In addition, these dams reduce streamflow during important migration windows for adult and juvenile steelhead.

Estuary Alteration- The estuaries of the Eel and Mad Rivers and Redwood Creek have been leveed, armored with structures, drained, altered by tide gates, and converted for agricultural and rural development, greatly reducing juvenile nursery habitat. What suitable estuarine habitat remains is subject to high turbidity, poor water quality, and sedimentation from runoff.

Agriculture- In the past two decades, illegal water diversions and subsequent habitat degradation of remote headwater streams for marijuana cultivation has become perhaps the most important limiting factor for juvenile steelhead survival in natal streams.

CalTrout is currently engaged in a suite of projects directed to help recover Northern California Steelhead based out of our North Coast office in Arcata California. On the Eel River we have taken a headwaters to estuary approach to restoration. In the estuary, CalTrout is working with the Coastal Conservancy, CDFW and the Wild Lands Conservancy to do large scale restoration, restore tidal marshlands, reconnect the estuary with the sloughs and install fish friendly tide gates. Along the mainstem CalTrout has identified many migration barriers and listed them in order of priority for removal. To date we have already led efforts to remove two large barriers at Bridge Creek and Woodman creek opening up several miles of quality habitat to spawning and rearing. Along the South Fork and other tributaries CalTrout is working on flow studies to help inform regulations that would allow for better instream flows at critical times for salmonids. And in the headwaters our focus is on advocating for fish passage at Scott Dam which would allow Salmon and Steelhead back into over 180 miles of historic quality spawning and rearing habitat. CalTrout is also engaged in a large scale restoration effort on Redwood Creek which includes the restoration of Prairie Creek, and important spawning tributary and restoration of the estuary.

Protecting and restoring habitat for Winter Steelhead is an ongoing mission and CalTrout is committed to ensuring positive outcome for wild fish and helping meet recovery goals.

-M.Wier

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CalTrout: to learn more about California winter run steelhead

Keepemwet Fishing: to learn more about Keepemwet priniciples

Lost Coast Outfitters: blog on many things fly fishing related

Wild and Wet Winter 1/16

It’s Wednesday’s Wild and Wet Winter … a CalTrout, Keepemwet Fishing and Lost Coast Outfitters initiative celebrating California’s wild winter steelhead.

Curtis Knight photo.

Last week we spoke with steelhead guide Jeff Hickman about some science-based techniques for landing and photographing steelhead while wading. This week let’s discuses some ways you can land a wild steelhead from a boat and still get a great photo for the album but also keep the fish wet and happy so it has the best chance at succeeding on this incredible journey to return home and spawn.

Fishing from a drift boat or raft is an increasingly popular way to chase steelhead and trout. Landing a spunky fish from a boat is and art form in itself and there’s lots of ways It can easily go wrong. There’s also tricks that can help it be a more smooth experience for both the fish and the angler. In all scenarios there needs to be some synergy between the person rowing the boat and the angler.

If you have a trophy fish on the line and it’s getting time to bring it in, there’s a couple different ways you can go about it. First of all the it’s time to assess if there’s an easy place to pull over. Beaching the boat and having the angler jump out can be a great option if it’s an easy place to do so. Be careful getting out of the boat with a fish on the line as it can be an exciting moment for everyone. Landing a fish in knee deep slow water will often be the smoothest experience for the fish and also a great way to get a photo of the catch without taking it out of the water.

If there’s not an easy place to pull the boat to shore and carefully land the fish then the next best option will be to use a net. Not all nets are created equal. Some nets are harder on fish then others. A rubber basket typically wears less slime off the fish and there’s less chance of splitting fins then mesh. If you are going to use mesh, get the softest fabric you can find. Make sure you have a net big enough to hold the size fish you are targeting.

In many cases netting the fish would be a two man job. Often the guide or person rowing will net the fish for the angler in the front or back of the boat. This scenario however is not always possible as sometimes guides will need to stay on the sticks to keep the boat in the right position. As an angler you should always learn how to net your own fish as well so you don’t need to always rely on a second person. A good swipe from downstream of the fish or simply holding the net downstream and steering the fish into it will yield the best results. If the water temps are cold enough as they often are in winter, then it’s easiest on the fish if can play it an extra few seconds so it’s tired enough that it won’t totally thrash around once it’s in the bucket. To calm the fish down, raise the rim of the net so it’s above the water but the fish is still totally submerged. Keep it facing head first into the current. Once it’s calm you can lean over the rail of the boat or raft and gently remove the hook while the fish is in the water. If a photo is warranted, lift the fish gently trying to keep it’s gills underwater. Have the other angler or driver ready with the camera so the photo happens quickly. Or use and under water camera like a go pro. Be careful not to over tip the boat in one direction. While leaning over the rail the other boat mate or mates might need to lean the other direction to compensate for the weight balance.

What you should try to avoid is bringing the fish into a dry boat and laying it onto dry metal. If a the fish thrashes around and bashes onto the hard metal floor it can cause head trauma. Fish are used to floating in a weightless world so even slight head bumps can cause severe damage. Also if you remove the hook while the fish is in the boat and then hold it up for a photo or two that process will take a minimum of 30 seconds and usually much more. That’s too much time for a wild fish to be exposed to oxygen which can cause immediate or eventual damage to the fish. Try holding your breath from the time you take the fish out of the water as a reminder so fish intended for release are able to recover.

- M. Wier

Curits Knight Photo.

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CalTrout: to learn more about California winter run steelhead

Keepemwet Fishing: to learn more about Keepemwet priniciples

Lost Coast Outfitters: blog on many things fly fishing related

Wild and Wet Winter 1/2

It’s Wednesday’s Wild and Wet Winter … a CalTrout, Keepemwet Fishing and Lost Coast Outfitters initiative celebrating California’s wild winter steelhead.

Mikey Wier photo

A case can be made that California’s Eel River represents the best opportunity for large-scale wild winter steelhead (and Chinook salmon) recovery on the entire west coast. Once home to an annual return of 1,000,000 wild steelhead and salmon, today a return of 25,000 is considered a banner year with most recent years tallying considerably less. The Eel is a massive watershed with outstanding habitat and one of the few west coast watersheds with no hatchery threatening wild fish genetics. Projects focused on improving estuary habitat, removing numerous fish passage, and addressing large-scale dam removal will take many years, if not decades, and countless millions of dollars…all daunting, but achievable.

To learn more about CalTrout’s Eel River efforts within this stakeholder group see their recent film “Return to Abundance”.

Anglers overall are a pretty generous group offering both voices in advocacy and financial support to the many conservation organizations fighting the good fight.

One could argue that as long term conservation efforts play out, the most immediate and meaningful impact conservation minded anglers can have on wild fish recovery is to simply handle fish carefully and respectfully.

Keeping fish in the water and eliminating air exposure, not only will help minimize mortality, but limit any potential secondary impacts on spawning effectiveness and fry production. Everything we do today to benefit and protect wild fish can only help future wild fish recovery efforts.

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CalTrout: to learn more about California winter run steelhead

Keepemwet Fishing: to learn more about Keepemwet priniciples

Lost Coast Outfitters: blog on many things fly fishing related

Welcome to a “Wild and Wet Winter”

Welcome to a “Wild and Wet Winter” … a CalTrout, Keepemwet Fishing and Lost Coast Outfitters initiative celebrating California’s wild winter steelhead. Our goals are to build awareness of the environmental threats and opportunities impacting sustainable population recovery, as well as, to educate the angling community on the rationale for Keepemwet fish handling practices, and to encourage anglers to follow them.

Each Wednesday through the end of the winter season, we’ll focus on one or more aspects impacting winter run steelhead. You’ll hopefully better understand the winter run life cycle and population distribution, top three threats … (major dams, estuary alteration, and agriculture), and conservation efforts ranging from the Smith to the South Fork Eel.

We’ll help you understand ways in which anglers can minimize their affect on fish. We’ll provide insight into the science supporting Keepemwet practices. You’ll understand the impact of landing time, landing practices (netting versus tailing), and barbed hooks, what happens when you take fish out of the water, how long is too long for a fish to be out of the water (and why), thoughts on ways to hold fish to minimize harm, and lastly how to take pictures that celebrate your catch while keeping fish wet.

Hopefully, we’ll help minimize fish mortality and the negative impact some practices can have on spawning efficacy.

See you next Wednesday and have a Wild and Wet Winter

CalTrout: to learn more about California winter run steelhead

Keepemwet Fishing: to learn more about Keepemwet priniciples

Lost Coast Outfitters: blog on many things fly fishing related