In this episode of The Adipose, we continue exploring transformative fishing moments. Building on our premiere episode, we again invited anglers to share their first and last steelhead encounters—bookends to their ongoing journey on the water. 

Chasing and encountering a wild steelhead is the spark that started most of us on our journey as anglers and advocates, and keeps us motivated to do the work. In this new episode, we've gathered fresh perspectives from our community, sharing those pivotal moments when steel met line and changed lives forever. These stories capture the essence of why we fish and why we fight to protect these magnificent creatures and their waters.

In this storytelling episode, we share the connections between friendship, fly fishing, and the wild steelhead of British Columbia. This story blends humor and heartbreak and captures the emotions of chasing these legendary fish while coming to grips with the changes that time can bring. 

This podcast covers recreational marijuana use, and listeners should stay informed about and adhere to all local, state, and federal laws concerning cannabis consumption.

Lynda Mapes is an award-winning writer who, during her 27-year tenure as a reporter at The Seattle Times, has written numerous stories about natural history, the environment, and Native American tribes. In addition to her newspaper career, she is the author of numerous books, including the 2022 Washington State Book Award Winner Orca: Shared Waters Shared Home.

Lynda has written an investigative article for the Seattle Times exploring the complexity surrounding Washington’s state fish, the wild steelhead, and we’re fortunate to have her as a guest on this episode of The Adipose.

We’re excited to bring you a brand-new episode of The Adipose podcast. This time, we sit down with Steve Duda, a celebrated writer, editor, and producer who has significantly influenced the voice of fly fishing for over three decades. You might know Steve as the former editor of The Flyfish Journal or from his standout appearances on Writers on the Fly.

In this episode, Steve takes us through his new book, River Songs. Steering clear of the usual fly fishing clichés—romanticized tales, heroic battles with nature, and stories of triumph—River Songs offers something different. It delves into authentic lived experiences, embraces vulnerability, and gives a fresh perspective on what it means to enjoy “a long run with a tight crew.” Don’t miss this deep dive into the real heart of fly fishing with one of its most influential voices.

For steelheaders of this era, there is no doubt we have reached a major juncture. in the journey. One option is to surrender to the grim circumstances. We can go out in a blaze of glory, Thelma and Louise style, and fish our way to extinction and then move on to other species once wild steelhead are gone. The other fork in the road is to fight and build a robust army of steelhead champions who work as hard to restore wild steelhead as they do to catch them.  

Fly Fishermen began catching steelhead on flies up and down the Pacific Coast from BC to Northern California in the early 20th Century. As stories of the beauty and power of wild steelhead appeared in print publications, a bevy of steelhead anglers perfected their craft and became the first generation of wild steelhead conservationists. 

In this first episode of our series, Fly Fishing Pioneers & Legends of the Northwest Wild Steelhead Coalition Board Chair Ed Sozinho sat down with writer, historian, and former Wild Steelhead Coalition President and trustee Jack Berryman to talk about the history and pioneers of steelhead fishing and the role anglers have played in preserving and restoring wild steelhead along the Pacific Coast.

Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up in Seattle on a misty March morning and struggle to decide which of Puget Sound’s prolific 49 wild steelhead rivers and streams to fish that day? Can you imagine what it would be like to catch two wild steelhead and be disappointed by how slow the day was? And can you imagine what it would feel like to wade waist-deep into the Snohomish River knowing that 225,000 wild steelhead were swimming around in those same waters?

It is a now-or-never moment for the wild steelhead. The decisions we make, the actions we take, and the conservation efforts we support today will determine whether the legacy of "Steelhead Country" endures or fades away.

Imagine arriving at a party just as the last song is playing, and everyone is headed home. 
Enjoy this audio edition of WSC Board member David Conrad's piece, "Late to the Steelhead Party," which he wrote for the 2023 Swing The Fly Anthology. 

In many watersheds, most wild steelhead returning each season will be caught and handled by anglers, some more than once. Regardless of our best intentions, some fish will die, and many will endure sublethal short and/or long-term impacts, such as reduced spawning success.

Dr. Andy Danylchuk and his teams have researched the impacts of catch-and-release fishing on various recreational fisheries around the globe.

In this episode of The Adipose, Andy shares the results of his study to evaluate the factors that influence C&R outcomes in wild steelhead on the Bulkley River in British Columbia and how improvements in catch-and-release survival can influence a population’s ability to sustain or even grow, their numbers. 

Most anglers listening to this podcast likely understand that the species Oncorhynchus mykiss exhibits a complex of reproductive behaviors that generally involve summer-run steelhead, winter-run steelhead, and resident rainbow trout that all can spawn in the same river. But is it a case that ‘never the twain shall meet’? 

Listen to Wild Steelhead Coalition Science Advisor Guy Fleischer on what differentiates young steelhead from resident rainbow trout in such river systems.