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.

In fish conservation, it isn’t always about the big wins, success often comes in small steps and underestimated sources, and even small steps can help create a movement. Sometimes it’s simply about seeing a need, taking personal initiative, and having the courage to advocate for unpopular solutions. In this episode of The Adipose, we share the background behind Sparky’s Rule and how it helped kickstart a new era in how we handle wild fish. 

In 2007 writer and Wild Steelhead Coalition Trustee Dylan Tomine published State Of The Steelhead, an essay you can now find in his new book Headwaters. The essay was a warning and a call for steelhead anglers to step up and fight for these incredible fish. 

The lessons are as relevant today as when Tomine penned that essay over a decade ago, but one thing has remained constant: his commitment to protecting wild steelhead and their habitat. 

We hope you enjoy this episode of The Adipose Podcast, where we share Geoff Mueller's interview with Tomine as part of our ongoing Wild Steelhead: Now or Never campaign.

Last year, only 70 steelhead returned to the iconic Thompson River. For decades, the runs of Interior Fraser River steelhead in Southern British Columbia have been allowed to completely collapse. 

Restoration plans have not been enacted, and a previous emergency attempt to provide critical protections under Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA) has been derailed by managing agencies. Today a new effort is underway to protect and rebuild these wild steelhead populations before they are lost completely.

To help understand the tragic situation, the next steps required, and the lessons and warnings for wild steelhead anglers everywhere, we reached out to Aaron Hill of Watershed Watch Salmon Society and Jesse Zeman of the BC Wildlife Federation for this episode of the Adipose podcast.

In October of 2021, the Wild Steelhead Coalition released “Wild Steelhead: Now or Never,” a campaign to provide a status report on the current state of wild steelhead populations, educate anglers on the causes of declines, and the investments required to restore their populations.

As a part of that project, board member Ed Sozinho and the writer Geoff Mueller hit the road to visit anglers, scientists, and conservationists and hear about their work and home waters.

For this the second episode of the Adipose, we catch up with Jake Crawford to talk about his work, time on the water, and the community of anglers working to protect the wild steelhead rivers of Southern Oregon.

For our first episode of The Adipose, we thought it made sense to start with some fishing stories. After all, chasing and encountering a wild steelhead is the common spark that started most of us on our journey as anglers and advocates, and keeps us motivated to do the work.

Every steelheader knows: Wild steelhead can change lives. We want to share some of our favorite stories of the first steelhead caught, and even a few great ones about the last wild steelhead anglers were lucky enough to cross paths with.