The Oregon legislature is working on its next budget and a set of “policy options packages” is being debated that are important for healthy rivers & wildlife.  They need your help to be adopted.

ODFW’s (Fish & Wildlife) POP 123 would fund forecasts for river flow needs.  OWRD’s (Water Resources) POP 102 would fund studies of existing ground water.  OWRD’s POP 108 would fund measurement of groundwater use.  Yes, this implies that the state does not currently know how much water we need in most rivers for healthy ecosystems, how much water is currently in aquifers that feed those rivers, or how much is being taken out by groundwater pumping.  Absurd, isn’t it?Read More »

I recently finished reading “The Compleat Angler” by Izaak Walton, who has  been called the Father of Fly Fishing.  First published in England in 1653, with revised editions until 1676, reading The Compleat Angler was a slog at best.  Written near the time of Shakespeare, but without the Bard’s skill, it deserves its modern reputation as tedious.  That being said, it was absolutely fascinating to read how much was known about angling 366 years ago.Read More »

This is not a fishing blog, but every now and then I will post something along those lines.  For a few years now I have been chasing bull trout on Lake Billy Chinook using fly gear.  It’s challenging but can be rewarding.  Above is a photo of one of my sons with a nice bull trout.  There are a lot of variables at play, but it looks like we could have a good and early season.  Here’s what I have been looking at. Read More »

Last week I had the opportunity to tour the Willamette Falls fish ladder as a member of the ODFW Restoration & Enhancement Board.  There has been extensive coverage, including posts on this blog, about sea lion predation on anadromous fish at this ladder, to the extent that steelhead runs were at short term risk of extinction.  ODFW is now euthanizing the most problematic pinnipeds.  Less publicity has been given to the fact that the fish ladder itself is in danger of structural failure.Read More »

Yesterday George Weurthner had a worthwhile letter to the editor in the Bulletin on water rights.  I agree with his comments, here’s my 2 cents.  Over 100 years ago, when Central Oregon was mostly unsettled wilderness, the state gave away water rights, not water ownership which remains with the public, in an effort to create a local, agricultural based economy.  Today, our area is booming and agriculture in Deschutes County is a minor and decreasing component of our economy.  Nevertheless, irrigators continue to divert 90% of the water in the upper Deschutes Basin.  It is well past time to reallocate the public’s water using a modern definition of beneficial use.  It is possible to maintain water rights for irrigators who are truly using it for agriculture, provide for other irrigators willing to pay a market price, while supporting the growth of our modern economy, ensuring municipal water supplies, and restoring our public water ways.

The US Secretary of Commerce has declared that commercial salmon fishing along the west coast from 2015 through 2017 was a disaster.  (It’s no better this year and steelhead are also in critical condition.)  The determination provides economic assistance for commercial fishing communities.  This recognition is welcome but it seems to me that it would be equally important to fix the root causes.  Without this the desired “rebound” will not occur.

Today I talked to the ODFW biologist in charge of the lower Deschutes.  He said that it was too early to know how many wild steelhead would return this season but if he had to guess it would be similar to last year, which was one of the lowest on record.  He was optimistic, however, that the population would recover if conditions improved.  As I have discussed on this blog, that’s a very big if and trend is not encouraging.  He acknowledged that less angling pressure would benefit wild fish but thought that I went too far to state that it was immoral to target them.  While I really want to fish the lower Deschutes, for now I am going to focus on coastal rivers where counts are at or above their 10 year averages.  Hopefully, counts on the Deschutes will significantly climb over the next couple of months.

Long time fisheries activist Jim Myron, now working with The Conservation Angler, wrote to inform me of an Oregon state law that is relevant to my most recent post about the immorality of fishing for steelhead on the Deschutes at this point in time.

He states:

ORS 496.012 requires the state to “prevent serious depletion of any indigenous species…” This has gone way beyond serious depletion and we are looking at extinction on the horizon.

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As local anglers know, the 2017/2018 steelhead season was bleak, adult returns were one of the lowest on record.  After some initial optimism for at least a modest rebound, this season now looks to be even worse.  A few days ago Oregon and Washington lowered their forecast for returns and closed the Columbia River and parts of some tributaries to steelhead fishing for the rest of the year.  We anglers are now faced with a moral issue: even if most of the Deschutes remains open, can we afford to further stress and potentially kill the small numbers of wild fish that do return?  See below to make your own informed decision.Read More »

Fires on the lower Deschutes this year are the worst in memory.  I have been told that it looks like this from Mack’s Canyon almost to the mouth as well as in many places above Mack’s.  The main campgrounds above Mack’s along the dirt road have been saved but most of the campgrounds below are burned to the ground, including many of the outhouses.  It’s going to be tough camping for floaters for a while.  The good news is that early summer steelhead numbers are reasonable although the river temps in the lower most stretches are too hot in the afternoon to safely land fish.  The sick joke is that it’s time to get out your single hand rods again as there is plenty of room to back cast.

I was recently made aware of this informative website from the Center for American Progress.  The section on rivers and the interactive mapping they provide is excellent.  Zoom in on Central Oregon to see just how bad things look.  The report also underlines the “economic powerhouse” that river-based recreation creates.  It’s a worthwhile read.

The southeastern part of Oregon has amazing fishing.  Last summer I spent 10 days driving around that part of the state in my camper with one of my sons, we caught hundreds of trout from a few inches to over 20 inches, and we only came across one other angler the whole time.  If you too love that area, or native fish, you should know ODFW is currently working on a conservation plan for the Malheur Basin and could use your help.

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I was recently contacted about potentially participating on a panel discussing rivers in Deschutes County.  Others would cover wildlife and habitat issues but they were looking for someone who would address economics.  To the best of my knowledge there have been no comprehensive studies done on this topic but it did get me thinking.

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The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife is a lightning rod for criticism by some.  Having worked for years with many caring department employees I find that disapproval often misplaced.  ODFW would like to do much more for the citizens of Oregon but they are hamstrung by a very tight budget.  Not long ago they literally ended one month with $1.67 in the bank!  After cutting personnel and facilities, and raising fees, they are now in better shape but things remain tight.  They are currently planning their 2019-2021 budget and you have a chance to weigh in.Read More »

Beautiful day to count redds on the Metolius with ODFW.  Great excuse to take a day off work.  It is amazing how little spawning habit supports the entire redband trout population on this river.  The fish migrate up close to the headwaters, spawn, and quickly move back downstream.

The US Forest Service is currently seeking public comment on two project proposals on the upper Deschutes River, both are designed restore degraded riparian areas along the river.Read More »