2021 Oregon Legislative Session: Northwest Steelheaders Priority Bills & How You Can Help

February 6, 2021

2021 Oregon Legislative Session: Northwest Steelheaders Priority Bills & How You Can Help

The Oregon state legislative session began last month, and it is already shaping up to be a busy year. Our Board of Directors has identified an ambitious list of bills to track during the 2021 legislative session, so we need your help!

February 7, 2021

Idaho Rep. Simpson Introduces Historic Salmon Recovery Plan for the Columbia River Basin

Northwest Steelheaders has been waiting for this moment for over 48 years. Today, U.S. Representative Simpson (R-ID) announced a groundbreaking proposal for a comprehensive $33.5 billion infrastructure package to recover Columbia River salmon and steelhead by restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River.

February 15, 2021

1,000 Casts? More like 410 Days: A Steelheader’s Journey

How long did it take you to bring home your first steelhead? A few days, weeks, or months? It took me over a year… 410 days to be exact, and not for lack of effort. My adventure began on Black Friday, 2015. I walked into Fisherman’s Marine and bought all the gear to float fish for salmon and steelhead, but none of the store employees warned me how difficult the challenge ahead would be.

February 22, 2021

Daily Astorian Opinion: Sea Change

Chris Hager is the executive director of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders. He was also appointed by Gov. Brown to serve on the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee and volunteers with the local chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He recently com/opinion/letters/letter-sea-published an opinion piece in the Daily Astorian on February 20, 2021 highlighting the need for the recreational angling community to engage in Representative Simpson's historic effort to restore Snake River salmon and steelhead.

February 22, 2021

Statesman Journal Opinion: Take Dam Proposal Seriously

Jack Glass has been guiding fishing trips in the Columbia Basin since 1983 with his company, Team Hookup Guide Service. He is a long-time advocate for salmon and steelhead recovery with over 40 years of experience on the water and more than 20 years advocating to free the lower Snake River. He published an opinion piece in the Statesman Journal on February 19, 2020 highlighting the need for the recreational angling community to engage in Representative Simpson's historic effort to restore Snake River salmon and steelhead.

February 22, 2021

Angling For Advocacy Fundraiser Kicks off March 1st to Support Salmon & Steelhead Conservation

From March 1st through 7th, the Association of Northwest Steelheaders will be raffling 13 world-class fishing trips with premier Northwest guides to support angling advocacy. Our guides have generously donated their time and expertise to help you learn new techniques and develop a deeper understanding of Pacific Northwest fisheries and why their conservation is so important. If you win one of our trips, we can guarantee that it’ll be the trip of a lifetime! Our guides include Jordan Knigge, Big Dave, Chris Vertopoulos, Jack and Brandon Glass, Kevin Anderson, Damon Struble, Bill Taylor, Trevor Storlie, Herman Fleishman, Kevin Larson, Ciara Lambert, and Bill Woods. Find the details for each trip at the button below.

March 10, 2021

Salmon Anatomy Through the Art of Gyotaku: How to Make Your Own Fish Print

Want to make your own fish prints? Here’s how! Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese art form that began over 100 years ago as a way for fishermen to keep track of the trophy fish that were caught on voyages. “Gyo” means “fish” and “Taku” means “impression.” This traditional method required fishermen to apply non-toxic sumi ink to one side of the fish, cover the fish with rice paper, and rub the paper until the image of the fish was on the paper.

March 17, 2021

Why Should We Remove the Lower Snake River Dams? Your Questions Answered

At one point, 50% of salmon returning to the Columbia River Basin spawned in the Snake River or its tributaries. Today, only 1% of these salmon return to their spawning grounds as adults to reproduce. Each interaction a juvenile salmon has with a dam reduces their chance of returning to the Columbia River as an adult by 10%. Snake River salmon have to pass eight dams during migration: four on the lower Snake River and four on the mainstem Columbia River, bringing their chance of returning as adults to just 20%. Removing the lower Snake River dams will remove half of the major obstacles blocking fish migration to and from their spawning grounds.