These same people who invite me to fish with them and help them ball right up at the mention of Great Lakes steelhead. Sometimes there can be other barriers, as well-the walls we erect in our hearts and minds. I love the fish, but geography can be a great barrier. My ability to help is limited to the $20 I can stick in an envelope. I live on the other side of the continent. I know the debate rages over causes and cures. Regrettably, over the years I have noticed the decline of steelhead in some of the more traditional rivers. There are some places located on British Columbia’s Skeena watershed I absolutely adore. Occasionally, I get invited out to the West Coast and partake in traditional fly fishing for steelhead. It was this genetic left turn that also required the fish to get tough to hack it in big water. Some have asked if I can sum up what makes a steelhead a steelhead? It is simply a rainbow trout that took an anadromous turn. The fish have evolved differently in each drainage, meaning steelhead have a slightly different character from fishery to fishery. So much so that the people who are in the middle of these conservation battles want different strains recognized and protected. To put it in perspective, we share 50 percent of our DNA with a banana, 60 percent with a fruit fly, 75 percent with a mouse, 80 percent with a cow, and more than 98 percent with a chimp. The most common description is “a rainbow trout on steroids.” That really doesn’t come close to getting there. The steelhead trout is a creature whose mythology is well deserved. I understand the genuine distress they feel over the decline of one of the greatest fisheries on the planet. I have some West Coast friends who occasionally ask me to donate money to help in their battles to preserve their steelhead fisheries. This article was originally titled "Eastern Steelhead" in the Seasonable Angler column of the June-July 2016 issue of Fly Fisherman magazine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |