Seattle Magazine Article Incites Steelhead Advocates, Restaurant Pulls Fish from Menu

Seattle Magazine Article Incites Steelhead Advocates, Restaurant Pulls Fish from Menu
Submitted by Colin K. Breck
Article Link from our Friends at Hatch

An article published in Seattle "lifestyle magazine", SeattleMet, has caused one of the city's heralded eateries to pull wild steelhead from its menu. In fact, Hitchcock chef Brian McGill has decided to stop serving the fish altogether, much to the appreciation of many of the wild steelhead advocates that spoke out in defense of Washington's troubled steelhead population.
Near the mouth of the Hoh River on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The SeattleMet author, Allicia Vermillion, took a provocative swipe at anglers and conservationists, writing that "... putting steelhead on the menu can incite letters, or even protests, from people who fish as a hobby. To sport anglers, the pursuit of the steelhead is the fly-fishing equivalent of pitching a perfect baseball game while simultaneously having a religious experience. In other words, subjecting this rare and beautiful creature to commonplace harvesting and cooking is like carving up a 20-point buck to make venison burgers."

The article goes on to paint a misleading picture of strict management, healthy populations and sustainable harvests. It illustrates this process by tracing one fish from its eventual place on someone's dinner plate at Bainbridge Island's Hitchcock on through the selective, inaccessible and colorful surfer turned fish buyer, Peter Onkst and back to the steely fisherman, Michael Sampson, who pulls the fish of interest from the icy waters of the Hoh River, as one of 6 steelhead hauled in that day.

Once word spread, it wasn't long before wild steelhead advocates voiced their mind both on SeattleMet's web site and others around the web. The message? Harvesting Washington wild steelhead is unacceptable and unsustainable. Well known Seattle fisherman and guide, Dave McCoy, noted "the numbers of wild/native steelhead returning to this state are somewhere between 2%-5% (being generous here on the high end) of historical returns. To write up a story in a fashion that makes 4,000 fish seem like a lot, that that number is sustainable and that it is OK to look for these fish on your favorite restaurants menu is socially irresponsible. Clearly some of the people you may have spoken with are not of the position that believe these fish are in as dire a situation as they really are."





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The River and It's Life Video

http://www.frontsidefly.com

This is not a fly fishing video. Its rather a tribute to the trout and the wonderful world they live in, illustrated here by a crystal clear mountain river full of life. Sometimes we head up to these waters and just observes what's going on. At times like these we leave the trout alone and do not fish them. Please don't forget to enjoy the magic in these waters. Just relax, listen, observe and enjoy LIFE.







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Preserve & Protect Boca Grande's Tarpon

For the past month or so, Save The Tarpon has been profiling companies that have attached their brand to the controversial Professional Tarpon Tournament Series. It’s an awareness campaign. Our members and supporters, more than 12,000 of them, have responded by contacting PTTS sponsors through Facebook, email and by phone.

Two companies have been profiled to date. Both have discontinued their sponsorship of the event. More PTTS sponsors will be profiled in the coming weeks and months. This is in addition to our ongoing boycott effort. And yes, you are on the list.

PTTS sponsors who have reached out to us have been largely unaware that they’ve been promoting this event. Others viewed the PTTS as “just another fishing show.” Many have since taken a closer look. It’s fair to say they aren’t happy about what they’ve seen and what they’ve learned.

A great Boca Grande Tarpon night I had a few years ago

Save The Tarpon has made education a priority since its formation in June, 2012. We have targeted our message of conservation, preservation and respect for the tarpon fishery to the public, anglers, sportsmen, politicians and, of course, the corporate community. Our “Do The WRITE Thing” effort was designed to help spread this message to companies like yours which, we truly believe, made a well-intentioned but poorly vetted sponsorship decision.

When Save The Tarpon was launched this past summer – and yes, our organization is less than a year old – overtures were made to the principals of the PTTS. We asked the tournament to consider ending the practice we call “gaff and drag” and follow the lead of similar events by adopting a true catch and release format that research has shown dramatically increases survival. We asked the PTTS to crack down on the reckless boat handling methods of its participants, what the PTTS proudly touts as “organized chaos.” We asked the PTTS to take measures to assure the fishing public would once again have unfettered access to Boca Grande Pass at all times.

The PTTS refused. “Refused” is a polite way of describing the tournament’s response. Back then, Save The Tarpon boasted fewer than 100 members and supporters. The PTTS, on the other hand, boasted corporate backing from some of the biggest players on the planet. The combined clout of companies much like yours allowed PTTS television host Joe Mercurio, speaking on your behalf, to go on the record and publicly state “we’ll stop when someone tells us to stop.”

More Info Click Here




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Missing My Cold Weather Fly Fishing!

Bring On The Cold

It's winter time in Colorado and Cabin fever is creeping up slowly in the Duggan house. I love to fish year round and there is something to be said about not having to worry about the crowds when it's dumping 6" of snow! Where is everyone at? Probably enjoying a warm couch or like many of my frineds, hitting thr ski slopes.

I myself find it so amazing to hit the Rivers during winter or snow season. To have the River all to oneself when most of the year is spent hiding from other anglers, this is a true treat for me.

Now with a new Baby around, Troutdawg's Winter fishing will mostly be made up of fly fishing shows on TV and perhaps a quick trip down to the South Platte. The countdown is on till I hit some favorite Winter Tailwaters of mine again.

Winter Fly Fishing Tips





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