Sitting on Water: A Season on the Koeye River

My good friend Will Atlas reached out to me recently regarding an amazing project he is working on with the Heilsuk Nation community in Bella Bella, British Columbia. Over the last two years he has been working with a non-profit organization to develop a salmon monitoring program that supports sustainable food fisheries.This last year this has included a traditional fishing weir on the Koeye River where salmon can be tagged and enumerated on their journey upstream to their lake and spawning tributaries.This is providing valuable and reliable estimates of sockeye returning to the Koeye Watershed.

Currently, a fundraiser has been initiated to aid in the efforts of publicizing the Heilsuk Nation's work on film and the important impacts it can have both in the Koeye Watershed, but also applied to other systems in the future. The project fundraiser promoting this study is attempting to raise 5k goal to assist in paying for this 10-15 minute documentary.

Please taken a moment in checking out their good work and research. You can find out more information via Sitting on Water: A Season on the Koeye.

Making it Yours

Hardy St.John

For years I have been looking for that perfect reel that I could both fish and admire. Sure there are a lot of classic reels out there and even new modern reels designed in a classic format that I could have chosen, but the price was almost never right, especially since I have way too many fly rods and combinations that change at different times of year.

One of the reels that I fell in love with and have owned several over the years is a Hardy St.John. This is a 3 7/8 diameter reel, perfect for both single hand work and switch/summer steelhead applications. A simple Click and Pawl reel and for those who like the added weight, the Mark I with the brass reel seat classes it up a bit. The only problem with this model, is finding one without blemishes.

Blemishes on a used reel are fine, but for me I did not earn them, so I always had difficulty fishing someone else's reel. It came to me after seeing a friend polish up a reel, that I not only could do the same, but in a way, make it mine.

So after finding that good deal I went to work on my first reel. I did not intend to over do it, but in the end I finished when it just felt right. A little Polish, cotton splotches, tooth brush, Q-tips and a little imagination ended up removing a lot of lead finish on this reel.

In fact at this point,it has been several reels and I cannot stop looking for more. The things that I found on the reels worked on, especially those that have seen a lot of water time, is that some of the blemishes and corrosion damage seen on the outside cannot be fixed once you get down to the metal. At least not without professional equipment. You may also find imperfections in the metal when you are done. However they do contain character and the reel will not remain perfect after being fished anyway.

For those of you that collect reels for the value, this is probably not for you. But for those who actually want to fish one and not feellike you need to baby it,  this is a great option. 

The Adipose Vol 12, Issue 11

Photo Courtesy of The Adipose

Check out The Wild Steelhead Coalition's Adipose Newsletter. Topics in this edition include what is going on with Dean River Steelhead, Skagit Initiative and the latest on hatchery reform.

The Adipose

Alaska: The Nutrient Cycle

Sad Day for Oregon Fly Fishing

Rich and I back in 2004.

I received sad news the other day when I heard that Creekside Fly Fishing in Salem, Oregon is closing their doors. Rich Younger whom I have known for many years will be closing his doors at the end of the month after operating his shop for sixteen years. Rich will continue to be a mentor fly fishers throughout the Northwest and will continue his guide service, single hand casting lessons and book fly fishing gatherings at private lakes. As one of the premier fly tiers in the Pacific Northwest, I also hope that Rich continues to offer fly tying classes and help those who want to learn how to tie classic Atlantic Salmon and Steelhead flies. 

Creekside currently has some great deals going on right now and his doors will be open through November 30th. Please stop by and thank Rich and Kathy Youngers for everything they have done for our small community of fly fishers. Creekside will be missed.

 Creekside Fly Fishing

Skagit Into the Wild

Vision playing with Skagit Heads in Northern Sweden for Atlantic Salmon.