Big R Fly Shop

For those of you that are addicted to online magazines and articles about fishing in the Pacific Northwest, check out Big R's December issue. You will find these bimonthly periodically brought to you by guys in the know. This edition covers Steelhead and Sturgeon Camp, Idaho Steelhead and a featured story on Detonation Studio's own Ian Majszak.

You also might want to check out their back issues when you are at it. There is a lot of content and eye candy to enjoy. Click the mag to check it out.

Summer Vs. Winter Steelhead

A recent article in The Columbian sheds light on the differences between Winter and Summer Steelhead. It's a good read for those who question the differences. Here in Southwest Washington, we are blessed with both variations.

A Steelhead Biology Lession

Conservation: Consciousness Runs Deep

Soul River challenges traditional media by embracing the unconventional with their production of Conservation - Consciousness Runs Deep. Created and written by creative director Chad Brown, Conservation captures modern urban mythology with the message of consciousness and awareness of responsibility we have as urban dwellers and environmental protectors.

This short film mixes art, mythology, music, and poetry to provide a fresh perspective through the personal lens of environmental justice and the outdoors inspired by the sport fly fishing. In this film, a young man goes through his life in the city and morphs with his consciousness by the guidance of a Naiad. Conservation provides a breath of fresh air from a young, urban, and hip approach and inspires our consciousness to run deep and become ambassadors of the outdoors.

Check out Soul River. 

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