The warm weather, slow winds and low lake level have propagated a sudden surge in surface temperature which has pushed trout deeper. While 59F at the surface isn’t exactly bathwater, it’s a leap of 8 degrees in just two weeks. Since Noah Ruiz’s 6.75lb catch (below, left) on Orange PowerBait mid March we’ve seen tons of trout including Wyatt Shanks’ 5+...
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Removing fish from a population through fishing is known to have many impacts, such as selecting for fish that reproduce at younger ages and smaller sizes – now, we can add “timid” to that list. In his seminal 1981 paper, W.E. Ricker described how commercial salmon fisheries have resulted in smaller sizes and earlier maturity for different salmon species, and there are now numerous...
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HAPPY EASTER: Bright and sunny for the Easter Bunny! We have been having really good weather for the last couple of weeks with sunshine and no rain. We do need some rain to help bring in the late runners of steelhead. On my trips up and down the Trinity I have not seen any drift boats on the river lately or fishermen for...
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One of the toughest and most frustrating steelhead seasons in many years will close Wednesday, March 31. From the Chetco south to the South Fork Eel River, and all the rivers in between, the fish just never showed up in numbers we’re accustomed to. No one knows for certain what caused the decline but it’s safe to say  we’ll all...
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 MISSOULA, Mont. — Ninety acres of prime elk habitat is now permanently protected and opened to public access in northern Idaho. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and partners worked with private landowners to purchase and convey their property to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). "This is a unique project that touches on several positive facets of both conservation...
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If you’re looking to get that one last steelhead trip in, this could be the weekend to do it. All the rivers are green and have plenty of water. The main stem Eel and Chetco have good color and ample water, and that’s probably where you’ll find the majority of the boats. The Smith is low and clear, but still...
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