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Northern California and Southern Oregon

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Healthy sandhill cranes have nothing to fear from coyotes when they can simply jump into the sky. USFWS Photo by Dave Menke

Healthy sandhill cranes have nothing to fear from coyotes when they can simply jump into the sky. USFWS Photo by Dave Menke

Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival draws record crowd
by CDFW, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

A record crowd of over 7,500 enjoyed the Lake Sonoma Steelhead Festival earlier this month at Lake Sonoma Visitor Center and Warm Springs-Don Clausen Fish Hatchery east of Healdsburg in the Russian River watershed. The event celebrated the return of steelhead to the hatchery operated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and featured displays, booths and activities put...
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Humboldt hosts International Fly Film Festival
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, FEBRUARY 23, 2017

IF4: International Fly Film Festival showing this Saturday As part of Humboldt Steelhead Days, the IF4: International Fly Film Festival comes to Humboldt on Saturday, February 25 at the Minor Theater in Arcata. The IF4 consists of short and feature length films produced by professional filmmakers from all corners of the globe, showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly fishing. Admission...
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Green water and sunshine on the horizon
Kenny Priest
by Kenny Priest, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Smith River

There’s hope on the horizon for North Coast steelhead anglers. Even though you’ll see off and on rain through the weekend and into Monday, an extended period of sunshine and warmth is expected to arrive early next week. The dry weather will hopefully stick around long enough to give us a shot at some of the other coastal rivers that...
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ODFW Weekly Recreational Report
by ODFW, FEBRUARY 22, 2017
Willamette River

Winter steelhead fishing continues And this may be a great weekend to hit the water. After days (weeks?) of persistent high, muddy waters, many coastal rivers could be falling into shape just in time for the weekend. Check out reports for the NW, SW and Willamette zones for more details. Early season trout stocking is underway It’s not too early to be thinking...
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Fishing is limited
by Gary Heffley, FEBRUARY 21, 2017
Shasta Lake

Last year, everyone was rubbing the magic lamp wishing for a rainy, snow-laden winter. Well, the genie answered that wish, and then some. We now have an overabundance of water that has lakes filled to the brim, causing serious and dangerous infrastructure issues with levees, dams and spillways, as well as blown out and flooded rivers and creeks. Few are thinking they'll...
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Endangered fish among the evacuees of Oroville Dam crisis
by Tara Lohan, FEBRUARY 21, 2017
Feather River

DAYS BEFORE NEARLY 200,000 people downstream of Lake Oroville were ordered to evacuate because of problems with two spillways at the dam, there were millions of other evacuees – residents of the Feather River Fish Hatchery. Last week, rising water levels at Lake Oroville caused dam operators to divert water to its spillway, which runs to the Feather River. High water flows and...
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