How a Steelhead Trout Goes From the Hoh River to the Entree Menu

follow this link and read what: Hitchcock Restaurant has to say about the article Dear Guests/Fishermen/Environmentalists: I appreciate all of you reaching out and weighing in on the controversy surrounding the article about our fish sourcing in the current issue of Seattle Met. I've been met with some very constructive letters as well as threats to burn down the restaurant. So I'd like the opportunity to state our intentions and possibly re-direct some of the vehemence coming our way. Although our Olympic Peninsula steelhead are not currently listed by the Endangered Species Act, it is obvious that they are headed in that direction. All of the other West Coast river runs are endangered, and the remoteness and grand scale of our Peninsula seem to be this fish's last stand. Because of this trend, we won't be serving steelhead anymore. The debate over the hatchery fish vs. native rages on, and because we are not passionately defensive of our obvious and legal right to buy and sell the fish, we'll happily choose not to. My total impact on the fishery this year was about ten small fish. I also hope some of the takeaway from the article can be the process that Preston and I use for sourcing all of our fish - if the article had been researched this month it would have featured blackmouth kings and Neah Bay sablefish. The point is we source local fish and treat them with a great deal of respect. I understand some of the reasons behind the outrage, and hope it can be equally directed to places who serve non-sustainably sourced fish from all over the world. If you want to make a difference, go after large seafood companies, corporate chains that encourage Atlantic salmon farming and raping international waters. It's easier to bully a chef-owned farm-to-table restaurant; ironic because our model champions our local food concerns and environmentalism. We are part of the fabric of our community, have an open door, and nothing to hide. Lastly, it might do your group some good to lobby to have this fish listed as endangered. Also the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide has nothing to say on the subject. These are sources widely used by chefs, writers, and others to determine how and what to eat. Best Regards, Brendan McGill

2013-01-29

SUPPORT OCCUPY SKAGIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads%2Foccupy-skagit-defined.86075%2F What is Occupy Skagit? • A gathering on the Skagit River, April 6th in support of restoring the C&R season. The activity will involve 'fishing' without hooks in as many visible places as possible on the Skagit and Sauk; from the bridge at Concrete upstream to Bacon Creek on the Skagit, and upstream on the Sauk to the bridge at Darrington. • This is a 'Wade In' Our purpose is not to disrupt traffic, be violent, disrespectful,trespass, harass, or engage in illegal activity of any kind...you know, just like when you go fishing. • This is a parallel action to mesh with attendance at the WDFW Comissioners Meeting the following week in Olympia. Why is Occupy Skagit? • At the time of the ESA listing of Puget Sound wild steelhead, it was generally acknowledged by NMFS that the most robust large basin population in the region was in the Skagit; in fact on its own it probably would not have been listed. After reviewing the evidence, it is our belief that a well managed, catch-and-release (C&R) season on the Skagit would not be inconsistent with the recovery of its wild winter steelhead. • This will require a petition from WDFW to NMFS for a permit that establishes basin specific allowable impacts (as is currently being done with Puget Sound Chinook). Who is Occupy Skagit? • You are. If two people do it, no one will notice. If two hundred people do it, we hope to garner some attention. Sometimes you have to dump a little tea in the harbor to get noticed.

2013-01-26

2013-01-25

websites to check out https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/score/score/species/population_details.jsp?stockId=6091 https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/score/score/species/population_details.jsp?stockId=6105

2013-01-20

2013-01-18

2013-01-17

2013-01-14

2013-01-12

found this image in my archives from 2006

2013-01-10

2013-01-04

First light on Higgins for this new year, Happy New Year