"6" by Gary Snyder

"Fresh Blackberries" by Jodi McKinney

“In that year, 1914, we lived on the farm

And the relatives lived with us.

A banner year for wild blackberries

Dad was crazy about wild blackberries

No berries like that now.

You know Kitsap County was logged before

The turn of the century—it was easiest of all,

Close to water, virgin timber,

When I was a kid walking about in the

Stumpland, wherever you’d go a skidroad

Puncheon, all overgrown.

We went up one like that, fighting our way through

To its end near the top of a hill:

For some reason wild blackberries

Grew best there. We took off one morning

Right after milking: rode the horses

To a valley we’d been to once before

Hunting berries, and hitched the horses.

About a quarter mile up the old road

We found the full ripe of berrytime—

And with only two pails—so we

Went back home, got Mother and Ruth,

And filled lots of pails. Mother sent letters

To all the relatives in Seattle:

Effie, Aunt Lucy, Bill Moore,

Forrest, Edna, six or eight, they all came

Out to the farm, and we didn’t take pails

Then: we took copper clothes-boilers,

Wash-tubs, buckets, and all went picking.

We were canning for three days.”

"6" by Gary Snyder from Myths and Texts. © New Directions, 1978.

Revive: The Oregon Issue, Fall 2015

I always like to say it: get revived HERE.

Remembering Lawrence Levine and Those Who died With Him

Get to know this man. It could have been you or me.

Lawrence Levine, Family Photo

He was an assistant professor of English at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and was teaching in the classroom where a man opened fire on October 1. He and eight students were killed. Nine others were wounded. He was also a "well-known and passionate fly fishing guide on the North Umpqua River."

Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fisherman magazine, posted a tribute to him on the magazine's blog. Read it HERE.

Here's a thought: Why wouldn't hunters and sportsmen, who honor the best traditions of gun ownership and hunting, and who hold to the highest standards of firearm safety and ethical hunting practices, want to make damn sure that guns never end up in the hands of those unfit to use them? There has got to be a way. Maybe if more people began thinking for themselves we could find it.

The Wild Steelheader, September 17, 2015

September 17, 2015

Hello, At last, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us - the season of wild steelhead. After a scorching summer, we are seeing rain and cooler nights and a renewed sense of urgency among anglers. It's time to start patching waders, sorting tackle, fixing reels - time to keep one eye to the sky and one on the dam counts. It's the time we relish, but also the time to put our hard work to the test. From Alaska to California, we are using the same determination we bring to our steelhead fishing to our wild steelhead conservation work; improving habitat, restoring runs of wild fish, improving fisheries management, and educating the angling public on the most up-to-date science. We continue to make progress on a variety of issues and places-dam removal in California, wild steelhead gene banks in Washington, and legislation that would designate a wild steelhead sanctuary on the upper Rogue River in Oregon being just a few examples. Take a moment to read about our recent work and results- and how you can help. Dwayne Meadows Pacific Northwest Outreach Coordinator Trout Unlimited Four things you can do right now to help wild steelhead   Advocate for southeast Alaska's wild steelhead. The Tongass National Forest is taking comments on the Tongass Land Management Plan, which will determine management priorities and resource protections for the forest in the future. Tell the Forest Service to protect 77 key watersheds identified by scientists, fishing interests and others as the most important unprotected steelhead and salmon habitat in Southeast Alaska. http://www.americansalmonforest.org/take-action.html Protect the Oregon/California Smith River from mining. In the headwaters of the Smith River on the Oregon/California border a proposed large-scale nickel mine threatens key steelhead spawning tributaries.  The BLM has temporarily withdrawn the mining proposal pending review of the area for special designation, as proposed in recent legislation by members of Congress from Oregon and California. Take a moment to tell them to make this withdrawal permanent. Find your niche in Wild Steelheaders United Nearly 3,000 have signed the Wild Steelheaders United credo so far. That's good, but we can do better. Commit yourself to helping our cause by getting at least one of your fishing buddies to sign the WSU Credo. Of course, you can also make a donation, and there are other ways to contribute. But boosting our sheer numbers is very important.  Go to a local Trout Unlimited meeting and ask how you can help with your local river.  You can find it here. Forward this newsletter to friends and encourage them to sign the Credo.  Donate $40 or more and get a Wild Steelheaders United hat. Donate here. Help protect 14,000 miles of streams in Oregon The Oregon Board of Forestry is considering increasing buffers around riparian zones. Currently, those buffers are only 20 feet, which is inadequate for providing the shade needed to keep water cool. Studies have shown that a 120 buffer is adequate. We are asking the board to consider 110 feet. To learn more, check out our blog and contact the Board to tell them you support protecting Oregon's streams and rivers. The steelhead portfolio: Conserving diversity with diversity By John McMillan: Science director for Trout Unlimited's Wild Steelhead Initiative This summer, both drought and fire have underscored one important fact: The old way of doing things will not restore healthy, fishable wild steelhead populations. We have to be proactive, rather than reactive, if we want fishable populations of wild steelhead in the future. This is not a criticism of any manager, group or individual.  We have all walked the path together. What happened in the past is not important except for what it teaches us moving forward. One such lesson is that conservation of a species like steelhead that thrives because of its diversity will require a multitude of approaches, ranging from better fisheries management to improved stream flows and temperatures. Our goal with the Wild Steelhead Initiative is to diversify and prioritize conservation actions in the same way financial portfolios are managed.  That is, to have a collection of several assets rather than one or a few because not all assets will perform equally well as time passes.  A hedged bet if you will. The portfolio concept is applicable to all salmon, but particularly to steelhead. Each life history is analogous to a different asset. A life history is the catalogue of what a fish does to reach maturity (for example, the age at which a fish enters the ocean, or how long they spend at sea before returning to spawn).  These details can differ greatly from one fish to the next. Any given steelhead population may support upwards of 30-36 life histories, the most of any salmon, trout, or char. In short, diversity is their calling card.  Just like some products in the financial market, some life histories survive better than others.  For example, researcher Jonathan Moore and others found that while three different life histories were the most prevalent in a given year for steelhead in the Nass River, B.C., no life history ever represented more than 45% of the population. The diversity dampened variation in abundance and improved stability by more than 20%.  Given that one steelhead can be very different from the next, the health of the environment around them becomes extremely important. Life histories are affected by several factors, including the diversity of available habitat, population genetics, and fishery management.  That is why Wild Steelheaders United is pursuing  a variety of conservation approaches,(some of our recent work is discussed below).  Rebuilding wild steelhead diversity will require a strategic, coordinated set of  actions designed for individual populations and watersheds, and that is  precisely what our Wild Steelhead Initiative is all about.  Steelhead depend on a diversified portfolio of life histories for their health and resilience. .  And our opportunity to fish for them depends on our success in maintaining that  portfolio. I'll boil it down this way: More life histories = more population resilience = more consistent annual run size =  more fishing opportunity. The State of our Progress Oregon: For years, Trout Unlimited has been working with agencies and industry to improve timber harvesting practices in Oregon. In July, Dean Finnerty, Southwest Oregon Coordinator for TU, testified in support of increasing private land timber buffers along rivers and streams from 20 feet to the scientifically supported distance of 110 feet.  If the proposal passes, thousands of miles of steelhead streams will benefit from the cold water created by bigger, healthier riparian zones.  Take Action Further south, we are asking people to support mineral withdrawal on the Upper Smith River, which is threatened by proposed nickel mining. The comment period closes Sept. 28, so submit yours today! TU's Blueback Chapter conducted a highly popular volunteer snorkel survey in August, continuing the great tradition of citizen science on the Siletz River.The survey will help the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife determine the range of rare coastal summer steelhead and their interaction with hatchery fish. Finally, support continues to grow in the Deschutes Basin for Opal Springs fish passage on the Crooked River. To learn more about this project by TU's Deschutes Chapter go to their site. California: On the Carmel River, the final phase of the San Clemente Dam Removal Project was implemented,  restoring steelhead passage to some 25 miles of historic spawning and rearing habitat. TU's Central Coast Steelhead Project is working  to remove seven smaller concrete blockages that remain in the upper watershed, as well as fish passage barriers  in other steelhead rivers, including the Big Sur. California is where the next round of  Steelhead Science for Angler Workshops will happen.  Workshops  will be held in Long Beach at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Sept 26th and Davis at the Veterans Memorial Center on September 28. Space is limited, so get your spot today (RSVP for Long Beach here and Davis here)! Washington: WSU has been leading the charge to get the Washington  Department of Fish and Wildlife to designate the Skagit, Elwha, and Puyallup/White rivers as "wild steelhead gene banks," which means that they would not receive any hatchery steelhead.    We appreciate the efforts of the many steelheaders who spoke up in favor of these designations.  Here is the link to  the Seattle Times editorial submitted by TU leaders, Derek Young and Chris Taylor, on the topic.  WDFW is scheduled to make a decision on the future of gene banks in the Puget Sound region shortly, so stay tuned. On the east side, the Upper Columbia Basin has become an epicenter for salmon and steelhead recovery success stories as ranchers and farmers make voluntary changes that keep more water in steelhead rivers and allow fish passage.   This summer, TU began work on irrigation efficiency projects in the Methow, Entiat and Wenatchee Basins of North Central Washington, which will  increase flows in crucial tributaries for summer steelhead. Alaska: In August, TU met with Bill Bennett, British Columbia's Minister of Mining and Environment, to discuss concerns about impacts proposed mines might have on Southeast Alaska steelhead and salmon rivers.  We are working to ensure that, if they are built, measures are in place to protect steelhead and salmon. In the Tongass National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service is modifying the forest plan, which will guide future management. The Tongass is the largest national forest in the country (roughly the size of West Virginia)) and a mecca for wild steelhead. Currently, development is still allowed in highly important steelhead watersheds. Take a moment to support protection of these 77 key watersheds. Idaho:  On the West Fork of the Yankee Fork in the upper Salmon River basin, TU has been busy working to restore  spawning habitat in an area that was heavily dredge-mined a century  ago.  The project includes a new river channel full of large wood structures, excavated pools, constructed riffles, glides and point bars. Next July, the entire mainstem Yankee Fork River will be diverted into the new channel. The existing channel will be ideal for rearing and spawning steelhead. Events Calendar: September 18-19: We will be at Rogue on the Fly  in Galice, Oregon September 26: Steelhead Science for Anglers, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, Calif. 12-4p.m. September 28: Steelhead Science for Anglers, Davis Veterans Memorial Center, Davis, Calif.3-7p.m. October 3-4: Issaquah Salmon Days. We will be at the Trout Unlimited booth. November 17: Wild Reverence film and Steelhead Conservation talk with John McMillan at the Barn in Leavenworth, with the Wenatchee River Institute.

Obsession: Fly Fishing for BIG Brown Trout in Oregon

Oregon: Pacific Coast Interlude

Last Sunday afternoon Mark and I headed to the coast at Bandon. There had been the possibility of 25 foot breakers, but we didn't find any of those. What we found was the freshness and beauty of the north Pacific. We started on the north side of the mouth of the Coquille by the old light house, picked our way over the amazing amount of  driftwood, and walked out on the long jetty.

We drove around to the south side of the river mouth and wandered down that beach. The tide was out and we were able to see a bit of sea life in a tidal pool.

There were a few fishermen stalking the beach looking for surf perch.

We didn't see any caught, so I got this photo off the internet. There are several species living all along the coast, and there seems to be a very active group of anglers going after them.

On the way back to camp we looked for Roosevelt Elk at all the Elk Crossing signs, and then, after we had stopped looking, we came upon some in a field right outside the town of Coquille.

I had managed to stay ahead of most of the waves, but I got caught once and got a good soaking just over ankle high. So, back at the lodge, it was time to settle back and get my wet boots in front of the fire for awhile.

Oregon: The Trouble-Free Skunk

Oregon was beautiful. This past week has been crazy. It's the paradox of "retreats." You go to get away from it all, and end up having to catch up with a backlog of it all when you get back. But it's still worth it.

It rained most of the time we were there, but once in awhile the clouds would part and the sun would glitter on the dripping greenery.

Our home away from home was the lodge...

And its fireplace, which had a crackling, fragrant fire going constantly.

It was chilly and windy much of the time, and the fire felt good.

If you wanted, you could go to the other side of the building, heated by a woodstove, and lay back on a soft couch and just look out the window and think--or dream.

On Saturday morning my brother Mark and I wandered over to the sweat lodge to help with preparations for the afternoon sweat.

We helped haul and stack wood over and around the pile of volcanic rocks. Later, heated red hot, they would glow in the darkness of the sweat lodge, and, with a hiss and crackle, transform the cold water dashed on them into clouds of hot, purifying steam.

In picking up wood we uncovered this Ensatina Salamander. We carefully covered it up again.

Then we uncovered this Rough Skinned Newt. They are one of the most toxic newts known, and would be fatal to a human who was foolish enough to eat one. But Garter Snakes prey upon them with impunity. We covered this one up again, too, with hopes that its refuge might be overlooked by any hungry snakes.

Once the fire was going strong it was time to go get the blankets.

We layered them over the sweat lodge frame until not a speck of light could get through.

The sweat was good. By the time it was over the afternoon had become evening, and it was too late to get to town to see about fishing licenses. That was OK. We decided to spend the next afternoon at the beach.

The creek that runs through the camp, a trib of the Coquille River, was slightly off-color and a little high. But it would have been fishable except that the camp doesn't allow fishing. They have spent many hours restoring salmon spawning habitat in the creek, and it's a sanctuary for the fish.

I found a great post on The Caddis Fly this week. The writer heads out on a solo fishing expedition on the Oregon coast just two days after we were there. It's a grueling, life-threatening day of man against the mountains, and streams and rivers that are just a little too high and a little too colored. He gets skunked.

We got skunked, too, but with a lot less trouble.