Wild Steelhead: Can’t We Let Them Live?

This thoughtful, important article in The Drake is an absolute must-read for every angler. Dax Messet does an incredible job of breaking down the hypocrisy of steelhead conservation efforts and current laws surrounding harvest and fishing. Messet himself spends 40-60 days a year fishing Oregon’s coast for these fish, so he’s definitely speaking from a point of experience.

This quote encapsulates most of Messet’s argument:

“Many of us don’t need to hook a steelhead to enjoy our angling experience; but we do need to know that we at least have a chance to hook one.”

Read through the piece here. If this is the only fishing-related thing you do today, you’ll have done something good.