The water we fish is a part of us. We are protective, secretive, but willing
to open the lines of communication with people from all sides of the spectrum
without spoiling the sense of discovery one receives as a steelheader . It’s
not because we don’t want other anglers and guides to catch fish. It has much
more to do with the process, experience and body of knowledge we have built
through grinding out days in high water, low water, and prim-o conditions.
Through hooking fish, farming fish, falling apart mid-run, scouting water,
loosing flies, having banner days and heart crushing dry spells.
Revealing the conclusions from those experiences would spoil one's passage as a steelheadders. We don’t want to diminish the discovery but be willing to guide anglers to the steelhead passage and educate on respecting the
resources .
Mia and Marty’s devotion to the
steelhead is apparent upon first meeting them. Their fervor for swinging flies,
guiding, and protecting these fish has inserted itself into every aspect of
their lives. Their daily routine is dictated by the ebb and flow of their home
waters. They play an integral role in the community of fisher people, guides,
industry folks and conservationists in their region that are all connected to
these fish. Their livelihood is based on the health and sustainability of the
river systems and the return of wild steelhead. It was very apparent that they
would give up that part of their lives to ensure the health and longevity of
wild steelhead.
What keeps coming to mind in all of
these different aspects of protecting and managing steelhead is the simplicity
of the fish. The fish has few goals: be at the top of the food chain, and pass
on the best genes to the next generation to ensure biological succession. The
goals of anglers and interest groups are convoluted and anthropocentric at
their core. We want to catch fish. Some of us want to catch and release wild
fish, some want to harvest fish. We want to do it a certain way. We think some
ways are better than others. What we all have in common is the connection to
the fish and the rivers.
When explaining the passion we have
for steelhead, we are commonly asked, “Well if you care so much about this
fish, why do you potentially threaten their well being by catching them?”.
Before spending time around the Sheppards and their friends, that was a hard
question to answer. The anglers are the reason these fish have any protection.
Without the stewardship of the angling community, the fisheries and natural
resources that are connected would continue to be mismanaged by politicians and
government entities that have no tactile interactions with the ecosystems. We
are the voice of the fish. It’s a double edged sword in many ways because of
the multitude of the connections people have to these fish, but at the end of
the day we as anglers, guides, scientists, politicians and conservationists
must come to common ground on deciding the future of wild steelhead. The fish
will keep running, spawning, doing their part. Let’s ensure that they are in a
position to do so for both species sake.
Project Background:
Bloodknots is in the process of
crafting a documentary on the connections the steelhead angling community,
scientists and conservationists have to these fish. What drives both these
species (human, salmonid) to go to such lengths to make the connection (swung
flies and drive to the home waters)? Investigating what the primary threats are
to the fish, what is making their journey harder than ever, and what are the
passionate anglers, conservationists and scientists doing to restore
sustainable conditions and populations?
Stay tuned on the film’s progress on
our website, www.bloodknots.com and our blog, http://bloodknots.tumblr.com
