Please join with me in welcoming the new owners of the Steamboat Inn, Travis and Melinda Woodward, and their daughters McKenzie and Carmen. Also join me in wishing Jim, Sharon, and Pat all the best as they hand over this wonderful place that they worked so hard to run so well for many very good years. Averi Wratney's article in this issue provides some history, a tribute to the Van Loan's and Pat Lee, and a look forward to the future with the Woodwards.

 

Also join me in extending congratulations to Lee Spencer, whose book, "A Temporary Sanctuary", has just been published by Patagonia. In this issue we have included a review of the book by Michael Checchio, reprinted with permission from "California Fly Fisher Magazine".

 

It is with much regret that I have to say our membership has dropped below 200 members. People ask me "what do we get for our $40 annual membership fee"?  Right off the top I say you get an active group of Board members that protect your ability to fish the North Umpqua and make sure the wild fish are here for future generations. Board members are volunteers, and as such not paid for their time spent writing letters, contacting people to advocate for the North Umpqua, meeting with the Umpqua National Forest personnel, or meeting with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to discuss such topics as regulation changes and best practices, or any of the expenses associated with attendance at our monthly meetings.

 

You dues are also used for projects such as the ones listed below: 

 

This year, after one and a half years of discussion with ODFW, we have a new fish passage monitoring system put in place. The new fish monitoring system, called Fish Tick, was installed on Thursday June 22, 2017.  Hopefully we will be able to get 100% fish counts again. The Steamboaters  used members' dues to help purchase over 43% of the cost of this monitoring system. The North Umpqua Foundation and a private donor will cover the remaining funds. Joe Ferguson has provided an article for this issue on the effort to work with ODFW on this project.

 

We work with Pacific Power and ODFW to monitor the upstream migration of hatchery steelhead to assess the potentiality of them spawning with Wild Steelhead. There is only a 10% allowance of hatchery fish on the spawning beds, as stated in the Federal Coastal Management Plan.  We discuss this issue with the agencies often.

 

The Steamboaters helped purchase, along with Western Rivers Conservancy, the 211acre Swiftwater Park from Douglas County. The Swiftwater property contains nearly 1 mile along both banks of the North Umpqua and was rededicated this June. We hope to have funds available to assist again in the purchase of property along the North Umpqua that could be taken out of public access.

 

We give money annually to the historic Glide Wildflower Show, which draws people from all over the Pacific Northwest. This show is another way of drawing visitors and getting them to become familiar with the North Umpqua watershed.

 

We give money annually to support the Osprey Steelhead Journal, a publication from Federation of Fly Fishers.  http://ospreysteelhead.org

 

We have provided funding to support Pacific Rivers' efforts to promote the Frank and Jeannie Moore Wild Steelhead Sanctuary.

 

We continue working with the US Forest Service to place signage along the river denoting areas of spawning salmon and steelhead, educating anglers that fishing over spawning fish disturbs them and can possibly prevent them from spawning, limiting future generations. Karl Konecny has written an interesting article on this topic that is included in this issue.

Steamboaters submitted Mitigation Funds requests for four projects to Umpqua National Forest on March 6, 2017. The request for the use of Mitigation Funds has been accepted and fully funded. The proposal was assembled by Jeff Dose, Vice President of the Steamboaters, and the projects are:

• Decommissioning un-needed or damaging roads;
• Continuing the macro-invertebrate census;
• Beginning a program of habitat inventory/monitoring on all fish-bearing streams; and
• Improving in-stream, stream adjacent, and aquatic organism passage.

These are some of the projects that your Steamboater membership is involved with. Some of these projects take years to come together as we iron out the issues and details. And while we need your money to work with, we need also need you to be vocal to the appropriate parties about these issues.

Have a great summer, and come and enjoy our beautiful river and its fish.

The Thor

The Killer

Red is often a forgotten color when it comes to steelhead flies. A couple of red fly patterns not in much use by the majority of today's steelheaders are the Thor and the Killer.

 

The Thor is a pattern developed by Jim Pray of Eureka, California, in 1934. It was named for his fishing partner, Walter Thorensen. The Thor's early fame began in California's Eel River, quickly gaining popularity as a very productive pattern.

 

Stan Knouse tied steelhead flies for Steamboat Inn in the early 1970s. The Thor was a pattern that he tied commercially at that time for use on the North Umpqua.

 

The Killer steelhead pattern came out of Washington sometime in the 1940s. Though not as widely known as the Thor, it is nonetheless a good choice when you want to present something different than just another black fly.

 

I prefer fishing the "red" patterns when the sun is on the water, and they have produced very well for me under bright water conditions.

 

The Thor and Killer steelhead flies are proven patterns that consistently produce summer and winter steelhead-tied in size 6 - 2 for summer and 2 - 1/0 for higher winter flows.

 

Thor

Thread - 6/0 - 3/0 size in black or red

Tail - dyed orange hackle fibers

Body - large red chenille, size 3

Hackle - natural brown saddle hackle

Wing - white bucktail

Hook - 6, 4, 2, 1/0 heavy wire

 

Killer

Thread - 6/0 - 3/0 size in black or red

Tail - dyed red hackle fibers

Body - red chenille, red yarn, or your favorite red dubbing

Rib - silver oval tinsel

Hackle - dyed red saddle hackle

Wing - dyed black bucktail or black bear

Shoulder - Jungle Cock

Hook - 6, 4, 2, 1/0 heavy wire

If you have fished the North Umpqua during winter steelhead season over the past few years you have noticed a sharp increase in angling pressure.  While the increased numbers of anglers allows for more comradery and commiserating, or sharing our stories of success on a cold winter day, a disturbing trend has emerged;  more anglers are fishing over visible spawning steelhead during April and May. 

This has led to strong discussions. Some are concerned with the impact this practice will have on the population, some feel this violates the ethics of angling that is the bedrock of our sport, and some arguing that with catch and release this is a non-issue.  Everyone agrees that spawning fish on shallow gravel bars are more aggressive and are easier to catch.

There has been very little, if any, scientific studies of the impacts of catch and release angling on spawning anadromous fish.   That is not a valid argument for condoning the practice.  While it is not illegal to fish over spawning salmon or steelhead, the practice has long been considered unethical in the northwest.  This is not true across the country. In the east, where our Pacific salmon and steelhead have been introduced and maintained by extensive hatchery programs, fishing over spawning fish is encouraged.  After all, with a 100% hatchery run, natural reproduction is not valued and an un-caught adult is a wasted fish so targeting them when they are the most vulnerable is a common practice.  On the North Umpqua, we are blessed with a healthy wild run and natural reproduction is a critical link in the chain of success.

On most Oregon coastal rivers, fishing over spawning fish is not an issue.  The upper portions of the rivers are closed to angling for salmon or steelhead to protect the spawning fish.  The Elk River is closed above Bald Mountain Creek.  The Sixes is closed above the South Fork.  The South Umpqua is closed above Jackson Creek.  The North Umpqua tributaries are closed to protect the summer steelhead but the river is open year round throughout the spawning waters of the winter steelhead, which are main stem spawners.

While fishing over spawning steelhead is not explicitly illegal, ODFW's angling synopsis discourages the practice.  In the section on Freshwater Angling Ethics, ODFW encourages anglers to "avoid actively spawning fish".  Fishing over spawning fish is always a key management issue on coastal salmon runs.  There is continuing debate among anglers, ODFW staff, and the Fish and Wildlife commission between protecting spawning salmon and providing angling opportunity.  On north coast streams, the state police have cited anglers fishing over spawning chinook for harassing wildlife without a permit.

Many long time anglers on the North Umpqua, alarmed by the increasing incidents of anglers fishing over visible spawning steelhead, have called for a closure of the upper river in April and May.  ODFW, citing a healthy population of winter steelhead, is not inclined to add restrictions at this time.  But if ODFW senses a problem they certainly will act.  For example, the Sprague River (a tributary of the Williamson) had been closed to angling in the winter to protect spawning trout until 2014 when it was opened year round to increase angling opportunity.  This year, due to reports of excess fishing over spawning fish, an emergency closure was ordered.  ODFW will now push to close the Sprague in the winter in the future.

Your Steamboaters' board of directors is concerned with this issue.  Some offending anglers plead ignorance.  The Steamboaters', working with the Forest Service, and with ODFW's blessing, have posted signs at many steelhead spawning areas.  Many of us choose to quit fishing for winter steelhead on the first of April.  We can still satisfy our fishing bug by targeting the just arriving spring chinook, or the awakening trout, or the non-native shad and striped bass.  Or we leave our rods at home and walk the river, enjoying the rebirth of spring, the wild flowers, and watching the spawning steelhead.  Miraculous fish that have left the Pacific climbed the river to a height greater than the Empire State Building, to find a clean gravel bar to place all of their hope of the future.  It is a sight to behold.

What can you do?  Learn about the life cycle of these fish, learn to recognize spawning areas.  Avoid fishing where there is a chance of disturbing spawning fish.  Talk to other anglers fishing where they should not.  Think of the future.  As out board member Josh Voynick says, "Friends don't let friends fish over spawning fish".

If you have any thoughts or comments on this subject please email them to whistlecomments@gmail.com for publication in the next Whistle.  Keep the discussion going.

 copyright RichardGrost.com

Hen digging pit into redd within which to deposit and bury eggs

 

copyright RichardGrost.com

Buck and hen steelhead paired on a redd, close to laying eggs

If you haven't already heard the big news, the sale of Steamboat Inn is final and the new owners took possession May 1 ^st .  As I sit down to write this, I am tempted to launch into a long story of how special and sacred Steamboat Inn is to me.  How I ended up there. How I fell in love and was married there.  Why I am a better person for working alongside Jim, Sharon, Pat and Keith Lee at the Inn for 8 years. How I am consistently inspired by knowing and listening to Frank and Jeanne Moore.  How my commitment to conservation and passion for wild steelhead deepened . . .

 

Then I realize my story is not unique.  I am just one thread in the web that connects us all to Steamboat Inn.  We are a community; all with our own story of how we found ourselves head over heels in love with the North Umpqua, and at the heart of it all, the Steamboat Inn.

 

Originally on the South side of the river, Clarence Gordon's North Umpqua Lodge set the foundation for what was to become Steamboat Inn.  This is where the large sugar pine dining table and benches were hand hewn by a logger named Scott and 16-year-old guide Knute Kershner.  

The North Umpqua Lodge ended its run in 1955 when the Forest Service purchased the Gordon's interests and moved the Steamboat Ranger Station to his site.  Across the River the Gordons still had their Steamboat store which they sold to Frank and Jeanne in 1957.  Building the café and the original 6 cabins, the Steamboat Inn came to be.  At some point, they moved that big sugar pine table to where it still sits today and continued many of the traditions, like the fishermen's dinner, that originated at the Gordon's Lodge.  The Steamboaters Club was born around that very table.  Our founders, who were way ahead of their time in the notion of conservation, came to understand and act upon the fact that the North Umpqua and the wild Steelhead that call her home, needed protection. Frank and Jeanne spent 18 years feeding, guiding, and making each guest feel like family.          

 

The torch was passed to Jim and Sharon VanLoan who purchased the Inn from the Moore's in 1975.  They were joined by Pat Lee as managing partner in 1978.  Embracing the strong sense of community, they coined the phrase and embodied the saying," You are a stranger here but once."  They spent the next 42 years building on traditions and bringing their own flair to Steamboat Inn. 

 

Again, much ahead of their time and the current popularity of the "farm to table" movement in the Pacific Northwest, Pat and Sharon's style in the kitchen was to serve locally sourced seasonal cuisine.  They published two cookbooks, highlighting some of their very best work.  When they weren't in the kitchen creating, they were outside establishing the gorgeous gardens that continue to bring guests and visitors so much joy.  (Yes, those two talented women built all those rock walls by hand!!!)

Continuing the tradition of guiding out of the Inn, Pat Lee not only shattered glass ceilings for women in the sport of fly fishing for steelhead, she became the first woman to guide the North Umpqua.  She enjoyed 15 successful years of helping guests discover the North Umpqua and her secrets.  Her most famous clients, as many of you may remember, were President Carter and his wife, Roselyn.  Surrounded by secret service, they each landed a fine fish in the Camp Water.  Roselyn out fished her husbands' catch of a 6-pound buck with a shiny ten-pound hen.  The dedication to conservation also continued.  Jim helped publish conservation magazines for wild fish before it was cool, and served on the Oregon Game Commission for 8 years.  He also served on the board of Oregon Trout, and was a founder of and still currently serves on the board of The North Umpqua Foundation.  Pat served on the boards of Oregon Trout, Steamboaters, and the North Umpqua Foundation, where she broke ground for women not only out on the river fly fishing, but also on conservation boards that were mainly a "boys club".

 

As we highlight their accomplishments, we must talk about wine, Pinot Noir in particular!  You may not know this, but Jim, Sharon, and Pat were each personally given an Outstanding Partner Award from the Oregon Wine Board for their contributions to Pinot Noir in the state of Oregon.  Again, they were leading edge in foresight and creativity in the food and wine industry and continued to receive multiple awards for the Inn's wine list.  In addition, they founded the Pinot Noir Conference, which has brought wine makers from around the world to Steamboat Inn every summer for the last 30 odd years. 

 

There is another important character that has been in the background of this leg of the journey of the Inn, and his name is Keith Lee.  Pat's good natured and super handy husband Keith assisted in the building of the back porch, cabins 7 & 8, and then in 1987 was the lead builder of the 5 woodland style cottages up Steamboat Creek, the Suites, the library and an add on to the kitchen.  He always kept an excellent sense of humor as he responded at all times of day and night to all those little emergencies that kept the Inn up and running smoothly. 

 

Now a new era is upon us as we warmly welcome the Woodward Family as the fourth keepers of the Inn, and ambassadors to the North Umpqua River.  Travis and Melinda Woodward are native Oregonians and hail from the Eugene area.  They have two adorable daughters, Carmen (3) and McKenzie (9), who are helping to create a fun family atmosphere.

 

As Melinda and Travis make Steamboat Inn their own, some traditions will change, while the heart of the Inn will remain the same.  One change is the dinner options and times.

 

The reservation only 7:00 family style fishermen's dinner is being replaced with open restaurant hours.  The day café is still open from 8 - 5, serving breakfast until 3 p.m.

Dinner hours will be from 5 - 9.  Reservations are not necessary, but appreciated.  There will be fine dining options as well as house made soup, salad and sandwiches.

So that means those of you out late chasing the last cast, you will still have time for a burger and beer after fishing.

 

I consider myself blessed to know 3 generations of Steamboat Inn and be a part of a great history continuing to unfold.   Let us take a moment to reconnect to the passions that brought us here.  To drink in the haunting beauty of the North Umpqua River and all the creatures that call Her home.  A moment to appreciate the little Inn nestled up next to Her.  Let us recommit to the importance of protecting and preserving Her for future generations.  And most importantly, let us celebrate our Community and continue our conversations around the Big Table.

 

As a cost-saving move, ODFW in 2015 went from a 100% count of fish passage at Winchester Dam to a more limited count with final numbers extrapolated from 15-year averages.  While the Department has a great deal of confidence in their   methods (+/- 10%), after two years we have questioned the results for summer steelhead:

 

 

The current system is slow and outdated; downloads can take more than two hours and are hard to share.  ODFW's funding for the Winchester counts is only good through October.  The Steamboaters has offered to purchase the system used at the Columbia River dams (Fish Tick) and have it installed at Winchester Dam.  Tim Goforth has been in discussion with them for weeks, and they've been very receptive.  We're hoping it's less costly and more efficient, and later on could also be used at Rock Creek so that hatchery fish could be counted and provide a much better estimate of the hatchery/wild ratio in the spawning population, a critical element in the management plan and for the long-term health of the summer run steelhead.

The primary objective of this research is to determine if there are spatial (locations within the watershed) differences in spawning and rearing of two races of O. mykiss (rainbow trout) in the North Umpqua River.  The North Umpqua hosts robust populations of both premature (summer run) and mature (winter run) anadromous O. mykiss, commonly known as steelhead. 

While winter run steelhead are relatively common in Oregon coastal rivers, wild populations of summer run steelhead are rare, only found in three coastal Oregon river systems. These are the Siletz, Rogue, and North Umpqua rivers.  Recently developed genetic analyses are now able to differentiate these races from juvenile tissue samples.  

The researcher at UC Davis will be sampling up to 800 juvenile steelhead in over 30 sites throughout the North Umpqua basin, beginning this year.  The project is scheduled to run for 3 years.  Sampling, a small fin-clip, is considered relatively non-invasive and all samples will be released into their native habitat.  Genetic analysis will occur at the UC Davis lab, which will match genetic analysis with sample locations to determine spatial differentiation. This cutting-edge research should help management agencies in developing sound management policies.

Steamboaters

PO Box 41266

Eugene, Oregon 97404

The mission of the Steamboaters is to preserve, promote, and restore the unique aesthetic values, the natural production of wild fish populations, and the habitat that sustains these fish on the North Umpqua River.

PO Box 41266
Eugene, Oregon 97404
Steamboaters

To join The Steamboaters go to:

www.steamboaters.org

and download the application