From the hard working fellows at Wild Steelhead Coalition comes Steelhead Country, a six part miniseries exploring the iconic northwestern fish:

“Washington is Steelhead Country, the epicenter of the wild steelhead world. For generations, Washingtonians have been raised with a fishing rod in hand and a love of steelhead in their hearts. This passion has proven infectious and inspired anglers from all corners of the globe to make the pilgrimage to the state’s famed waters in search of wild grey ghosts, some reaching sizes found in few other places on earth. But while the allure of Washington’s wild steelhead continues to grow, regrettably the state’s steelhead stocks have suffered the opposite fate, as their numbers have plummeted to a fraction of their once great abundance.

The storied rivers of Puget Sound have suffered the worst of this decline. Fishing closures for wild winter steelhead are now in place from the Nooksack to the Nisqually rivers. Anglers who once plied local waters have had to lay down their rods, or travel long hours to places where regulations still allow catch and release angling. Some, including renowned author and sportfishing professional Bill Herzog, have come to regret the many wild steelhead they once harvested from these rivers, stating “just because the law says it’s legal, doesn’t make it right.”

But after decades of overharvest, hatchery mismanagement, habitat loss and other threats, hope is on the horizon. Beneath the gravel in headwaters around Puget Sound, a new future is waiting to hatch.”

The Wild Steelhead Coalition, Patagonia, and award-winning filmmaker Shane Anderson have teamed up to produce a new film series called Steelhead Country. The six-episode series explores the rise and fall of angling for wild steelhead in Washington State – from the heydey of steelheading on the Puyallup River to the litany of legendary rivers that are now closed throughout Puget Sound, including the mighty Skagit. Follow along as Steelhead Country explores the past, present, and hopeful future for this iconic species.
Stay tuned for future episodes and learn more and take action at steelheadcountry.org