Tag: rescue

News

Saving Steelhead, one at a time
Credit: RCDSMM Stream Team

By Rosi Dagit

Guest Contributor

What a crazy time!!!

We were so grateful we rescued the trout before the first storm hit on Jan. 26, which filled all the pools with mud.

Think that any fish we left in the creek were killed by that and additional storm events that have made it possible to walk across formerly deep pools.

Thanks to the coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service, we released the trout back into the wild last Monday, Feb. 10, in a beautiful watershed along the Central Coast in Santa Barbara County.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they were able to find shelter from the most recent storm. However, I won’t be able to go back and check on them for a bit.

We really hope this sets the stage for CDFW and NMFS to be more proactive in translocating trout so that we have more watersheds holding more fish, creating population redundancy and resilience. 

We are putting together a video that will be on the RCD website next week but attached below are a few photos.

Thanks to all who care about our southern steelies! 

Rosi Dagit is the Principal Conservation Biologist for Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains

The fisherman's life

How far would you go NOT to lose your fly rod?

Twice this past season, I’ve been in a fight to secure wayward pieces of my fly rod.

How far would you go to rescue your favorite fly rod? (Courtesy Simms)

In the Pacific Northwest, my son and I were pounding some fast-moving water and “slammo” half of my five-piece, 7 weight rod comes off and starts floating downstream. The water was deep, fast and chilly, a nasty situation at best. After quickly adding up how my that Sage cost, I managed — finally — to pull the sucker back in on the fly line! Dumb. Note to self: push down the sections harder next time before beginning to fish.

Then last weekend, I had to climb up a mini-mountainside to get back to the trail. I stuck my three-piece, 3 weight in the deep back pocket of my vest, and zipped it,  so I could use both hands to help leverage my large self up the hill. Because of the  width and depth of the pocket, several inches of each piece protruded into the space behind my head. Feeling exhilarated by my solution, I muscled up the sliding San Gabriel sandstone, as it sporadically collapsed at an alarming rate.

With my reaching fingers close to success, a low-hanging branch snatched two of the three pieces out of my zipped pocket! They fell and hung out of my grasp, held by a helpful (small) plant, ready to tumble all the way back down, some 50 feet. Mere noses from the trail, but not yet there, I s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d far enough to grab hold of them, and today my back tells me that although I rescued my fav Sage, I’m not as young as I once was. Dumb. Note to self: stop all heroics and take the easy way up and out.

Got a “rescued my rod” story? Please post below.

See you on the river, Jim Burns