Stay ConnectedPodcasting from The Olympic Peninsula rainforest in Washington, THIS is the OP Fishing Podcast where we discuss chasing steelhead with spey, spoons and everything in between. GET READY – it’s time to dive deep into tactics, fish science, conservation and all things salmonids!
KNOW better, FISH better – Part of the Barbless Podcast Network.
Hosted by fish biologist and steelhead junkie, John McMillan.
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This week's episode is a special one. I interview Tom Rosenbauer, long-time fly angler who is the host of the Orvis Fly Fishing Podcasts, has been with the company over 30 years, and while there has been a fishing school instructor, copywriter, public relations director, merchandise manager, and was editor of The Orvis News for 10 years. In our wide ranging discussion, we dive into Tom's origins as an angler, his early interest in fish biology, how he came to work with Orvis, his favorite types of fly fishing, and his views on differences between small stream trout fishing on the East Coast and the big stream trout fishing in the West.
Normally I talk a lot about steelhead, but this week we mostly focus on trout fishing, which is how I cut my teeth learning how to fly fish as a young lad. Beyond having immense knowledge, Tom is a great person and frankly, one of the best trout anglers in the world. Tune in to learn something new and hear about Tom's path from self-taught fly angler to world-famous author and trout fishing expert.
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This week I interview Dr. Jack Williams, former Science Director for Trout Unlimited and a long-time scientist for United States Forest Service. Dr. Jack has been mentor, colleague and friend, and we have a wide ranging discussion on his beginnings as an angler, his roots as a fishery scientist (which wasn't with salmon!), and how he came to focus on salmonids. We also discuss his seminal paper "Salmon at the crossroads", which was published in 1991 and further stirred my desire to become an advocate for depleted stocks of salmon, steelhead, and trout.
Tune into this week's interview if you are interested in the history of salmon conservation in the Pacific Northwest and how Dr. Jack, and others, worked collaboratively to construct and implement the Northwest Forest Plan, which resulted in dramatic changes to how the USFS managed their forest lands. Plus, we chat a bit about the future of salmonids and what conservation efforts Jack thinks are imperative to ensuring their sustainability.
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In this episode host John McMillan is joined by Chris Wood, CEO of Trout Unlimited. They have a wide ranging discussion about Chris's background, including an amazing story about his introduction to salmon in Alaska, how he became interested in conservation, why Idaho and the Snake River dams are so important to Chris and TU, and the array of work that TU is doing to recover salmonids and rebuild their habitat across the United States.
We also dive into Chris's background with sports and discuss the value of team-work in conservation and ultimately, why issues like climate change and dam removal require a total team effort. For all of this, and more, tune into this week's awesome episode with Chris and John.
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This week I interview Ruth Sims, Seattle born-and-raised, who has been fishing since she could walk, but only started fly fishing about five years ago. During the work-week, she's an electrical engineer for an aerospace company, but during the weekends and off days, Ruth is seeking out new fly fishing adventures and looking for ways to apply her interest in math, physics and engineering to improve her casting and fishing. That level of commitment has allowed her to up her game very quickly, as she's now focusing her off time into becoming a casting instructor and enjoys teaching others how to fly fish.
In this episode, Ruth and I have a wide ranging discussion about all things fly fishing, including how she became interested in fly fishing (think fly tying and math), the risks of fishing solo as a female and why she enjoys spending water-time with her friends, some of her favorite fishing stories and moments, and how traveling to fish different locations has her rethinking her approach to angling in the coming year. Finally, I ask her about the challenges she has faced both as a woman and Native American, how that has shaped her, and why we both believe that fly fishing and conservation could greatly benefit from a more diverse group of anglers.
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Crossing North American this week from the West to the East to discuss Great Lakes steelhead with fishery biologist Brian Morrison. I've never studied or fished for Great Lakes steelhead, my only knowledge prior to meeting Brian was from scientific manuscripts. Since, he has opened up a whole new world to me.
In this episode, Brian and I go over the history of Great Lakes steelhead, including the first plants of rainbow trout and steelhead, the earliest fisheries, and how differently steelhead are managed throughout the region -- ranging from hatchery dominated rivers and fisheries to those consisting only of wild steelhead. We also discuss the remarkable diversity of steelhead that has developed over the past century, how Brian enjoys fishing for them, and the amazing amount of repeat spawning that occurs in some populations.
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Taking a step back from science this week to bring a bit of youth to the show. Some anglers prefer to fish alone, others with a partner. I['ve mostly been a solo person. Millennial angler Lee Geist is back along with his close friend, Carson Churchill -- a dynamic duo of hardcore anglers who are best fishing buddies that cover almost all of Western Washington in search of steelhead and salmon. These two young cats talk about their history of fishing together, including their first meeting and subsequent fishing trip, how they approach steelhead, and their favorite tactics for spring Chinook.
Lastly, we hit on the status of their summer steelhead fishing to date and reflect a bit on the OP winter steelhead season, the closures, and bounce ideas back and forth about what steps we are willing to take to keep rivers open for winter steelheading.
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Do you know how many sub-species of cutthroat trout there are? How about: How old is the species? Why are there so many sub-species of cutthroat? This episode Dr. Pat Trotter joins me, the world's preeminent expert on cutthroat trout. Pat has written two books on cutthroat, authored book chapters and numerous scientific publications. He is also a long-time angler and has spent a large part of his life roaming Western watersheds to better understand cutthroat trout.
Tune in to hear about how Pat became interested in science, why he loves cutthroat so much, how their evolutionary legacy has been shaped by geology and hydrology, and which sub-species are most at-risk. Even if you thought you knew cutthroat, this episode will teach you at least one or two new facts.
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This week John interviews film-maker Shane Anderson about his latest movie on a proposed flood-control "dam" project in the Chehalis River: A Watershed Moment. Shane discusses why this movie project was different than his previous work, what he has learned about the history of the Chehalis River, the Native Americans (including Chehalis and Quinault Tribes) that have lived in the basin for millennia, and the potential impacts the flood control project would have on winter steelhead and Chinook salmon.
Tune in for this, and more in-depth back-and-forth on how dam construction and dam removal can impact migratory fish and their population structure, whether there is a more ecologically friendly solution, and of course, Shane lets you know where you can watch his movie and if interested, provide comments on the project.
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This week Ian Tattam, a fishery scientist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, joins John to talk about summer steelhead in the John Day River, a tributary to the interior Columbia River basin. Ian is not only a scientist, but also a died-in-the-wool steelheader who was raised fishing for Chinook and steelhead by his father. In a wide ranging discussion, Ian details his upbringing as a youth in the PNW, what got him into steelhead and fishery science, his research on steelhead as a Graduate Student at Oregon State University, and finally, his recent research on how barging of hatchery steelhead smolts from the Snake River has contributed to really high stray rates into the John Day River.
Ian and John both attended Oregon State University and conducted some of their field work together, so they not only hit on the science, they also talk about their fun times together in the basin and how Ian came up with some cool sampling techniques. Tune into this episode if you love summer steelhead and want to understand the research Ian and others are doing to improve our knowledge about steelhead in the John Day River basin.
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The Metal God is back!. Yep, in this episode, John and Bill Herzog get together for another trip down memory lane. This time they talk about how they got indoctrinated into summer steelheading, their favorite lures and flies, why they are so tasty (hatchery ones at least), and why hatchery summer runs are a much better investment than winter runs.
They also discuss the poor returns to the Columbia and Snake the past few years, how summer steelhead fishing is different from winter steelheading, and lastly, Bill and John offer some tips for where to fish depending on how thick your wallet is. Tune in for all of this and much more, in addition to a few laughs.
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In this episode long-time professor Dr. Tom Quinn, from the University of Washington, joins John to talk about how he got into nature as a young boy living in New York City, why the Adirondacks were important to his development, and ultimately, how he found his way out west to Seattle and then to Alaska. Tom has been doing research in Alaska for over three decades, focusing on everything from the body shape and size of sockeye to the effects that bears have on salmon populations.
Tune in to hear John and Tom's wide-ranging discussion. If you are interested in knowing more about why salmon home back to their natal rivers, whether they use the earth's magnetic fields to navigate, how rainbow trout got to Alaska, and a short discussion on the lack of nutrients in rivers in the lower-48, this podcast is for you.
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In this episode John has Dean Finnerty on the podcast for a wide-ranging conservation about Dean's background growing up as an angler in the Pacific Northwest and his eventual profession as a conservationist with Trout Unlimited. Dean's first career was as a police officer, which eventually led him to become an undercover detective during the heat of the drug wars in the 1980's and 1990's. Imagine balancing your passion to fish for steelhead while also being an undercover operative in a biker gang? And then retire and transition to being a fishing guide and conservationist.
Tune in this week to hear about Dean's journey, and how he found his love for steelhead, what he has learned during his 20 years of protecting salmon habitat, and why he thinks anglers need to be involved in conservation and ultimately, listen to him and John discuss what they think the future of steelheading looks like in the PNW.
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This week Lee Geist joins John for an old fashioned campfire discussion (without the campfire) about their history as steelheaders growing up in the Pacific Northwest.
Lee is a millennial, John is Gen-X. Despite being from two different generations and coming from slightly different backgrounds and areas in Washington State, they share more overlap than one might think, and both have a favorite method for catching steelhead.
Tune in this week to hear how a center-pinner and a swinger find common ground and work together to discuss the joy, surprise, and heart-break of being a steelheader in this day and age.
Also - a bonus chat about how each of them are surviving the Coronavirus lockdown, including a selection of books to help each other get through this tough time.
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A special podcast this week. John has guest film-maker Shane Anderson back for a fun discussion about their snorkel trip into the upper Elwha River this past summer. Two major dams were removed on the Elwha to help restore habitat and rebuild populations of salmon and steelhead. While many species have responded positively so far, one in particular has jumped to the forefront: summer steelhead.
In this episode, John and Shane talk about their adventure into some of the most remote river-habitat we have remaining in the lower-48. They reveal the challenges of surveying deep and dangerous canyons, John almost losing some teeth, and the shock and awe of running into several big schools of summer steelhead. Plus, we reveal where you can watch the movie that Shane Anderson produced for Trout Unlimited: Rising from the Ashes: Elwha River summer steelhead.
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In this episode, John interviews his father Bill McMillan for a second time. In addition to being a famous steelhead angler, Bill is also a preeminent historian on salmon, steelhead and trout on the West Coast.
The history of salmon and steelhead, from their remarkable peak in abundance to their rapid depletion, is about as hardcore as it gets for any animal on this planet. This episode John and Bill take on many questions, such as: How many salmon and steelhead the Columbia River once produced? Are those estimates realistic? How quickly were the fish were depleted? How about the impact that settlers and pitchforks had? Tune into this episode for all this and more, plus a close-out with a few examples of success that illustrates how quickly salmon and steelhead can rebound if given a chance.
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A special deep-science episode about anadromy and residency in rainbow trout, with special mention of lots of other salmonids and organisms! For example, have you ever wondered why some offspring become a steelhead and others don’t? Did you know that anadromy and residency are influenced by a wide range of factors, including water temperature, food, competition, and streamflow? And that males and females often do different things because of different selective pressures? It may sound complex and potentially confusing, and it is. But in this episode, Dr. Matt Sloat joins John to discuss why one fish becomes a steelhead and another a rainbow trout.
Tune in to hear about their research in the John Day and Clackamas River basins, how water temperature influences fat, why fat is so critical to residency, and why the Deschutes River in Oregon is capable of supporting an abundance of both rainbow trout and steelhead. All this and more in an episode that is certain to improve your knowledge about steelhead and rainbow trout.
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In this episode, John interviews Pete Soverel, who is perhaps the most well-traveled steelhead angler in the world. Not only a tremendous angler however; he is also a dedicated conservationist who helped found the Wild Salmon Center and The Conservation Angler.
Pete describes his beginnings as an angler, where he first heard about steelhead (you’ll never believe it), and how his first steelhead turned into a life-long endeavor. He also tells the amazing story of how three people – a former Naval Officer and two CIA staff – partnered to initiate the first steelhead angling expeditions to the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Tune in to hear what Pete has learned from his 30 years traveling to Russia and ultimately, what he believes is essential to rebuilding imperiled populations of wild steelhead on the West Coast of North America.
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This week John is joined by award-winning film-maker Shane Anderson, who owns North Fork Studios and has spent the past eight years making documentary movies about conserving steelhead and their habitat. Traveling from steelhead rivers in California up along the steelhead highway through the Pacific Northwest and up into Northern British Columbia, Shane has interviewed anglers, scientists, politicians, citizens and experienced and fished in some of the world's last best steelhead rivers.
John interviews Shane and they discuss their first meeting and how John tried to only show him the "crappy" water. Tune in to hear the whole story and find out more about Shane's transition from pro-skier to film-maker, his inspiration for making movies, the lessons he has learned on the way, and his new movie on the proposed dam in the Chehalis River basin. If you care about the future of our rivers and fish, this podcast is for you -- and your children.
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The length of two-handed rods and lines has been declining over the past two decades, and particularly in the past 7-10 years. Perhaps you haven’t been fishing two-handed rods long enough to notice the change, but it is real. The longer rods and lines from the late-90’s through the 2000’s have faded away, replaced by increasingly shorter rods and lines. In fact, the shift has been so extensive that it is now difficult to find rods 14’ and longer in the USA.
In this episode, Nick Chambers joins John to discuss the trend, potential reasons for the shift, and their preferences in rod and line for fishing sink tips and dry lines. They each come from different regions with different sized rivers, and the two steelheaders spend over an hour detailing exactly why they use different rods and lines for different situations, including casting distance, efficiency, wading, and mending.
If you didn’t appreciate the potential for longer rods and lines, we guarantee this podcast will make you at least want to get out and give one of them a try.
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In this episode, John interviews his father Bill McMillan, not only a famous steelhead angler but also a preeminent historian on salmon, steelhead and trout on the West Coast.
Tune in as Bill takes John through his beginnings as an angler, the origins of where and how steelhead got their name, how the old Deschutes River "fishing train" turned his father (John's grandfather) into a fly angler, and why a trip to the Babine River in high school changed his perspective on salmon.
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This episode we talk with Dr. Jack Stanford, a long time professor with University of Montana, and a person who has studied rivers and salmon all over the world. From Kamchatka Russia to Alaska and across the Cascade Range into Montana and beyond, Jack will provide his insights into why complex river habitat is so important to salmon, how that habitat is shaped and formed, and how salmon themselves are fundamental to improving habitat in and along rivers for future generations of salmon. Jack takes a three-dimensional view of rivers and was a pioneering scientist that made other scientists realize: the river's habitat isn't just about what you see, it's also about what you don't see.
Also - tune in to hear about the amazing world of insects that live deep in the gravel below the river bed and then emerge at the surface to feed our salmon, trout, and steelhead. If you want a free class on river biology and ecology, this is the episode for you.
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In this special Species Spotlight episode, we meet the T-rex of salmon: Hucho Taimen AKA The Mongolian Dinosaur.
Fishery scientist and angler Matt Sloat joins us to talk about his adventures in Russia where he has been studying Taimen. Taimen are the oldest and largest salmon in the world. His research is key to conserving the amazing fish and one of the fish he caught was so large -- over 100 lbs -- that is classified briefly as a world record.
Tune in to hear about why he loves salmon, why he is studying Taimen, what he has learned, how he fishes for them, and what was running through his head when he was playing the fish.
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What do Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Maury Povich have in common with steelhead? More than you think.
In this episode John does away with the technical jargon and dives into the amazing array of things that steelhead do to reach maturity and mate.
Tune in and get woke about why there are differences between males and females, and why steelhead turn the notion that “big size” is everything on the top of its head.
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If you swing flies for steelhead, this topic has undoubtedly come up around the campfire or the local watering hole: Do you set the hook when a fish takes on the swing? Or not? There are a lot of opinions on either side, with very little in the middle. The issue of whether to hold a loop, or not, can be similarly divisive.
In this episode, Nick Chambers joins John to take a deep dive into what seem like very simple issues. Nick is a fishery biologist who has worked across much of the Pacific Northwest and is an avid steelheader who has fished from Northern California to Alaska and most places in between. Tune in to hear these two die-hard steelheaders discuss their experiences. It will make you realize there is no easy answer to when or how you set the hook, and that in fact, the answers vary depending on the conditions and fish you are pursuing. Lastly, holding a loop is gospel to some and heresy to others, John and Nick don’t agree and offer their reasons why.
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In this episode we sit down with The Metal God - famous steelheader and author, Bill Herzog.
Bill joins John to talk about his 40 years of steelheading across British Columbia and the lower-48. The guys focus on the lessons that Bill has learned and why he has gradually shifted his fishing from gear to fly.
Our Water Flows App is Live!
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Want More Barbless.co Podcasts?
We've got most of the West Coast covered now! Check out: https://truckee-tahoe.barbless.co/ | https://socal.barbless.co/ | http://theop.barbless.co/ | https://podcast.barbless.co/
Love What We Do?
Help us produce our shows by becoming a Patreon Supporter or by purchasing a hat at our online store.
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Steelhead season is here, and with it comes colder water temperatures and higher stream flows - finally!
Water temperature is considered the master variable for salmon, steelhead and trout because it regulates their metabolism, which in turn determines how active they will be.
While many anglers closely watch stream flows, far less attention is paid to water temperature, and especially how water temperature changes with stream flow to create different conditions that favor different fishing tactics.
Want to be a more efficient steelheader? Of course you do, so let John use his extensive scientific background to analyze 22 years of steelheading data to breakdown how you should change your approach depending on the conditions.
KNOW BETTER, FISH BETTER!
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