The dog days are (almost) over

CFSers:

The dog days of summer officially end August 11, but the deadline has come and gone and the summer steelhead season on the Deschutes will not open this season, once again. Two thousand fewer fish than the minimum requirement passed Bonneville Dam in time. It's a disappointing result for anyone who cares about the health of the watershed.

Like Penelope at her loom, we're counting and waiting to see if fish passage picks up, and the season starts in September. The magic number is now 23,100 wild fish past Bonneville by 8/31, basically 450ish fish a day.

Go deeper 🔎
Learn more about the overall framework and hear more from the Native Fish Society on how closures are not sustainable solutions to protect fisheries, and from the Deschutes River Alliance on how the delay of the season impacts all those who make their living around the river, and the local economy. We're talking tens of millions of dollars in economic impact, in a region that already saw a really poor ski season.

CFS readers in the wild

Thanks to Andrew for sharing these photos from his float trip down Montana's Madison River with his son Cody. Woohoo!

Keep 'em coming, everybody! Let's see how those summer adventures are shaping up.

PDX Scouting with Marc Fryt

Did you read our chat with Marc Fryt, author of "The Guide to Urban Fly Fishing" yet? Wherever on this blue globe you might be, there are lessons in the book to help find fish near where you reside.

But for those of us in Portland, we've got a great chance to bring the book to life. We're looking Saturday, September 26 to invite Marc to Portland to lead a ticketed scouting workshop around our city waterways.

Three of you raised your hand when the email went out last Friday. We need four or five more folks to join to solidify the event. It'll be loads of fun, but don't take my word for it. Here's the GOAT George Daniel weighing in:

If you're interested in joining a half-day scouting session with Marc on September 26th, hit the button below or reply to this email to let me know.

👂 Listen in: Podcast of the week

Trout Unlimited CEO Chris Wood describes himself as the sort of optimist that's "looking for the pony in the pile" in this conversation with Mark Kenyon on MeatEater's Future Wild podcast.

I see him more as a "possibilist": Not a starry-eyed dreamer but someone who's seen solutions that work and is trying to focus a massive organization's efforts toward scaling them.

If you're interested in the policymaking that provides a foundation for almost all our fishing conservation efforts, as well as the culture change that comes with initiatives like TU's Conservation Towns, tune in.

Event calendar

Got an event you want the community to know about? Send it over and I'll include it here. You can see all of our upcoming CFS events on Luma.

August

CFS: August 18, TBC, Portland OR
We're hosting a little free happy hour meetup with a fun partner; details next week.

September

September 12, Clackamas River, OR
Clackamas Down the River Cleanup (Clackamas River Basin Council)

September 17, Bozeman, MT
Montana Stream Access Rally (Keep Our Rivers Public)

October

CFS: October 6,8, 10, Portland OR
PCC Intro to Fly Fishing Fall Term (registration opens this Wednesday, August 12 at 07:00 PST)

Leaders ➰

Fishy links to start your week. Got one to share? Hit reply and send it over! 🪝

Help out a Deschutes community ⛑️ (2 min read)

The Bench fire tore through the Warm Springs reservation, prompting large-scale evacuations and destroying homes. A fund has been set up to help immediate needs, and longer-term recovery efforts. (CTWS Wildfire Recovery Fund)

Fire wisdom from First Nations 🎓 (12 min read)

Step inside a conference earlier this year in British Columbia to learn how First Nations members are developing new fire protocols for traditional burns based on established ecological knowledge (magiccanoe.org)

Redbands on the brink 🔬 (8 min read)

The Science on the Fly team welcomes Woodwell Climate Research Center research scientist and redband trout aficionado Dr. Zhongqi Chen to the its team as a new science lead. Read about the uniqueness of these high-desert trout and their special challenges. (scienceonthefly.org)

(Streamer) size isn't everything 📏 (6 min read)

Streamer king Kelly Galloup, proprietor of the Slide Inn (and new North Slide in Ennis) says you don't need an eight-inch streamer to find big fish. Dig in for his sweet spot selection, and how to fish them, and how frequently to change (every twenty casts!) (skwalafishing.com)

There's an easier way to tie a blood knot 🪢 (4 min watch)

Just use the mighty hemostat and give it a spin. Mike Mouradian explains (midcurrent.com)

Castback 3.0 is live 🛒 (1 min read)

Our friends at Castback unveiled the latest version of their used fly fishing gear marketplace, check it out and find a fave. (castback.com email)

Gentlemen, start your engines 🛥️ (7 min read)

Bass tournament, or Indy 500? Jimmy Ewing finds out.
(fieldethos.com)

The snake ate what? 🐍 (1 min read)

I've never seen a snake eat a trout before. (instagram.com)

A second Seine 🗼 (5 min read)

French rivers are under massive pressure this summer due to record heat, but the Bièvre, Paris' lost second stream, is becoming revitalized (reasonstobecheerful.world)

We've raised over $10,000 for the Deschutes River Alliance and sent ribbon maps to supporters in over 14 states! Have you got yours yet?

Buy a Lower Deschutes Ribbon Map

That's it that's all! Current Flow State is a weekly newsletter from me, Nick Parish. You can also find CFS on Bluesky 🦋, Instagram 📸, YouTube 🎥, or the Fishcord 💬

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