I just finished reading a book called King of Fish: The thousand year run of Salmon by David Montgomery. This is a must read for all fishermen and women. The book covers the decline of salmon runs starting in Europe and ending in the pacific northwest. It is astonishing to see the same actions taken time and time again time expecting a different result. As early as the 1200's(you read that number right) people knew what was neccesary to protect salmon yet we still don't do it. I know that every member of this board can read so please check out this book. It personally changed the way I look at the situation we are now in.

When this book came out, the WSC purchased eight advance copies and each one was given to each Commissioner at the Port Townsend testimony in Dec. 2003. I believed it helped paved the way for the proposed moritorium.

I just ordered a copy off Ebay. Total cost including shipping was under $8.

Montgomery's book is a classic along with Lichatowich's "Salmon Without Rivers."

Even closer to home for all you steelhead fans is the afterword in Dec Hogan's new book "Passion for Steelhead" written by Pete Soverel. I just finished it.



He chronicles the plight of wild steelhead over the course of just one angling career. Bottom line, wild steelhead have become functionally extinct throughout most of their historic range. Those charged with their conservation/restoration continue to make the same management mistakes that have been occurring over the past 100 years.

Bastsards! Dirty bastards!

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who has read this book. And FNP the dirty bastards have been doing the same thing for over 500 years if you count what they did to Atlantic Salmon.
PS Fished a couple SW rivers today and it was low clear and slooooow

Just spent the big bucks and bought it off of amazon. Should be an interesting read. Thanks!

PS. Nice chromer winter nook Doc!

Don't forget the book that paved the way for the afformentioned.......Bruce Brown's "Mountain In The Clouds: A Search For The Wild Salmon" Still a book I read at least once a year almost 30 years later.

Dec Hogan's book sounds interesting.....have to look it up too!

I got a copy a couple of years ago. Awesome book!

Preface

David R Montgomery

The story of declining Salmon runs are remarkably parallel across the English speaking world, yet the similarities are not well known even by people running salmon-recovery efforts. I trained to study how rivers and landslides shape topography and only came to study salmon after moving to Seattle to take a falculty position in geology at the University of Washington, where it is hard to study rivers without thinking about salmon. Intrigued by the connections between rivers and salmon, I began to explore how the changing landscapes of the Pacific Northwest affected the evolution and abundance of salmon. Digging into the history of the Atlantic and Pacific salmon fisheries, I found a fascinating story of how valuable public resources can gradually decline dispite high-profile concerns over conservation.........

I had him for a professor last quarter. the class was called rivers and beaches...needless to say it was pretty sweet. He's a very interesting guy, he's also on the board of the Hoh River Trust.

I will have to pick up the other books mentioned they sound interesting.

I'm about 2/3 through it. It's a good book but rather sad. The problems with atlantic salmon centuries ago are being replayed today on the west coast, almost to the letter.

They sound great i need to get a copy