News From Big Bend Pool
In 1992, poachers dynamited the Big Bend Pool on Steamboat Creek, killing many fish on the river’s most important spawning tributary, and threatening the long-term viability of the river’s wild fish stock. The Foundation led an effort to raise a reward to lead to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrators. and acquired high-tech monitoring equipment to help catch and successfully prosecute poachers. Each year since 1992, the Foundation has funded a guardian to stay at the pool from May until the end of November.
Big Bend Pool Caretaker 2018
Due to the health of his Mother, Lee Spencer is taking a leave of absence from the Big Bend Pool for 2018. A friend of the river, Ed Kikumoto, has agreed to fill those responsibilities for this season. We welcome Ed, who is not a stranger to the pool, as...
New Patent for Dr. Garry Kenny
A second patent for the non-contact collection of fish mucus traveling through fish ladders has been issued to Dr. Garry Kenny (his thirty-third). The two patents (Numbers 9,326,838 and 9,737,387) covering the method and apparatus of the system have been assigned to...
TNUF Scholarship Recipient History
TNUF scholarship recipients, since the program's inception in 1996, have made significant contributions to the understanding and conservation of aquatic resources of which we can all be proud. Some have received multiple-year scholarships (generally $1,000-3,000 / yr)...
Lee Spencer: A Life Dedicated to the Art and Science of Watching
The truck probably got him the job. Or, at the very least, helped instigate the process. That’s not to say there weren’t numerous other persuasive attributes in his résumé. In fact, it would have been hard, if not damn near impossible, to find anyone more...
Uncage the Soul: Frank Moore
Mending the Line is the extraordinary story of Frank Moore, a 90-year old WWII veteran and fly-fishing legend, returning to Normandy to fish the rivers he saw as a soldier. The feature film will release in Spring 2014 and a tour cut will travel with...
Jefferson Public Radio on the Frank Moore Wild Steelhead proposal
Interview with Jeff Dose (advisor to TNUF's board) and John Kober from Pacific Rivers and a TNUF board member) on Jefferson Public Radio on the Frank Moore Wild Steelhead proposal. Pacific Rivers is organizing a feature story with Oregon Public Radio for video and...
The Foundation
The Foundation’s annual dinner in October raised over $10,000 to help in advancing the efforts of the organizations projects of FishWatch, Conservation & Outreach, Scholarship, & Habitat work. Attendees enjoyed a lovely dinner prepared by Chef Crystal Platt,...
News from Big Bend Pool pt. 1
Aspects of the Fifty Two Year History of the Steamboat Falls Ladder At around 11:00 on the morning of July 14th—a Wednesday—this season, as Maggie and I returned from our downcreek walk, I saw an ODFW rig parked at the pool and three people were standing around it. ...
News from Big Bend Pool pt. 2
Wild Summer Steelhead and Speculations, Wild Ones This writing documents various speculations about summer steelhead made at various times over the last dozen or so years. They are variably wild speculations so expect some loose ends. The purpose of this piece of...
News from Big Bend Pool pt. 3
“Some Are Steelhead?” With the help of per diem and a winter stipend from The North Umpqua Foundation, the writer and Maggie, a three-and-a-half year old Australian cattle dog from northern New Mexico—this is her first season with me—sit at this pool, a pool that by...
