We fight for our waters and the fish that that call them “home.”

The McKenzie Flyfishers support and encourage enhancement of native, naturally reproducing fish populations wherever possible. While there may be a role for artificially propagated fish in some situations, when their presence conflicts with wild, native fish, the welfare of native fish should take precedence.

Policy on Native Fish Conservation

Conservation Accomplishments that Benefit Wild Fish

  • Helped defeat EWEB’s attempts to build three nuclear power plans that would have dewatered small Oregon streams.

  • Sponsored and passed via Oregon Legislature a bill that declares the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River a State Scenic River which kept four dams off the system.

  • Changed management plans of the McKenzie River that prohibit killing of all wild trout and established over half the river as unplanted reaches managed for the benefit of wild trout.

  • Sponsored and passed an angling regulation change that established the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette for “fly fishing only” and without planted fish.

  • Sponsored and passed a regulation change making the Middle Fork of the Willamette River an all season catch and release river without hatchery plants between Hills Creek and Lookout Point dams.

  • Helped write management plans for the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Willamette River that protected wild fish habitat.

  • Worked to acquire Green island at the McKenzie River confluence to establish critical habitat for wild fish.

  • Helped begin and continually supports the McKenzie Watershed Council whose actions improve critical habitat for wild fish.

  • Helped establish and support the Eugene Salmon Watch program, which educates future voters about the importance of wild fish their habitat.

  • During the relicensing of Leaburg and Walterville power canals: helped to increase EWEB’s minimum McKenzie River flow limit from 375cfs to 1000cfs and require new power canal fish screen, which now have a <1% mortality rate.

  • Supported various efforts to defeat BLM’s non-fish friendly forest management plans.

  • Joined a broad coalition which is attempting to force ODFW to change its salmon management on the Sandy River.

  • Worked extensively with ODFW to support wild rainbow trout at Gold Lake.

  • Helped pass the bait ban regulation in the study section of the McKenzie River.

  • Helped to establish and support the tag/recapture and ratio tagging study on the McKenzie River.