The Last Steelhead

Longtime angling author, steelhead aficionado, TROUT Magazine contributor and musician Chris Santella has created a novel way to publicize the plight of wild steelhead.

Santella's new rock opera, The Last Steelhead, looks at the factors contributing to the decline of wild steelhead runs and “the attitudes surrounding our behaviors and policies that seem to be standing in the way of taking meaningful action to prevent extinction.” It's accompanied by an intelligent "action plan" called What You Can Do to Help Wild Steelhead.

Santella's hometown paper, the Portland Tribune, recently published a nice writeup on Santella's latest steelhead opus.

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TU’s Wild Steelhead Initiative is spearheading angler engagement in the broad endeavor to restore wild steelhead runs across their native range. Dean Finnerty, director of the WSI, called The Last Steelhead "A great contribution to the angling community's efforts to help bring back the prized freshwater sportfish of the Pacific Northwest."

Kirk Deeter, editor and publisher of TROUT, recently penned an excellent post about Santella and his connection with TU's CEO and President, Chris Wood. In addition to The Last Steelhead, Santella has authored dozens of essays, stories, guides and travel books. He is the author of the popular "Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die" (one of a series of similar-themed books about golf, diving, and sailing, among other topics) available through TU's online store and various local and online retailers. To learn more about Chris Santella, or to listen to a sample of his band Catch and Release, go here. 

Go to www.wildsteelheaders.org to learn more about steelhead science and how anglers can support current TU-driven actions that are protecting and restoring wild steelhead habitat and populations.