Rivers of a Lost Coast

With the exception of the Smith River, it is illegal to take any wild steelhead from California’s coastal waters. Long before the California Department of Fish and Game passed the no-kill regulation, many anglers, both fly and conventional had taken it upon themselves to stop killing wild steelhead. Moving towards catch-and-release can often mark a transition in an angler’s approach to the sport and to steelhead in general. In this short clip Lani Waller reflects on shifting emotions during the year he transitioned into a catch-and-release angler.