Crossing North American this week from the West to the East to discuss Great Lakes steelhead with fishery biologist Brian Morrison. I’ve never studied or fished for Great Lakes steelhead, my only knowledge prior to meeting Brian was from scientific manuscripts. Since, he has opened up a whole new world to me.

In this episode, Brian and I go over the history of Great Lakes steelhead, including the first plants of rainbow trout and steelhead, the earliest fisheries, and how differently steelhead are managed throughout the region — ranging from hatchery dominated rivers and fisheries to those consisting only of wild steelhead.  We also discuss the remarkable diversity of steelhead that has developed over the past century, how Brian enjoys fishing for them, and the amazing amount of repeat spawning that occurs in some populations.