Anglers Show Up—And It’s Not Just to Fish: Community Scientists Protecting Our Home Rivers
Global Rivers, United Voices- River stories from community scientists around the world.
Rivers are the ultimate connectors to all that brings us life. The fly fishing community is the center of gravity that pulls Science on the Fly together. Our community shows up, and it's not just to fish. It’s why five years ago, we launched this grassroots movement in partnership with people in the fly fishing community to gather information and data about water quality and health—all while they’re already out fishing.
Every angler holds a deep respect, love and responsibility for the places they fish. Science on the Fly taps into that ingrained ethic and provides an opportunity for anglers to get to know their home rivers in a deeper, more meaningful way. We’ve found a unique approach to better understanding rivers, to capturing the stories of these rivers and their communities.
Help us celebrate the Science on the Fly community and kickstart our next 5 years of work!
To celebrate our 5th anniversary, Science on the Fly is launching a month-long event to shine a light on the people, places and stories that have united anglers worldwide in protecting and restoring rivers. Our Community Scientists are the heart of it all.
Today, we have more than 150 Community Scientists gathering data in 350 locations in six countries, and we’re excited to continue to grow this movement. Because at the end of the day, when you protect a river, you protect the whole system—including the people in it.
We caught up with some of our Community Scientists to hear their river stories and we’re excited for you to get to know them here…
Kate and Scott Sherin with an Atlantic Salmon in Nova Scotia, Canada
Kate and Scotty Sherin: Nova Scotia, Canada
We are Kate and Scotty Sherin. We are fly anglers, conservationists and creatives. We never stray too far from a river and our love and admiration for our local native species, Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon has fueled a passion for conservation and advocacy. We are always on the go, exploring many rivers across Atlantic Canada in pursuit of our favourite species and our volunteer work on the LaHave and beyond has grown into as much of a passion as the fishing itself.
Our home rivers encompass many rivers across Nova Scotia, but by proximity and the recipient of Science on the Fly and (of course where Kate grew up) the LaHave River, Nova Scotia, Canada.
We were first introduced to Science on the Fly through their collaborations with Fishpond. While fishing at the “Schoolie Tournament”—an event aimed to raise awareness and funding for the protection of Striped Bass on Cape Cod, Kate connected with Allie Cunningham, SOTF’s Director. We began working with Science on the Fly in June of 2024, sampling the LaHave River. The LaHave is a very special river, not only to Kate as she grew up living along the river, but it is also formally one of Atlantic Canada’s premier Atlantic Salmon rivers. Climate change, at sea mortality, introduction of invasive species and other circumstances has led to a decrease in salmon returns. The river has been closed to Salmon angling since 2010. The past few years have been showing encouraging juvenile and adult abundances, proving that restoration efforts are slowly paying off. This partnership with Science on the Fly is extremely beneficial for the LaHave River recovery as it has an added level of monitoring while various groups lead by the Nova Scotia Salmon Association implement instream habitat restoration, acid rain mitigation through liming projects and cold water refugia projects to make the LaHave more climate resilient for native salmonids.
It's strange how a seemingly insignificant event can have such a profound impact on the person you become and what you value most. Learning to fly fish, although a fun undertaking from the very beginning, was never intended to be more than a means to spend some quality time outdoors. Looking back, it has been one of the greatest teachers of our lives; inspiring deeper connections to the natural world and ecosystem functions, creating friendships, mentors, and becoming a travel guide and therapist. Fishing is almost impossible to define as its meaning is different to all who have tried. For those who fishing has truly enriched the lives of, the preservation of the fish and their river becomes paramount. If there is no river, there are no fish, and their lessons and teachings will slowly drift away. Aldo Leopold said it best, “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”
Give ‘em a follow: @katesherin @scottysherin
Erik Skoog with a Chinook Salmon in Oregon.
Erik Skoog: Portland, Oregon
My name is Erik Skoog and I live in Portland, Oregon. My river story started almost twenty years ago. I was floating the Deschutes River in Central Oregon on a solo fly fishing trip for trout. Salmon were the last thing on my mind that day. I grew up in Seattle, Washington fishing for salmon and have always had a connection, respect, and reverence that is hard to describe for these fish. On this day on the Deschutes, between stops in the boat, a large black Chinook came completely out of the water right next to the boat and we immediately locked our eyes. It hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity, the whole time I felt it staring right into me. At that moment I felt a connection with no other creature I had ever had, and I knew that I would always do what I could to help protect them and the rivers they have called home for millions of years.
We have so many amazing rivers in Oregon, and I cover a lot of ground, or should I say water, but my home river is the Sandy, just outside of Portland. It is a remarkable river that holds anadromous fish for 12 months of the year. It begins on the flanks of Mt. Hood and eventually winds its way to the Columbia. It is also the river I sample.
I started sampling for SOTF in February 2021 and collect samples from three locations in the drainage. I first heard of SOTF via social media and was immediately interested in the mission of the program. Being a conservation-oriented angler my entire life, I researched the program and reached out to Allie to see what I could do to help and have been with the program since.
Nearly every time I sample, I get questions from anglers, boaters, and river enthusiasts. The importance of sharing the story is so valuable because the rivers are in danger. Climate change, habitat loss, pollution, logging, overuse, just to name a few are for real, we are watching the effects happen right before our eyes. I tell people if we don’t share in the stewardship of the resource, things are only going to get worse, and what I’m doing plays a small part of the bigger picture in protecting the river and its ecosystem. Sampling the river has given me the gift of an even deeper connection with the river, watershed, wildlife—and of course, the fish. It is a truly special river and I’m proud to volunteer my time to the resource and grateful for the opportunity to partner with SOTF in the effort to help monitor and protect the health of the watershed.
Give Erik a follow: @27_five
Daniel Iturietta (right) excited about a trout on the Bio Bio River in Chile.
Daniel Iturietta: Temuco, Chile
My name is Daniel Iturietta. I am a hydraulic civil engineer by profession. I am 40 years old and I live in Temuco. I was born in Angola and my father is from the Araucanía region, so this is my backyard. I feel at home here.
My favorite river is the Bio Bio River and its tributaries. In Temuco we began guiding fly fishing in the Araucanía region through Australis Fishing. We are delighted to bring people to these places because I think it is super important that if people come here and know it, they begin to respect it and take care of it. I think that the Bio Bio has been constantly threatened by the construction of dams, so I feel that if people come and enjoy this place and enjoy it, we can do more to preserve it. When people come and enjoy these places is when they really start to love it and begin to protect it.
I’ve been working with Science on the Fly for 4 years now, constantly taking samples to be able to evaluate how climate change has evolved within this region. We're super happy to be able to continue participating and contributing our bit. I feel that when people have a close relationship with the river, with the environment, they finally feel like they are the protectors of the river. So I feel that the work that Science on the Fly does with the volunteers ultimately ends up transforming each volunteer into a guardian of the place where he is going to take the samples because he obviously wants that place to be preserved as naturally as possible and not suffer any damage. That closeness and that bond is generated by the dedication of constantly watching. I invite people to come to the rivers and enjoy them because they are wonderful, I mean, there's nothing better than being here in nature, whether you catch a fish or not.
Give Daniel a follow: @d_iturrieta // @australis_fishing
Thank you to all of our Community Scientists who have joined us to tell the story of your home rivers. Because at the end of the day, when you protect a river, you protect the whole system—including the people in it.
Here’s to 5 amazing years of Science on the Fly—let’s kickstart the next 5 now!
