Bill McMillan has been volunteering his time and energy to steelhead recovery on the Skagit River in Washington for decades—helping to lead fellow volunteers in collecting data for spawner surveys. These spawner surveys are designed to offer a baseline estimate for returning fish to the Skagit River and its tributaries every year. Bill is a wellspring of information on fish and fishing, remains a steadfast conservation steward, and inspires his community. As Bill nears his retirement from volunteer work, he is passing on the torch of the invaluable information he has collected over the years as well as his process of data collection into the capable arms of other driven volunteers.
This Waist Deep Media production pays homage to Bill’s years of volunteer work and his shining example of citizen science.
Excellent movie.
“Piscator Non Solum Piscatur” – It is not all of fishing to fish (in the vernacular, there’s more to it than mere hooking-up then going for “Aren’t I a Hero?” trophy shots to make fellow sufferers green with envy on social media etc).
Some in my neck of the woods, Britain, have rather forgotten this more to fishing thing over the past 20 to 30 years. It has been interesting to watch a number go very publicly “Let it be known that I’m a big-time Connservationist. admiration and respect expected, charitable donations welcome” recently; quite made someone I know (may have been me) think “Hmm…”.
For so many years, you could lead such one-trick ponies to water, but it took a hell of a lot of time and return-fire personal trashing and trolling to make them drink…..
But then Britain is a much-smaller country with mostly very private, non-public waters and a lot of people much-invested in the notion that the only good change is no change, and that they, by virtue of being the ownership and management since, say,1066, always know best.
Changing now, though, but, sadly, much, much, much too late.
Keep up the good work over your way, guys.
Bill is truly in a class by himself. If ever there has been an unsung hero of wild steelhead, it’s him. One of my mentors of yesteryear used to say, the big steelhead in the sky smiles whenever Bill McMillan is in view.