Wild Steelhead Coalition

Rich Simms, President

Backstory: Rich grew up in Poulsbo, WA, fishing the many steelhead streams of the Olympic Peninsula. He learned to mooch for Chinook salmon with his father on Puget Sound. He’s had an undying passion for chasing steelhead since his childhood, and now fishes for steelhead all around the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.

First Steelhead: As a twelve-year-old, Rich caught his first winter steelhead on a frigid January day with leaky hip waders on the West Fork of the Humptulips River; a day he will always remember.

What He Does: Rich is a founding board member of the Wild Steelhead Coalition and has been its President since 2003. He is an Industrial Design professional with 20 years experience in project management and problem solving processes. Rich’s experiences as a designer and project manager help him to see the big picture without forsaking the details, and to understand that success is a collaborative effort.

Personal Philosophy: “I still get as excited about steelhead fishing as when I was kid. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to fish for steelhead on the streams of Hood Canal. That’s not possible anymore: these streams– along with many other fine steelhead streams– have been reduced to a fraction of their past abundance. I’m committed to steelhead recovery and to engaging all anglers and conservationists to help recapture the steelhead legacy of the Pacific Northwest.”

Contact Rich Simms

Jim Schmitz, Vice President

Backstory: Jim was born an identical twin in Tacoma, Washington and has been thinking about rivers and fish his entire life. His early years were spent fly fishing for trout and salmon throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. At the age of 9, his addiction for fly fishing and tying flies became his true passion.

His First Steelhead: Technically, Jim’s first steelhead was caught on the Cowlitz River. But that one wasn’t wild. His first encounter with a wild steelhead was on the Snake River.

What He Does: Jim studied fisheries and forest ecology at the University of Washington. Throughout his college summers and four years post graduation, he guided fly fishing trips for Lost River Outfitters in Ketchum, Idaho, where he also got involved as a volunteer with the Idaho Nature Conservancy and Idaho Rivers United. Jim returned to graduate school to earn his M.A. in Education with a focus on Biology and environmental sciences. He now owns and operates Western Machine Works, Inc., his 100 year old family business in Tacoma, and spends his days off skiing, chasing fish, birds and kids.

His Philosophy: “I consider myself fortunate to have had some great sportsmen in my life. They not only turned me onto my passions, but helped me realize the importance of sustaining and supporting our natural wonders. Now, I am highly motivated to focus my own personal and professional experiences on helping future generations. I’ve been involved with many non-profit groups over the past 10 years, but have found none so dedicated and focused as the WSC.”

Brian Bennett, Director

Backstory: Growing up in Boston, MA, Brian was far removed from steelhead and the myriad of challenges they face. All that changed in 2004 when he took a job with Patagonia as the REI Account Manager and relocated to Washington State. As a passionate fly fisherman who cut his teeth plying the rivers and lakes of Colorado and Wyoming, he quickly embraced the challenge of chasing steelhead on the fly.

First Steelhead: Brian hooked his first wild steelhead, a beautiful dime bright 8 pound hen, swinging a blue Tomine String thing on the Cole Slaw run, on the Buckley River in BC.

What He Does: Brian is the Fly Fishing Sales Manager for Patagonia. In that capacity has been active in helping direct support from Patagonia, and the fly fishing industry at large, to the WSC.

Personal Philosophy: “For me, being passionate about fishing for steelhead goes hand in hand with being passionate about protecting these special fish and their habitat.”

Jon Velikanje, Secretary

Backstory: Jon grew up in Yakima fishing the Yakima River and most of its tributaries. During the early 80s, Jon and his wife fished the Yakima River most every weekend. The average fish at that time was six to eight inches and most were rainbow hatchery fish. A few years later, regulations on the upper Yakima were implemented to reduce harvest of trout and to discontinue planting hatchery fish. Jon and his wife saw an increase in the size of the average fish of two inches for each of the years following. By the end of the 80s, they saw a healthy population of twenty-inch fish and very few hatchery fish, providing Jon with his first experience with what regulations and hatchery practices could do for a fishery.

First Steelhead: Jon’s first encounter with a steelhead came as a young boy fishing with his father on the Yakima River. While fishing one of those late summer afternoon hatches, a very large head came up and took his dry fly. “The next few seconds nothing really happened,” he says, “until the water exploded and the fish was going up and across the river like a bullet. Moments later, the fish came to the end of the backing and was gone. I couldn’t find words to explain what had just happened, but I knew I wanted to do it again.”

What He Does: Jon is an electrical engineer and worked for an aerospace company in Seattle for 30 years. Along with his wife and two grown daughters, he enjoys the out of doors, back packing, fishing skiing and sailing.

Personal Philosophy: “I got involved in supporting the Wild Steelhead Coalition because I want future generations to have the experience of catching and releasing wild steelhead.”

Jonathan Stumpf, Director

Nathan Keen, Treasurer

Backstory: Nathan grew up in Massachusetts and has enjoyed fishing and the outdoors since he was a child. Bird watching and a concern for the natural world have been a part of Nathan’s world view for as long as he can remember. He attended high school in Bellingham, WA and has been a resident of Washington state ever since, fishing for steelhead and other species throughout the Northwest and the world.

First Steelhead: His steelhead fishing bug was kindled when a large steelhead left a birds nest of line in his face after a blistering run on a streamy flow at Matheny Creek on the Olympic Peninsula. He’s been fishing for wild steelhead ever since and he enjoys fishing for wild and native fish wherever they swim.

What He Does: Nathan has worked at Nordstrom as a financial analyst in their store planning department since 2009 and brings his strong financial, analytical and business management skills to the WSC. His work at Nordstrom follows a 10 year stint in the fly fishing industry as instructor, fly shop owner and manager.

Personal Philosophy: “I joined the Wild Steelhead Coalition Board as Treasurer in 2009 in part as a way to try and give something back to the resource that I have utilized so much in the past two decades. I enjoy providing financial and administrative support to the organization and to those on the front lines of wild steelhead conservation.”

Luke Kelly, Secretary

Backstory: Fishing since he could hold a fishing rod, Luke’s passion for exploring fisheries changed when he began fly fishing at age 9 and again when his family moved from Indiana to Colorado’s Roaring Fork valley at age 14. Luke began visiting steelhead waters of the Northwest in the 1990s. For the past six years Luke has been bouncing back and forth between Colorado and Washington, and in December of 2010, he made the permanent move to Seattle. Luke has fished for many different species on several continents, and steelheading has remained as one of his favorite pursuits.

First Steelhead: As with many steelhead fly anglers, Luke had to pay his dues before landing his first steelhead. It was his second trip and seventh day fly fishing for steelhead when Luke experienced his first pull. It was an October day on the Deschutes River, and by this point Luke had been worn down to simply going through the motions. Imagine his surprise when an eight pound wild hen grabbed his swinging fly and immediately headed for the Pacific! “I will never forget that first fish and it still humbles me today. I had researched the fish, the rivers, the heritage, and the fly fishing pioneers, but it all came together when I shared my first moment with that first steelhead. It was the catalyst of something that will last my lifetime.”

What He Does: Since graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Aquatic Environmental Sciences in 2001, Luke has been working in the field of fisheries management and stream restoration. A snapshot of Luke’s career includes: working for several private environmental consulting/engineering firms, a federal agency’s fishery department, a Northwest Native American Tribe’s fishery department, as well as founding his own fishery management company where he lead many projects that entailed the survey-evaluation-permitting-construction-and restoration of stream habitats. His experiences over the past decade have involved habitat evaluations and restoration projects on over 100 miles of streams in CO, WY, NM, and WA. Luke is also grateful to have been the president and co-founder of a nonprofit watershed organization in Colorado. Aside from fisheries, Luke has also been a fly fishing guide since 1997. Although guiding is not his main priority, Luke enjoys it immensely and he has begun guiding his clients for trout and steelhead in Washington.

Personal Philosophy: “I have been seduced by water and its wilderness since I was very young, and my fascination naturally matured into a passion, and finally into a career working on, in, and around freshwater and marine ecosystems. I believe it is a privilege to be on the board of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, and it is a pleasure working with such fine people who share a vision of wild steelhead conservation. These fish are very unique, complex, and spectacular, and their future is uncertain. I believe with diligence and collaboration, wild steelhead will be swimming in our waters for generations to come.”

Ryan Petzold, Director

For the past 15+ years, it seems as though everything I do has some connection to steelhead. So back in 2000, when the WSC was formed, there was no question that I was going to be there, that I was going to be involved in any way that was needed to advance the Mission that I believed in.

I was born and raised in Western Washington and have fished for steelhead the better half of my life. I have looked for ways to pursue my passion for steelhead beyond just fishing for them and that is where the Wild Steelhead Coalition comes in.

The WSC allows me to utilize my passion in conjunction with other like-minded people when I cannot be on the river.

Mike Erickson, Director

Backstory: Mike grew up in the Seattle area in the 60s and 70s, and has fished many of Washington’s rivers and lakes since he was a kid. He has an active interest in the outdoors, including climbing, biking, hiking, snow sports and fishing. He has travelled to various parts of North America to catch and release local fish of many species.

What he does: Mike is a member of Summit Law Group and has a law practice concentrated on corporate and securities law. He has a particular interest in representing clients involved in the outdoor industry, including adventure/active/eco travel companies, outdoor equipment manufacturers and retailers, outfitters and guide services.

First Steelhead: Mike was researching this topic and recalls coming across a photo of himself and his father labeled “Hoh River 1964,” from when he was six years old. He doesn’t remember if he caught anything that day, but, regardless, that was the start of a lifelong love of fishing.

Personal Philosophy: “Growing up in Washington State, and having read and heard countless stories about fishing “back in the day,” I am very aware of the damage that has been done over the years to our wild Steelhead runs. I volunteered to serve on the Board of the WSC to see if I could help the process of restoring this vital resource.”