Port Angeles, WA. The Conservation Angler (TCA) is pleased to welcome Jason Hartwick, a Northern California fishing guide, photographer, and filmmaker who has spent nearly two decades working on some of the West Coast's most iconic wild steelhead rivers, to its Ambassador Program.
Based in Crescent City, California, Jason operates Steelhead on the Spey Guide Service, specializing in salmon and steelhead fishing on the Klamath, Smith, and Eel rivers. His experience also extends to Alaska, where he guided on the Sandy and Sapsuk rivers from 2009 to 2021. Through his years on the water, Jason has developed a deep understanding of wild steelhead, the rivers they inhabit, and the challenges facing their conservation.
Nearly two decades on the water — Jason eases a bright wild steelhead back into the current.
Documenting the Klamath's Recovery
Beyond guiding, Jason is an accomplished photographer and filmmaker who has helped document the historic removal of four dams on the Klamath River. Working with Swiftwater Films on the documentary Undamming Klamath, he helped capture the transformation of a river as more than 400 miles of habitat were reopened to salmon and steelhead.
"Jason brings something special to TCA because he combines a guide's intimate knowledge of rivers and fish with the ability to tell their stories through photography," said John McMillan, President of The Conservation Angler. "He has witnessed the changes occurring on Northern California's steelhead rivers and has been closely involved in documenting the Klamath's restoration. His experience and perspective will be invaluable as we work to understand how wild steelhead respond to dam removal and other environmental changes."
TCA's Ambassador Program brings together anglers, guides, shop owners, scientists, and advocates committed to wild fish. Ambassadors help connect their communities with TCA's conservation work and its growing effort to collect long-term biological information with guides and anglers.
A bright wild steelhead in clear Northern California water — the kind of fish TCA's Klamath work aims to follow as they return to reopened habitat.
Watching a River Recover
"Guiding has given me the opportunity to spend much of my life on some incredible rivers, and I've seen firsthand how much they have changed," said Hartwick. "The Klamath dam removal is a rare opportunity to watch a river recover, but we also need to understand how the fish respond over time. I'm excited to work with TCA to help document those changes and contribute to the science needed to protect wild steelhead for future generations."
As an Ambassador, Jason will continue working with TCA's Klamath River program, helping connect guides and anglers with scientific monitoring of wild steelhead as they recolonize habitat above the former dams. His photography and storytelling will also help communicate the importance of long-term monitoring and wild fish conservation to a broader audience.
About The Conservation Angler
The Conservation Angler works to protect wild steelhead through science, advocacy, and angler engagement. Its Northern Crown initiative brings scientists, guides, lodges, and anglers together to build long-term biological records on rivers across the Pacific Rim.
For more information, visit www.theconservationangler.org.
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