The Conservation Angler (TCA) is proud to announce that Nick Rowell, owner and operator of Anadromous Anglers and longtime Oregon fishing guide, has joined the organization's Ambassador Program.
A native Oregonian, Rowell has spent more than 15 years guiding anglers on rivers across Oregon and Alaska. His connection to steelhead began much earlier. At eight years old, he watched his father catch a bright wild hen, an experience that helped begin a lifelong fascination with steelhead and the rivers that sustain them.
Rowell graduated from Oregon State University in 2008 with a degree in fisheries biology before building a guiding career that has included fly-out and jet boat lodges in Alaska, multi-day float trips on the Lower Deschutes River, and guiding on Oregon's north coast and other western Oregon rivers. He founded Anadromous Anglers (www.anadromousanglers.com) in 2012 and is now based in Pacific City, where he guides many of the rivers he grew up fishing.
More than 15 years on the water — Nick Rowell helping a client release a wild steelhead on an Oregon river.
"Nick brings a combination of experience that fits especially well with what we are building at TCA," said John McMillan, President of The Conservation Angler. "He understands fisheries science, but he has also spent much of his adult life on the water with anglers. That combination matters. Anglers and guides see these rivers every year, and when we connect that experience with good science and long-term monitoring, they can become an important part of understanding and protecting wild steelhead."
Fisheries Science and a Working Life on the Water
Rowell is also an accomplished fly tier and two-handed angler. He is a member of the CF Burkheimer Fly Rods pro staff and a signature fly tier for Montana Fly Company. But his experience with steelhead extends beyond fishing technique. His background in fisheries biology and years spent observing fish, rivers, and anglers give him a perspective that closely aligns with TCA's effort to make anglers active participants in conservation.
Held low and released — the wild steelhead at the center of Rowell's work and TCA's mission.
TCA's Ambassador Program brings together anglers, guides, shop owners, scientists, artists, photographers, and advocates who can help connect the angling community to wild fish conservation. The program is part of TCA's broader effort to expand angler science, strengthen long-term monitoring, and build durable support for wild steelhead across the Pacific Rim through its Northern Crown Initiative.
"Guides like Nick spend hundreds of days on rivers over the course of their careers," McMillan added. "They notice changes in fish, run timing, river conditions, and fishing that are difficult to understand from occasional observations alone. Our goal is to give people with that experience the tools to contribute useful information and then connect that information to larger scientific and conservation efforts."
As an Ambassador, Rowell will help TCA connect with anglers and guides, communicate the importance of wild steelhead and long-term monitoring, and support the organization's growing angler-science program across Oregon and the Pacific Rim.
About The Conservation Angler
The Conservation Angler protects the best remaining populations of wild steelhead across the Pacific Rim. Through The Northern Crown, a network of sentinel rivers spanning from California to Kamchatka, TCA turns fishing into a scientific endeavor. By empowering guides and anglers to collect actionable data, TCA fills monitoring gaps and safeguards wild fish populations.
For more information, visit www.theconservationangler.org.
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