CalTrout’s focus on wild fish went hand in hand with the evolution of catch-and-release as the modern angling ethic. Wild fish began to be regarded as too precious to be removed from their environment. CalTrout advocated for, and won, the first-ever catch-and-release regulations in California on the East Walker River in the early 1970s, which included a bag limit, size restrictions, and the use of artificial lures only.
CalTrout went on to sponsor the first national symposium on catch-and-release fishing in 1977. Over 100 participants were in attendance—sportsmen, conservation groups, educational institutions, outdoor magazines, and state and federal agencies from all over the U.S. and Canada.
CalTrout sponsored a design contest to create a catch-and-release logo for public use to embody the emerging ethic. The logo, and information on catch-and-release angling produced by CalTrout, has made its way into pamphlets of other angling groups and several states. The California Fish and Game Commission featured the logo on the cover of the 1980 Angling Regulations.
Photo: Milt Hirsh (left) of Hurst Graphics and Mike Riedel of California Trout admire the winning logo and $800 prize.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.

Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.