Wilson River Steelhead & Sitka Spruce

Trees and the fish that leave their remains in our NW rivers have a beautiful and inter dependent relationship. The fish give the trees the largest pulse of ocean based nitrogen they will receive each year, so large that the size of their runs can be seen in the annular rings here, and in turn the trees provide cooling shade, and keep sediment out of spawning beds.

This Steelhead is an anadramous fish meaning that it is born in fresh water, but spends its life in the salty waters of the sea, only to return to spawn in fresh water again. Unlike salmon, this over-sized rainbow trout can return back to the sea many times before it dies. I caught this hatchery raised male 30 miles up the Wilson River on a cold and wintery morning in March of 2022.

When this Sitka tree first emerged from the ground we had a King that ruled America. 321 years old, this old-growth tree washed ashore on Oregon central Coast at Westwind having most likely washed down a river and out to sea. I cut a 4” round with the help of Scotty Evens and then sanded it for 4 hours and then flamed treated the surface brushing out the soft spring growth and leaving the hard winter growth to print. The annular rings speak of early fast growth, with slowing over the years, until they become hair thin rings at the outside. Go ahead...count ‘em!

Image Size: 47.875"w X 29.5"h 

This image comes on a 1- 5/8” deep panel made from FSC Birch, printed with archival inks, and sealed with matte varnish and UV coating.