My name is David Johnson, and I've been guiding local fishing trips throughout Oregon for over 21 years. When people think of fish guide services like mine, they don't typically think of wetland restoration and estuary protection as having any sort of impact on our business. But, over the past few years, I've noticed an increase in fish populations that can be attributed, at least in part, to restoration efforts across estuaries and wetlands on the Oregon coast; and more fish means more opportunities to take customers on successful guided trips.
Although many factors contribute to this rise in fish numbers, fish-friendly tide gates, like the ones Leo Kuntz and the folks at Nehalem Marine Manufacturing build, definitely impact fish and my business in a positive way. His tidegates allow for more fish passage and more water flow than typical tidegates.
As someone with a degree in Fisheries and extensive experience leading guided trips in estuaries and rivers across Oregon, I can tell you that estuaries are bottlenecks for fish, which means that when tidegates help to keep estuaries healthy, fish benefit...and local fish guide services like mine benefit too!
Investing in fish-friendly tidegates is a fantastic investment for fish and fish guide businesses across the state.
-David Johnson, Owner, David Johnson's Guide Service, Tillamook, OR