HAZEL, WA - A monument commemorating the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and its importance to the sport of fly fishing was dedicated at 1 p.m. November 16, 2002 at riverside in the community of Hazel.

The monument, similar to those you see in our nation's parks, is designed to preserve and promote the history of the North Fork and its prized summer run steelhead.

The beautiful and acrobatic summer run fish were so sought after by anglers that they were made part of fly fishing literature in stories by Zane Grey, Roderick Haig-Brown and other writers. The river is believed to be the first in the world to be set aside for fly fishing only for summer run steelhead.

Erected by the Evergreen Fly Fishing Club of Everett with help from a long list of local donors, the monument is designed to be a permanent reminder of the river's past and of the people who helped pioneer steelhead fly fishing in the Northwest.

"We wanted to remind visitors to the river that it was a very important part of fly fishing," said Dale Dennis, the club's conservation chairman.

The river's run of summer fish has dwindled considerably, and Dennis said club members didn't want its memory to fade into obscurity.

"We thought it would be a shame - with a river of this kind with so much history - to lose both the fish and the history that went with it," Dennis said.

He added that he hopes to instill an appreciation for the river in a new generation of fly fishers.

Dennis noted that the river's fly fishing-only designation in summer was a first step toward the catch and release ethic practiced today by many anglers as a way of protecting fish runs, especially native fish.

Made of local river rock, cedar and fir, the monument includes a map of the river carved into a wood slab and another slab with a story board featuring photographs and text about the river.

Another section features the area's fly fishing pioneers and will change every six months to a year. The first angler to be featured is Walt Johnson.

The monument is 10 feet wide, 18 feet long and 12 feet high. It was erected on a site overlooking the river with a view of Mount Higgins in the background.

"Hazel is the only place along the river where a person can get out and see the river and experience the river without feeling like he's encroaching on someone's property," noted Gregory Minaker, the project's architect.

He noted the monument was developed with local natural materials "so the shelter looks solid and will last a long time."

For More Information Contact: Dale Dennis (360) 435-8735

Additional comment by Donn Mills, WSCFFF Director at Large:
Dale, Conservation Chair, was a large part of the success of this project, and if he had not pushed it so hard it might never have been done. Rightfully so, the club gave him a standing ovation for his efforts.