Book excerpt: The first Wild Trout Symposium (1974) was sponsored by Trout Unlimited and the United States Department of the Interior. The second Symposium (1979) added the Federation of Fly Fisherman as a sponsor. Five years later (1984) the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service joined. In 1989 , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Fisheries Society joined. These symposia began with a concentration on management, then recognized that more than 'management' was required in ongoing efforts to enhance wild salmonid fisheries. Subsequent symposia began to examine a broader range of environmental and social factors influencing wild salmonids. The originators hoped that each symposium would be a building block upon which the succeeding symposium could provide insights and research which future sessions could revisit. Along with the broadening of sponsorship, we have grown , we have gained recognition, and we look forward to expanding our contribution to the cause of wild salmonids. We hope these Proceedings will stimulate readers thinking and efforts on behalf of our wild salmonid resources , and plan to participate with us in Wild Trout V.