Steelhead

When was the last time you listened to a podcast or interview that really moved you to do something?  Maybe it was a video that convinced you to actually get out and take action?  How about something as simple as Spey Casting Tips? I am obviously a little weird and extreme when it comes to fly fishing but that happened...

Fuck!  I struggle as a dad! I love my kids more than anything, there's no question about that. But, there are times when I just suck at dadhood.  My kids are 3 and 5 now and have more beauty and passion than I could have ever imagined. It's amazing. So why do I let work get in the way of getting outdoors with...

We just got off the river from our annual cast and blast deer hunting and steelhead trip.  During the fishing, hunting and beer drinking we managed to get a fly tying session in.  The Purple Peril was a pattern that killed it that day and is the reason for this post. Although the deer numbers and steelhead numbers were down...

  I give up. I spent a large amount of time trying to put together the perfect blog post to answer one of my readers questions but at the end of the day I realized that it's pretty f'n simple. It doesn't take a huge article to tell you how to steelhead.  Sure there is the water speed, depth and cover keys,...

One of the easiest ways to loose a fish is to get so excited that you pull the fly right out of the fish's mouth.  This is no different for steelhead.  Next time you feel a pull of a fish from a swung fly, rememer to bow to the fish. What I mean is, instead of jerking the rod to...

  So, there’s no question you know what a single handed fly fishing rod is. You’ve probably also either heard about or used a spey rod…. right? But, what about the switch rod that has started to pick up some fame? What use are they if you already have a single and/or longer two handed rod? Switch rods, as the name denotes...

Why do steelhead take a fly?  Becasue they are looking for food - Maybe?  Because they have instincts from their juvenile self from 2 years previously - Likely?  Because they are aggressive fish and just get pissed that there is this little nagging thing in front of them - Oh Yeah...... All of these scenarios are likely correct at some...

Have you ever been on the river when one person was hammering the fish and all others were picking their nose?  The dude seemed to hook up 3 or 4 times for every touch you had.  Probably wondering what fly pattern he was using, right? Sometimes in fly fishing, bigger isn't always better.  In fact I've found that the smaller...

Do you sharpen your hook on a regular basis?   A fish's mouth is hard and tough.  Although steelhead often hit like a freight train, they can also take super subtly.  Just as light as a tip-tap is sometimes all you feel.  Take a look at Tip #1 here for clarification. A sharp hook can mean the difference between just getting...

“Hey (in a super quiet voice)...... I think I just had a TIP.” I make sure to not move a step and put the same exact cast back on the fish. It swings slowly across the river and then……. another TAP. “shhhhhit! I just had a tap”, as I quietly mention to my buddy fishing 100 meters downstream. Again -...