So I came up over this rock ledge to a run that I don't think many people know about to find it littered with disposable coffee cups, empty beer cans, leader spools and other crap discarded by people that just don't respect the place they are enjoying. Oh yeah, and there are fresh steelhead scales on the rocks and some blood pooled in the cracks. (Note: probably 99.5% of the fish here are wild) F**king bastards was the only words that fit the situation. I picked up the discarded trash and took a look at the chrome scales, I even smelled them, yes I may be crazy. But, remember that old quote from some guy "You don't have to be crazy to chase steelhead, but it helps" or something like that.

I fished through the peice of water and was lucky enough to hook a fish, I never saw it but it felt like a good one. After about a minute it took me around a rock and came undone. So my message for the day is... take one of many plastic bags from the grocery store and five minutes, pick up some trash along the river. You may be rewarded for your small, but worthy effort.

I hooked another this day that ripped me for about 15 seconds. 15 seconds yeah, it doesn't seem like a long time, but these coastal fish in particular can do more in 15 seconds than most steelhead do in 5 minutes. I had it handed to me for sure, I couldn't help but smile and laugh and ask Bo "what the f**k just happened?"

Rich

It's the new year, the time of year I've been thinking of since last year. Most clients hear about it when we're fishing in the summer, it just amazes me how different of an animal winter steelhead are and the rivers are far different too. Sometimes we'll be standing on a rock out of the water and I'll look at them and say " I get winters of this rock, it's usually about two feet under the water then though." Yeah, as a steelheader you long for that pull of a winter-run. It's very hard to explain, fishing a river that's big and green, sometimes slightly brown, all the trees besides the pines seem dead. There are some mergansers around and a few geese making noise and the occasional eagle, but other than that the river seems void. Spending a day on a lifeless river, casting, stepping and repeating this process over and over and over again...

There is just no comparison to the grab of a winter steelhead, it can be a very subtle "tap...tap" to the fish just sayin "gimme that f**king thing". It's cool no doubt, no matter how they come.

The take of a steelhead on the surface is pretty cool for obvious reasons and can be some of the funnest fishing of the year. But, to see the look on my clients face when I tie on a six inch intruder is priceless.