Steelhead: The Ultimate Obsession
December 4, 1999
I was being interviewed over the phone for an article on steelhead fishing the other day, and the writer asked me all the usual how-to and where-to questions, which I was able to answer without even thinking about them. It was automatic. In fact, I drained a 53-foot computer golf putt to save par on the fourth hole while describing the complex, yet subtle differences in sodium sulfite versus borax bait curing methods. As we discussed knots and leaders, I went on to birdie the brutal over-the-water Par 3 fifth hole, but I couldn’t avoid a massive slice into the ocean on the sixth, when the interviewer asked the seemingly easy question: “So, what is it about steelhead, anyway?”
I was at a loss for words. A billion things ran through my head but I just couldn’t spit them out. All the while, a wild batch of emotions started brewing inside my core and my pulse started pumping like a super-charged Techno drum beat at a dance club. Extreme excitement was blending with love, awe, lust and just a dash of fear and the whole thing was mixed up with more than a splash of adrenaline. It reminded me a lot of how I felt whenever my teen love goddess, Leslie Sheratt (never knew I existed), walked into Mr. Erwin’s Eighth Grade science class at E.V. Cain.
“Well, can you describe what it is about steelhead that makes them so highly sought-after by anglers?” the interviewer again asked. Contemplative silence. And then finally, I blurted out “I love ‘em, maaaaan!” before I even realized what I was saying. When I eventually calmed down — he walked me through some breathing exercises…innnnnnhale…exhaaaaaaale — the interviewer told me that he had received similar responses from all the other steelhead anglers he had spoken to.
The Ultimate Obsession
Obviously, there is something about the steelhead trout that makes people insane, myself included. I’ve hiked miles in heavy waders for them. I’ve climbed down impossibly slippery cliffs for them. I’ve portaged heavy boats long distances for them. I’ve run big rapids in small boats for them. I’ve spent twice my lifetime earnings on them. I’ve sat in endless downpours for them. I’ve stood chest-deep in icy rivers during snow storms for them. I’ve nearly lost my fingertips to frost bite for them. I’ve gotten out of bed in the freezing pre-dawn hours more times than I can remember for them. And, I’ve loved every minute of it.
Beyond Description
I can’t describe what hooking a magnificent steelhead on a beautiful stretch of water is like. The words for such a task have yet to be invented. It’s just something that you have to feel, to experience for yourself. You’ll get it when a steelie hits and your rod tip slams down like somebody dropped a Geo Metro on it. You’ll get it when that silvery lightning bolt of a fish leaps 3 feet out of the water and, upon re-entry, slams your rod down hard against the side of the boat. You’ll get it when you catch your first close-up glimpse of a steelhead and its pure beauty. You’ll really get it when that steelhead slides out of your grip and back into the river. And then you will know.
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