Steelhead are rad. Sorry to have to go to the vault and bust out a 1980’s adjective there, but it really does fit, doesn’t it?
Everything about them is cool: The way they crush a plug or mash a swung fly. Their ability to cartwheel 3 feet out of the water and then burn 50 yards of line in a nanosecond. Their incomparable beauty. The incredible places they live. Pure and simple steelhead are indeed…rad.
But how much do you know about these amazing critters? Well, here are some random factoids to give you a better understanding of steelies…Click here to read more…
The Santa Ynez River: Where 25,000 steelhead once roamed!
The river now, looking downstream from Buellton towards the sea.
Santa Barbara, California (about an hour and a half north of LA) doesn’t exactly inspire images of deep canyons and emerald green water full of steelhead…but it would have back in the 1940’s, when the Santa Ynez River was home to annual runs of 25,000 anadramous rainbows!
But only a token handful of the great fish make it back each year now. The usual band of culprits did the river in: Water diversions, dams and development. etc. The biggest blow came in the early 1950’s when massive Cachuma Dam was completed, effectively blocking off the bulk of steelhead spawning habitat.
Ribble River Surprise!
And this, folks, is why you play the game...
Here’s yet another prime example why fishing is so damn awesome: Our good friend from across “The Pond,” Richard Masters, fished the River Ribble near Lancashire in Northwest England last week. Unfortunately, the river was still high and pretty much blown out following a recent flood — and the fishing was lousy.
Masters says he threw hardware in the muddy water all day without success and then, on his way home the next morning, he made a quick stop along the river to get a feel for the new 5-weight trout fly rod he had just purchased…and then a funny thing happened: Click here to read more…
Fishing with a True American Hero: Major General Erbon Wise
General Erbon Wise and JD with a big king from the Nushagak River in Alaska
To commemorate Memorial Day, here’s a salute to one of the true heroes of this country: Major General Erbon W. Wise, 90, of Sulphur, Louisiana…a man I feel extremely privileged to have been able to spend some time with (I guided him two seasons in Alaska).
General Wise has lived a life that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing. He put in 29 years of service defending this country — including slogging his way ashore and up Utah Beach under heavy enemy fire as a twenty-something year-old Army Captain during the invasion of France in June 1944. He was also active during the Korean War and Vietnam. Because of guys like General Wise, we are able to live the lives we have today and for that, we are forever in his debt. Click here to read more…
Are you a member of the “Society?”
There are a couple different varieties of steelhead anglers out there in the world. First, you have the casual fan, the one who likes to get out and chase steelies around from time to time – especially when the river’s perfect and it’s in somebody else’s boat. Then, you have the small, masochistic, semi-antisocial, diabolically obsessed, over-the-top society of incurable lunatics.
When it comes to steelheading, there’s not a lot of gray area between the two. You’re pretty much one or the other. To help you figure out which category you fall into, read over the following statements. If you can’t relate to many of them, you’re probably living a healthy, normal and productive life. On the other hand, if you can relate to most or all of these, welcome to the club, brother… Click here to read more…