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.