West Coast

Dean River steelhead

We’ve had some emails and phone calls in the past two weeks about the current cover image of Fly Fisherman,…»

Swinging flies for winter steelhead is no different, really, than casting dries to picky browns: if you cast a dry…»

The 12' 4" 8wt Platinum retails for $575

The spey market has never been so ripe with Skagit rods.  Nearly every manufacturer has a stick or two in…»

Freshwaters Illustrated, a Northwest-based organization dedicated to providing the pubic with an understanding of freshwater ecology, made this superb new…»

If you want to see a soulful tour of the steelheader’s State of Jefferson, check out Ryan Peterson’s new film,…»

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This buck smacked a big pink Intruder (thanks Mr. Ward):

The pool's resident heavy.

Hens swim to their gravel, do their business, and slip quietly back downstream.  Bucks, on the other hand, cruise from…»

The Native Fish Society filed suit this week in federal court against the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Oregon…»

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Several years back, I set up a few new spey rods with Redington’s CDL reels in the 10/11 weight size.…»

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Fisheries managers from California and Oregon are predicting huge returns of Chinook this fall to the Klamath and Sacramento Rivers,…»

The Elwha River.  Image courtesy of the Wild Steelhead Coalition

Here’s some good news, hot off the digital press, from the Elwha: According to the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “Non-native hatchery…»

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We’re all familiar with the efforts and successes of Trout Unlimited, which works to restore and protect trout habitat.  But…»

Considering the big questions in a run called Lost.

A friend and I found ourselves floating a small steelhead river recently in our inflatables.  Between heavy rapids and gliding…»

For an enlightening summary of the over-harvest that has–and is–plaguing the recovery of wild steelhead and salmon populations, visit this…»

Got to love 8 pound hens.

This fish took as the fly hit the surface–then completely cleared the water six times before coming in.

The world of winter steelheading has gone crazy for Skagit heads, and for good reason: these shorter heads can chuck…»

Setting up to throw a lob cast.  Notice the extra loop held in the fingers.

Sometimes a matter of inches can make all the difference.  In winter steelheading, sinking a fly another foot can mean…»

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The rapid was looking as boney as I’ve ever seen it.  Our recent floods had shifted some key boulders and…»

The Gale Force Sling Pack retails for $129.

Looking for a weatherproof pack big enough to hold a full-size camera, jacket, food, and water–but that won’t interfere with…»

Aaron Peters working down a run called Radar.

   

Map courtesy of USGS

Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition filed a…»

Justin Miller trying to count the jumps.

   

Photo courtesy of US EPA

It may sound crazy, but steelhead and rainbow trout are really the same creature.  More to the point, “rainbow trout”…»

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Recently, a friend and I were working down a short non-descript run known to put out fish, I was going…»

A dimer on a high water day.

So far in the Northwest, this has been a winter of extremes: a full month of ultra-low water, then weeks…»