Winter Steelhead
Winter Steelhead "The Pinnacle" of freshwater Fly Fishing
It’s the most wonderful time of year - winter steelhead season. No other fish in Northern California will have people calling off work, losing sleep, and putting thousands of miles on a vehicle winter steelhead will. Winter steelhead are the pinnacle of freshwater fly fishing. Saltwater fish that we have a very brief window to pursue in freshwater, sometimes no more than a day out of the ocean on their migratory journey.They are elusive and smart creatures that demand the respect of those who pursue them. A fly fisherman's journey will often lead to steelhead, and once it does there is typically no turning back.
Why do we love winter steelhead fishing so much? It's an adventure, constant learning, pure excitement, heartbreak, and deep reward. Having faith in your crossing paths, faith in your gear, and faith in your ability to manage pure chaos on a hook. The latter of which can be the most humbling. The pursuit of something rare and difficult to achieve is always a more satisfying venture than one that is easy and convenient. The steelhead of Northern California’s coastal rivers are wild and special. Surviving in the wild pacific ocean, their ability to escape is highly elevated in comparison to freshwater fish. A true ball of energy. Just getting to hook one is spectacular, shaking hands with them is a bonus. They test an angler’s ability to cast into tight spots, mend with grace, and apply enough pressure to turn them in heavy winter current without breaking them off on one of their sizzling runs. Pursuing them will make anyone a better fisherman.
We are lucky to have them swimming up our rivers in good numbers as the winter rains arrive. In the grand scheme of things, more anglers who care about steelhead will mean more effort towards future conservation efforts. This is very important as these fish face more challenges as the world continues to change. For the next few months, we get to watch the weather forecast and journey down the wild rivers of Northern California chasing these special creatures. We couldn’t be more excited.
