The North Coast received a handful of early winter steelhead over the last few days, marking the unofficial beginning of the “ocean steelhead” season. That’s Canadian science-speak for steelhead that spend most of their lives in saltwater, versus “river steelhead” which spend a ridiculous amount of time in freshwater. If you’re like me, ocean fish are the ones that made a real angler out of you. They seem to bring out the hard-core in a steelheader, and they tend to be the animal that flips the “addict” switch in the real sickos.
This wild hen was hanging out with my salmon buddies when she decided to flip my universe upside-down. I’ll spare you the cliché-ridden description of the whooping she dished out. But I will say that she shocked me out of my salmon stupor, and got me day-dreaming about the possibilities in the wild months ahead!
Let’s hear it for ocean steelhead!
-RR
Flip. Switched. Awesome.
It’s time boyz!!!
Rich
Hip hip hurray!!!!
High water wading, iced guides, frozen finger tips, fishless days … can’t wait. Perhaps as much the “wildness” of the season and the surround as that of the fish.