Some may know the mild mannered dry fly steelhead guru Todd Hirano. This article recently appeared in Swing Magazine, check it out. By Mitch Baker.
Meet Todd Hirano. In this installment of ICONS we talk with Todd about why he does what he does, and being a positive influence on the next generation of steelheaders.
You recently wrote a book with Jay Nicholas, titled “The Honest Flies of Todd Hirano.” What inspired that? Did you enjoy the process of writing a book?
The opportunity to write the book came about through my friend Jeff Hunter’s suggestion to Jay to have me featured in Jay’s Honest Flies series of books. Jay was wanting to give a voice to the stories of everyday fishermen, and I was honored and grateful to have the opportunity to put my crazy thoughts and ideas in print.
Even though the book is only 77 pages, it took a couple years to gather the photos and stories to present to Jay. A busy family life and fanatical fishing opportunities made for a drawn-out timeframe to getting the book done. Jay was patient, gracious, and encouraging throughout the process. His phenomenal fly photos and layout made for a humble yet satisfying outcome.
It was enjoyable to go through the process of writing the book. I love obsessing and writing about my favorite subject. I guess I have been a dry fly steelhead die-hard for long enough that I have formed a style, ideas, and philosophy that could lend encouragement to others who are new to the game of pursuing steelhead on the surface. I always enjoy the opportunity to help others take the leap of faith in fishing surface flies and then experiencing for themselves, the life-changing excitement of the steelhead surface attack!
Since the book went on the market, I have had some young anglers reach out to me for tips and advice in entering the strange reality of dry fly steelheading. It has been enlightening to be in a stage of my fishing life to be able to give back to the next generation of steelheaders who are taking on the challenge of chasing steelhead with methods that often yield lower percentage success rates, but big satisfaction when those glorious steelhead rises come.
You mention in your book that you’ve become addicted to 16′ – plus rods. When, and how did that happen? What’s been your experience — as an angler — with them thus far?
My current penchant for 16’+ rods began in 2021. A young man named Calem, who I became acquainted with through social media, was one who was constantly going through rods and lines in search of the magic bullet of casting ease and distance. He was buying and selling equipment more quickly than I could keep up with. He had run into David Wang on the river one day and David had suggested to Calem to have Steve Godshall build him a 16’ 7”, 7-weight. Calem stopped by my house to show me the gargantuan rod when he received it and I felt like the rod seemed outlandish, but who was I to judge?
A few weeks went by and Calem insisted on meeting me on the river to have me test cast the giant rod. When my schedule allowed, I met up with Calem and he handed me the telephone pole to try. I figured that Calem just wanted to show off his latest toy and to see if I could actually cast the thing. As I worked out casts, I was amazed at how easy it was to put 100’ of line out. I turned to Calem with a big smile on my face and acknowledged that, yes, I was impressed! As I handed the rod back to its owner, he then asks me “you wanna buy it?” Calem offered me the rod at a price I could not refuse, as he was off to buying the next greatest widget, and thus began my journey to the long side.
I soon became friends with the rod’s builder, Steve Godshall, and I found myself totally enamored with the beautiful aesthetics and feel of Steve’s artistic work. The handles that Steve builds are just pure ergonomic and visual magic, not to mention his beautiful wrappings and feather inlays. I had Steve build handles on several of my older rods, transforming them with new life.
As time went on, I realized that with casting longer lines, it is necessary to use lines with more mass, as weight must be distributed over a greater length. This would require using heavier rated lines, along with more powerful rods to cast those longer, heavier lines. The 16’7”, 7-weight Quantum is a wonderful rod, however, it lacks the power to cast those longer, heavier lines. A trip to Steve’s shop for brainstorming and scheming was in order.
I also acquired a 16’6”, 9/10-weight Bruce and Walker in 2022 from a Speypages member, and this rod casts beautifully with the Boss Long 9/10.
In fall 2022, discussions with Steve resulted in me acquiring an RB Meiser 17’, 10/11-weight CX loaner rod from Bob Meiser that no one else had interest in. Simultaneously, Steve was scheming the idea of extending a 15’, 7/8/9-weight CX blank to 17’+. The result was a blue themed 17’2” rod that casts 9/10 lines. This rod was later tweaked by Steve to extend the handle section by 5 inches for better balance, bringing the overall length to 17’7”. I have been casting a Ballistic Vector XL 10/11 (870gr @ 75’) line on the 17’, 10/11-weight CX and the Gaelforce Equilizer 83 9/10 (71’) line on the 17’7” extended CX. I am having a blast with these long rods and lines, and I also love how the heavier lines cut the wind.
Steve Godshall loves doing these “frankenstein” builds and in addition to the above rods, Steve built me an extended 15’, 6/7/8-weight CX that measures out to 17’11” and an extended 15’, 7/8/9-weight (CX2) blank that measures out to 18’ 5”. These rods cast 8/9 lines and I love the Ballistic Vector XL 8/9 and Gaelforce Equilizer 83 8/9 lines on these rods. Sadly, with Steve’s impending retirement from rod building, these are the last rods that Steve has built for me. All of Steve’s rods will be forever treasured along with Steve’s friendship which has been characterized by his kind, generous spirit.
I have been finding much joy in casting and fishing these long rods and lines. I have found them to be a lot more versatile than one may imagine. They really shine on big water as can be expected, but they also work well on some smaller rivers as well. I regularly bring these rods to the North Umpqua where being able to cover lies on the far bank with a steeper angle can be an advantage. My home water is the Middle Fork/Upper Willamette, and the long rods are right at home here, where covering large swaths of water on broad runs is pure pleasure.
I have no aspirations to become a champion distance caster so I am happy with the modest casts I am able to make where I am still able to see my obnoxious skating flies. Casting and fishing the long setups have added another dimension to my fishing where the ongoing pursuit of the perfect cast is an elusive prize worth chasing for its own sake. This makes for satisfying days on the river even when the steelhead could care less what my casting looks like.
Who do you credit as your mentor or inspiration in flyfishing?
I have been blessed to have Bill McMillan as my mentor and inspiration since my beginnings as a steelhead fly fisherman starting in the late 80’s. The book Dry Line Steelhead formed the foundations of my ethics, perspective and style as a steelheader. Bill’s descriptions of the methods and thrills of surface fishing for steelhead created visions of angling in a way that I wished to emulate.
It has been an honor to become friends with Bill over the years. I first reached out to Bill in 1995 after experiencing my inaugural dry fly steelhead encounters on the Bulkley River in British Columbia. Bill was so gracious in taking the time to respond to a young angler with a budding obsession for dry fly steelhead. I most recently visited with him this fall as my friend Mike Bell and I traveled to BC and he shared memorable stories of great times with dry fly steelheading. This included an episode when he fished the Thompson River in the 80s and getting into a large hen on a bomber after battling blustery winds all day.
When I have thanked Bill for the profound influence he has had on me as an angler, he humbly states that he is simply a conduit of the influence Rodrick Haig-Brown has had on him. In a sense, things have come full circle, where I am at an age where I have been at the dry fly steelheading game long enough that I have been able to pass along Bill’s influence to younger anglers. I absolutely love giving encouragement to others to keep the faith in the surface fly though Bill’s inspiration.
What is it about dry fly winter steelheading that you find the most rewarding?
Fishing the dry fly for steelhead can seem like a longshot for many anglers to begin with, so spending time surface fishing for winter steelhead can seem like insanity. From the time I was a young angler, I somehow developed a sense of playing the game in a way that went against the odds. I remember when I was a 14-year-old in Hawaii and decided to pursue giant trevally using 15-lb line and succeeding in landing a 41.5lb “ulua” with the light tackle.
Surface fishing for winter steelhead is definitely a game of very small odds, but the rare successes are satisfying. Sometimes I just find entertainment in doing things that most everyone else considers a hopeless waste of time. This is definitely not a healthy mindset for those wishing to maintain their mental health.
When you are fishing on your own, which river do you consider to be your “Home River” (or rivers)?
The upper Willamette/Middle Fork Willamette that runs through Springfield and Eugene has been my home river since I moved back to Oregon in 2009. The “town run” of hatchery summer steelhead has provided convenient opportunities to swing dry flies within minutes of my home and work. This convenience has allowed me to become very familiar with many local steelhead runs and I have been able to make regular visits to these places in pursuit of dry fly steelhead encounters. My home water is not exactly a world class steelhead destination with its urban setting and hatchery steelhead returns, but it has provided me the opportunity to continually learn about dry fly steelhead holding water and conditions.
The North Umpqua would be my secondary home water as it is within a two hour drive of my home. It is a legendary place that one can spend a lifetime learning. It is such a beautiful river with rich traditions and history that makes even my skunkings enjoyable. Through fishing this river since 2008, I have become familiar with its layout and legendary named runs, but there are always secrets to uncover with every visit.
Which river that you have never fished before would you most like to try?
I would love to fish the Dean River someday. I have read amazing stories about the Dean over the years. I also watched Dec Hogan’s spey casting video repeatedly and the beauty of the Dean River backdrop. The insanely hard-fighting steelhead leaves a strong impression.
Descriptions of the Dean in classic steelhead literature like Trey Combs’ Steelhead Fly Fishing were enough to get me longing to experience such a special place. Several folks who have purchased steelhead dry flies from me have sent me pictures and stories of their dry fly steelhead success on the Dean and it looks like a dreamy place to visit. At least some of my dry flies have made their way to Dean!
What is your favorite fly?
I would say that my Bivisi Bomber has become my favorite fly because it is a pattern that is easy to see and stays on the surface reliably. After having had good success with the Little Wang (also known as the Purely Functional Skater) which I developed in 2012, I sought to come up with a surface pattern using all natural materials, thanks to Adrian Cortes’s influence, and the Bivisi Bomber is what I devised in 2019. The fanned cow elk wing makes the bivisi-bomber the most visible dry fly in my arsenal and visibility tends to give me confidence.
What is your favorite two-hand rod, and what line do you most like to use with it?
It’s tough to pick a single favorite two-hand rod, but I have been most strongly drawn lately, to the last custom rod that Steve Godshall built for me: the 18’5”, 8/9-weight built from an extended 15’ CX2 blank. It is amazingly light and responsive even at its outrageous length and I had Steve build it in a “Night Dancer” themed color blend with black, purple and red which is pleasing to the eye. Nick Moses did the amazing feather inlay on the rod, all making for a very special build. The Gaelforce Equilzer 83 8/9 weight line is dreamy to cast with this rod and the extra rod length makes laying out the long belly almost effortless. I can fish this combo all day long.
What is your favorite memory from your times on the water?
My first visit to British Columbia in late September 1995 probably stands out as the most profound memory in my time as a steelhead fly fisher. I experienced raising, hooking, and landing my first steelhead on a dry fly during that trip along with several others that came to the surface over the course of that week. I had never hooked a steelhead by any other fly fishing method prior to experiencing those inaugural surface encounters and this probably led to instilling a stubborn dedication to surface fishing that persists to this day.
The beauty of the Bulkley river and the thrills of steelhead rising to the surface left a lasting imprint on my outlook to steelhead fly fishing where I am willing to forgo chances at encountering greater numbers of steelhead with more effective methods.
You’ve had a long list of contributions to steelheading and two-hand casting. Is there one you’re particularly proud of?
I have had the honor of being told by some folks that dry fly steelhead stories I have written have generated some interest and curiosity in taking the leap of faith in trying surface flies for steelhead, then later hearing their stories of getting into their first steelhead on a dry fly. I am always thrilled when my passion rubs off on others through my stories, my flies, and when I have the opportunity to lend encouragement through direct communication with fellow fly fishers. I often speak to younger anglers who are new to the steelhead dry fly game, but at other times it is veteran anglers who have spent most of their angling life using more effective, proven subsurface methods who want a new challenge. In any case, I value opportunities to make the reality of dry fly steelhead thrills relatable to those who have a budding interest in coming to the dark side.
What is it going to take to save wild fish?
I think fishing dry flies will save wild steelhead! Seriously, surface fishing for steelhead is a low impact method, however being mindful of our impacts should be a priority. On some rivers and during certain times, large numbers of wild steelhead are caught and released numerous times and not necessarily handled well, along with the damage caused by barbed hooks where they are allowed. When fishing is good and I encounter the rare, loaded run, I have been as guilty as anyone of wanting to hook into as many steelhead as conditions allow, but how many steelhead do I need to hook into to make whatever point I think I am trying to prove?
I also feel that barbless hook regulations should be in place wherever wild steelhead populations exist and that hatchery plants should also be reduced or eliminated on rivers with viable wild populations. Continuing to take out dams will contribute to bolstering steelhead populations as well.
What are your plans for the next five years?
My 5-year plan is to keep on fishing! There will always be visions, obsessing and planning to fill my year-round fishing schedule. With this year, 2024, being the last year that hatchery smolts are being released in the upper Willamette watershed, the last returns of hatchery summer steelhead up my way will be in 2026, so I will sadly be losing my convenient dry fly steelhead run. After that I still see myself returning to familiar runs on the Willamette for casting practice and the remote chance of encountering one of the few naturalized, feral summer steelhead that may continue to return.
I see myself continuing to pursue consistency in my casting with the long rods and lines. Gaining proficiency in getting line out even in adverse conditions is always an ongoing challenge.
I hope to continue with opportunities to fish coastal Oregon rivers in winter and spring and rivers ranging from northern BC to northern California in summer and fall. I would finally like the opportunity to fish the Copper River (without it being blown out!) whenever I travel north. A trip to the Dean would be great too…
