North 40 Fly Shop eMagazine August 2016 | Página 5

Steelhead drive some people crazy. Searching

for that perfect moment in time when it all
comes together and the personal reward has
reached its apex, sometimes it’s few and far
between. For myself, and many others, seeking
out steelhead with a swung fly is the pinnacle
of fishing. Practicing casts with an imaginary
rod and “feeling” the take mentally consumes a
large part of my day. I probably look like a raver
trying to figure out a new dance move while I
picture that cast in my head and my arms move
without even knowing it.
I love theories. Especially fishing theories and,
coming from a background in physics, this may
come natural to me. Fishermen literally drive
themselves nuts with theories, and steelhead
fishermen may be some of the worst. Theories
on such ineffable topics as why a winter
steelhead in a sun baked run ate the string
leech swung by the 11th fisherman through

the run… And it was theories like this one
that drove Harry Lemire nuts. Theories on
why some flies will work, some colors will
work, and why you need certain leaders...
What you begin to find is that steelhead
fisherman start to compile two lists. A list of
what works, and a list of what doesn’t work.
This eventually leads to some of the most
opinionated fishermen anywhere. “That fly
won’t work”….”Why the hell would you fish
anything but 20# chameleon Maxima…”
Pretty soon the steelhead fisherman has an
old worn out pair of socks and an especially
worn out pair of underwear. After working in
fly fishing retail for 18 years, I forget more
theories than I can remember. Personally, I
don’t write much about steelhead… or write
much about anything, for that matter. After
thinking about a few small things that some
fisherman do, and personally witnessing
some steelhead behavior, I finally have
a theory.

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