What would be the greatest success, in your opinion, for the Collaborative?
Bringing to rights so many of the wrongs in this world would be our greatest success.
To expound on this a little more, there are three wrongs that I see around us all the time that I want to bring change to.
1) I want to help people find a truer identity in who they are and why they exist. People aren’t meant to live for themselves in a meaningless, individualistic, and uncreative life. I hope to inspire people to see themselves as a meaningful part of a greater narrative.
2) No child in this world should have their innocence stripped away from them the way so many have. This infuriates me to no end and it needs to change. There’s an ancient proverb that says, “Do not withhold good from whom it is due when it is your power to do it.” We have the power to make change. Let’s put our creative hands to work and give the kids what they rightfully deserve.
3) Our planet is amazing. I believe a major part of our existence is to care for it. If we put our greed aside and manage the earth’s resources carefully then it’ll give the earth a chance to recover and we can enjoy a long symbiotic relationship with the world like we’re supposed to.
What is your preferred method of fly fishing? Skating flies, swinging, nymphing, pulling streamers?
Swinging flies is by far my method of choice. I’m a Steelhead Junkie through and through and in my opinion there isn’t a better way to catching them than by triggering that chase response with a swung fly.
In your opinion, what is it that makes steelheading so addictive?
It’s the challenge for sure. Steelhead can be allusive, unpredictable, and flat out frustrating at times. They don’t give themselves up very easily and I love that about them. It seems to me that Steelhead attract a pretty distinct breed of people, people that aren’t deterred by miserable weather or fishless days on end. I must be one of those types. I hate getting skunked like the rest of them but I’ll never stop pursuing these fish. And when the moment comes when everything lines up the way you hoped,
and you get that unforgettable grab, and then battle the fish all way in to your shaking hands, every one of those probing casts and every one of those fishless days are worth it. Those are the moments that keep bringing me back. Those are the moments that are imprinted on my soul.
What season is your favorite for steelheading? Spring or Winter?
Ah, the kind of Steelhead trips that I dream of are always on foggy, cold, wintery days. I love fishing in the winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love every season and catching Steelhead on a dry line is insanely fun but there’s just something about the winter season that soothes my soul.