Unsuspecting, a steelhead’s Jackal/Hyde personality is not for everyone and generally weeds out the whiners.

“Is the fishing worth coming up,” is a question often delivered to us, each and every steelhead season that has never been a popular inquiry or made any sense to me personally, especially during the heat of late summer-fall steelhead runs. I’ll just mention maybe it’s better for some, those afraid of the odds and especially number crunchers, to stay home, couch it, take care of chores or sit in the confines of their office; wondering what if or wishing they were fishing. Regardless, good reports, raw reports, or no reports, does it really matter? It’s that magical time of year—its steelhead season!

Most anyone in tune with Oncorhynchus mykiss  dreams and chomps at the bit, waiting for fall-winter steelhead and willing to jump, at the mention of a fresh rack, to chase chrome. Besides, how many rivers, at this time of year, offer opportunities to swing flies for arm-wrenching grabs or skate dry flies, yielding jaw-dropping surface takes, for fish that typically average as long as your arm? Any chance to fish for steelhead can’t be that bad! Primo water qualities, pods of steelhead throughout the system and opportunities available to fuel the stoke, so is it worth it? Na, stay home and clean the garage!

Down the line and, second round, into the backing; Steve Hopkins prevailed.