Who forgets their first steelhead?...”I can still remember the moment in vivid detail as my rod was bucking violently in the makeshift rod holder, pounded into the banks of the Duwamish River….13 pounds of winter chrome came catapulting out of the water with a huge red cherry bobber in her mouth….the year was 1958. My father fell into the water up to his waist grabbing my fish, as we had no ne
t and the bank was steep….”
This was the beginning of a lifelong passion and pursuit of these special fish.. At that time I lived in Seattle, less than four hours away from a hundred different rivers. There was always a place where I could catch them, every month of the year, and catch them I did. Lots of them….I began my guiding career on the Cowlitz in 1971 and fished there during December and January, then moved to the Upper Quinault and Queets rivers in February through April….. it was a great time to be a guide, as fish were plentiful and I was young and eager. In the summers I fished for fun on the North Fork of the Stillaguamish with fly rod, catching my first steelhead on a fly with my brother-in-law on my 4th cast…a 12 pound buck… the fly was a # 4 Umpqua Special and I was 18 years old…..Having summers off through my college years, I spent several days a week wading that river learning the “hard way” how to make lines, tie flies, present the fly properly and all that goes into being a fly fisherman. In the late 70’s, my “real job” changed and I made a decision to leave guiding and fish with my father, son, and friends. One of those friends, a long time steelhead bum named Bob York, came to my house and I taught him how to make lines, as the commercial fly lines weren’t vey good in those days. Bob announced that he was leaving gear fishing and was going to become a full time fly fisherman. I was unimpressed….as I didn’t think winter steelhead would grab a fly. About ten years later I was fishing with my dad on the Kispiox and Skeena rivers in British Columbia and we ran into Bob, who was camped there for the season. He, being lazy in the early fall sunshine, got excited to fish with someone; and, together the three of us went off to the Skeena. What happened on that trip changed my life forever. I watched Bob York catch 7 big steelhead on flies in one day. After listening to his stories about trips along the Alaskan and B.C. coasts and personally observing his great day, I decided to quit gear fishing and go full time with the fly rod as well. We made plans and I flew up to Bella Coola in March. Bob was waiting for me at the airport and we hastily strung up my fly rod, and to the river we went. As luck would have it, it took me exactly four casts to catch my first winter run steelhead, a 16 pound hen in a drift named “Canoe Crossing.” That was more than twenty years ago and I haven’t looked back. Having a renewed interest, I attacked fly fishing again with the same determination I had when I got my first car, a 1955 Ford that took me to the North Fork 3 days a week
However, this time I was fishing “year around” with the fly rod from Washington to Alaska and not just 52 miles away…
Over a period of years, most fly fishing fanatics get onto a circuit, meaning they go to the same rivers, at the same time, year after year. During my Grande Ronde days I became friends with Jim Green, staying at his house above the confluence of the Snake and Grande Ronde rivers, and meeting many wonderful fisherman from Spokane, Canada, Oregon and Idaho. It was this group of guys that got me into Spey casting and interested in distance competition. With their help and encouragement, I entered into 5 annual Jim Green tournaments, eventually coming in 3rd one year. At that time, we tournament casters, were experimenting with lines; and, developed Skagit-type lines long before Rio began marketing and selling them…
About seven years ago… Bob Allen, a friend of mine, talked me into going fishing for steelhead on the Methow River on opening day of deer season. We walked into the “red house” hole and each caught a fish. At lunch time we went to Twisp, saw a buck deer in the back of a pick-up and couldn’t help but notice the friendly atmosphere…It had been a cold morning; but the afternoon sun was warm (a typical early fall day in the Methow Valley). I said to Bob “I could live here.” Well, now I do. The Methow has been my “home” river for more than five years now. I fish it almost daily during the steelhead season. I began guiding here three years ago, primarily for fly fishermen, but have taken some spin guys out too. The steelhead are mostly 5-15lbs…cutthroats, cuttbows and rainbows are large, sometimes exceeding 24 inches….bull trout have been landed that are more than 10 lbs…and the river is full of the biggest whitefish I have ever seen……it is an incredible, diverse ecosystem….and the fish love the fly! At 65 years young, I have had the good fortune to have fished and caught steelhead all over B.C., Washington and Alaska- e.g. my first trip to the Kispiox was in 1969 and to the Thompson in 1970. I have fished the Dean nineteen years in a row (more than 130 days). I bring a lifetime of knowledge and experience to the table. I am a natural teacher and thoroughly enjoy guiding for steelhead and teaching spey casting. I know how to catch steelhead and make it a priority to give you a first-rate experience. We fish from a 14’ raft especially designed for guiding and occasionally will walk into a particular spot. This is determined by conditions and customer preference. Though growing, the steelhead fly fishing world is a small one, and our paths will eventually cross. Why don’t you come to my world now and fish with someone who has been there, catch some fish and improve your casting….. Plus, the Methow River is just a “crazy cool” river and should be on your list to fish. You may fall in love with her like I did…….
