Why?

Hours spent out in below freezing temperatures. Piles of feathers, flash, and fluff. Elaborate attention paid to knots. Complex layering strategies. Endless study. That goofy cocked-head look when you tell people that no, you are NOT ice fishing, the rivers are open and you stand in them all Winter.

Why do we do it?

I've had chrome on the brain these past few days, perhaps as a reaction to the flurry of Holiday and year-end activity around me. Yesterday, in a moment of clarity I realized why I love chasing steelhead, especially in Winter. The connection to the power.

From the first strike - whether it's the tap-tap while Indy fishing, or the grab on the swing, every neuron in your body seems to fire simultaneously. If you can not blow this first 30 seconds, your odds go up exponentially. Then once you feel the weight of fish on line, the real rush starts. Through a slender bit of graphite, a skinny fly line, and finally a microscopic bit of tippet, you are connected to a primal beast. Every leap thrills, but also brings the potential for disaster. Every run reminds your muscles that you're one-on-one with a powerful beast.

I suppose this has fueled my love of click-pawl reels. With such a simple drag, you gain such an intimate connection to your fish. There's no elaborate piece of technology providing "tippet protection" -- it's all you.

Then there's the moment you realize that you have the upper hand. Maybe you've finally turned the fish upriver. Or suddenly the run are a bit less violent. But instinctually, you know. You're not done yet, but the game has changed in your favor.

After a successful landing comes another opportunity. To grip that thick tail and feel the raw, muscular power of a perfectly evolved swimming machine. An even more intimate connection to the visceral energy of Mother Nature. Then the fish revives, first wiggling a little harder before eventually a hard tail thrust draws a cold (but happy) splash in the face for the angler.

If you've never caught a steelhead on a fly before, put it on your bucket list. It's a rush like few others.

-Sean-