Working a Steelhead

7 comments / Posted on / by

I had the opportunity to watch my friend Jeff Hickman work a shy Steelhead the other day and his effort was exemplary. Swinging flies for winter steelhead is a game of numbers, very small numbers. It's a given when chasing winter fish that there may be...

Fight Big Fish with the Butt Section of the Fly Rod Not the Tip

4 comments / Posted on / by

If you fly fish long enough and pay your dues, it's just a matter of time until you hook into a giant fish and experience defeat. I've always loved the saying, "It's always the big ones that get away", like it provides anglers a viable excuse...

A Little Chrome Tail

1 comment / Posted on / by

There's nothing like a little chrome tail to start this day! What a beautiful bright steelhead courtesy of my buddy Jeff Hickman. The bright chrome strips in the tail tell the story. This is a fresh fish, straight from the salt. ...

Spey Casting With The Non-Dominant Hand on Top

6 comments / Posted on / by

By Jeff Hickman SOMETIMES YOU LEARN SOMETHING VALUABLE COMPLEETLY BY ACCIDENT. Last Summer I was on the phone with a good friend and regular client catching up. He was bummed to not be able to fish during his favorite Fall season due to a major shoulder surgery...

Speyitis

3 comments / Posted on / by

By Jeff Hickman THE MOST COMMON FISHING PROBLEM I SEE AMONG SPEY FISHERS WHO CAN CAST WELL IS OVER CASTING. I refer to this plague as Speyitis. Just because you can cast all the way across the river doesn't mean that you should all the time. I...