Passion: a strong emotion or feeling for something that is desired intensely. This is the best way to describe the sensation of fly fishing for Steelhead. It starts with just a seed of thought that grows into a monster over a short period of time. Each fish you hook, battle, lose or land fuels the fire that pushes an angler to the most extreme limits. Wading in 35 degree water up to your chest, living on caffeine, nicotine, and granola bars, driving endless distances and suffering the elements in the dead of winter are all characteristics of passion. I took the time to reflect upon my past steelhead outings and realized that it is much more than the fish that has made me appreciate the sport. People I have met and friends I have made, some of which I would consider brothers, have all been a result in searching for the same treasure. Just spending a moment with a steelhead and releasing it to fight another day can take a year worth of worries away. It is an experience that makes your body tremble with joy and leaves you feeling alive. It can also humble you and leave you asking questions of why? Your mind spins at night with thought of what you should have done different, water you should have fished, how come the fish shook your hook, I should have checked my knots and I shouldn’t have horsed the fish. Spinning and spinning your mind settles and lets you rest until the next battle which, in your mind is never soon enough.
Amen brother!
J-mac,
Some really cool memories to reflect on when the mercury is bottomed out. What a treasure to have those experiences burned into the memory of film. Nice job my friend…Until next trip.
Awsome video! Gets my blood pumpin for the springtime!!!
Tight Lines and defrosted guides…
Thanks Joey…that video pulled my mind out of the deep freeze, and back to what’s important in life. Chasing fins with friends…
Nice work
Now I’ll dream of the “cromezone” until next time…
Perfect timing Joey, nice recollection of memories battling the steel!!! And on film!!!!That`ll help get us through this ice-age we`re in!!!
Hope to get into my first this spring…you rekindled my hope and desire to get on the streams again.
Thanks for the wake -up call.
Wb
Got me pumped. Waiting for the weather to get a bit warmer to take a run up.
OOhh, why don’t we have steelies in the danish rivers ….
Anyway, we got seatrout, but its still not the same.
Spend 3 hours today starting to plan ‘the great summer flyfishing trip’ to the clear norwegian rivers this summer. It feels like a loooong time until the spring comes.
Nice movie.. NICE fish !
Thanks Joey. The creeks have been frozen over here in pennsylvania for about two weeks and it’s killin’ me!
Northern or Southern Norway? I fished the Otra in Southern Norway a couple times. It was in early june so I was a little early on the major run but there were some big fish caught, but not by me.
As if cabin fever is not destroying me enough…you pour this gas on the fire. I nearly cried…Loved it
How true it is. There is so much more to it than meets the eye. I’m looking forward to creating many more memories and hope we capture it all on film. It brings it all back when you get to relive it time and time again. For now all we can do is pay hommage to the steel gods whom have so generously graced us time and time again. Its great to think of whats to come with the past experiences close behind. Thanks Joey
joey — sweet video … some freshly released shots too .. i knew you had some good stuff in the cooker just waiting for the perfect opportunity to let it rip … great opening shot in the vid of chasing the steel down the river …… amazing how you can take a stretch of steelhead river and wade with the utmost caution to get to the spot you want to drift and all throughout the wade to the spot it seems that a good “dunking” is only one small slip away and the river seems like an untamable force ….. then you get the spot, unatach your fly from the rod … make a few cast and BANG! your hooked up … and instanteously that steelhead on the end of your line transforms you into a fly fisherman with almost superhuman powers … literally running over the same rocks and water that just a few minutes ago you were wading over with shaking knees … and it seems just natural to sprint down the middle of the salmon river .. effortlessly jumping over log jams and cutting through currents .. and then the battle ends, sometimes in your favor and sometimes not, but either way … you look back to where you originally hooked the steel and say to yourself, “was i really way the $#@* up there when i hooked the fish? how the $#@* did i get down here?” …..
great fish tale j-mac.
Mostly in the ‘middle’ part of Norway, but we are trying to get on a river where we have been on and a new river every year. That way we sometimes hit the really good spots.
– And we stay away from the popular (crowded) rivers.
Nice vid Joey. It was very inspiring to me. I need some steel!