For the Love of Steelheading

The 2017 summer steelhead run was forecast to be the lowest in three decades on the Columbia River and tributaries, and numbers of steelhead passing Bonneville and The Dalles Dams have not really indicated otherwise. After last year's difficult fishing I had low expectations going into our first trip of the season. But I love to fish and am always stoked for the hunt.

Many anglers decided not to fish the Deschutes this season after hearing or reading about the low return forecast. Or maybe because they were disappointed by the tough sledding last season.

Without going into numbers or score keeping, steelhead have not been as few and far in between as one might have expected. A quick scan through Instagram should provide enough evidence.

When you hear the forecasts but go anyways for the love of steelheading... and find the river pleasantly uncrowded and you get to fish all your favorite spots, you win.

And when the fishing inexplicably kicks ass...