I live in Texas. It is thousand of miles to the nearest steelhead stream. I have never had the opportunity to chase steelhead. I don’t know if I will ever get the opportunity to do so. However, I am fascinated by the videos and photos of steellhead that I have seen. The passion and ferver that I have seen from die hard steelie anglers seems to be a notch higher than other fly anglers. Also, spey casting is beautiful.
With all of that said, I decided to get the book A Passion for Steehead by Dec Hogan. First off, it is a beautiful book. As others have said in reviews of this book, the passion that Dec Hogan has regarding steelhead fishing definitely shines through. However, the highlight of the book to me, by far, is the introduction. This chapter is actually written by the publisher/editor Thomas Pero. It describes the life of a steelhead from an egg all the way through its life. It is an incredibly detailed explanation of the journey that a steelhead takes. After reading this account, I gained an entirely new appreciation for steelhead and what an amazing and incredibly majestic animal they are. I can now understand the passion and devotion that many steelheaders have for this fish. I can see how it could become so addictive. The opportunity to hook and land one of those big beautiful fish and then release it after all that it has gone through just to make it to that spot in the river, has to be an amazing feeling. A chance to fish for steelies has now leaped to the top of my fly fishing bucket list. If you get a chance to read the introduction to this book, I highly recommend it.
