Steelhead Season Chugging Along in Stanley

This year Spring came early in Stanley, which made for high water levels and tricky fishing.  Plenty of fish have still been coming to hand, but these fish are requiring longer hours and serious persistence.  The Salmon is now dropping to a much more fishable level.  The flows are good right now, but if it stays on the drop, conditions will be low and clear in no time.

To me steelheading in Stanley is great for one reason; it gives anglers the opportunity to catch their first (or first few) steelhead on the fly.  Anyone who has chased these fish with a fly rod knows how tough it can be.  Sometimes you can spend days covering water, all the while wondering if a single fish has seen your bug.  Stanley is unique, because these fish tend to hold in "troutier" spots, which gives an angler a better chance of effectively presenting a fly in front of an active fish.  

Last week Zac helped a young man named Alex tie into his first steelhead on the fly.  Alex fished hard all day, and finally at the last spot of the day, he landed a beautiful native hen.  There is no better feeling than watching a kid's eyes light up as he grips his first fly caught fish.