Renowned for their acrobatics and erratic jumps, these fish are heart-pounding, adrenaline rushing fighters. Winter Steelhead is my favorite time of the year because it's a Steelheader’s paradise with anglers finding extreme pleasure in pursuing aggressive Steelhead as they swim into the tributaries.

Steelhead are native to Pacific Northwest tributaries. These fish pile into the rivers angry and willing to bite from the dead of winter through spring. After fresh rains, Winter Steelhead swarm into the tributaries as they make their way up the river to spawn. The smolts then migrate to the ocean to forage for several years and adults return to their natal streams to spawn to repeat the cycle. Some Winter Steelhead will even return to the ocean as adults after spawning which is unique to the species compared to the Salmon counterparts which die after spawning.

Sometimes very elusive and challenging, Winter Steelhead fish can test your patience and persistence and are often referred to as “fish of a thousand casts.” But the excitement of connecting with these silver bullets, famous for their line-peeling runs and spectacular acrobatic fight, is worth the early morning frost, and cold fingers.