Haunted by the Skagit

There are plenty of stories about not catching steelhead, so why tell another? Maybe because fishermen have always been prouder of their successes than they deserve to be, but also more haunted by their failures. Or maybe because the unlikelihood of catching these things defines the sport and makes those who practice it seem mildly insane. Of course steelheaders aren't insane, they've simply developed an acquired taste, like they're sashimi or okra aficionados.

It was late April when Vince Zounek and I flew out to coastal Washington state to fish the Skagit River and one of its major tributaries, the Sauk. This was new water for both of us, so we spent three days floating with guides to get the lay of the land and the rest of the time on foot on our own. It was our usual attempt to achieve the best of both worlds-expert advice and Read more – offline – from the current issue; subscribe to FRR.