Into the Realm of Possibility II

Believe...

A few years ago, I found myself with a morning of solo fishing on the Deschutes. I wanted one more session before I drove back home across the country to make it in time for the new school year. As I exited the canyon, I had a predetermined spot in mind to try my luck. I aimed to fish a mid-river seam that I lost a steelhead at a few days prior. In my attempt to wade out to it, I spooked a larger chrome steelhead in the micro tailout I was trying to cross. Unable to reach my intended location, I looked upriver and decided to try and fish the bank that the steelhead moved into. Back up on the road, the spot looked deep but definitely had the prerequisite characteristics of steelhead holding water. So, I descended down the bank, bushwhacked through some tall grass and stickers, and reached a classic Deschutes spot. I found myself waist deep with half my body in the grass. There was zero margin of error between standing in a casting position and going for a swim. On my first cast, I was throwing my long leader out into the glassy current and my black muddler was skating quickly towards the grass. Unexpectedly, a large whooshing sound snapped me out of my stupor as a steelhead attacked my fly on the surface. The attempted eat was so aggressive that a wall of water splashed into the bank. I stood slack jawed in the silent aftermath of the encounter as that was the first time I raised a Deschutes fish on the skated dry fly. In that moment, I finally entered into the realm of possibility where a confidence inducing moment made me realize that there was, and will always be, a chance. It marked a pronounced shift in my confidence when it came to this river and the skater. That is sometimes all it takes for your perspective to shift. Despite the boost, I failed to hook a Deschutes fish on the skater over the next two years...

Nonetheless, I was persistent..

Quite the place...

Eat it...

Perception and Reality

It is the same game...

Amidst the sport of fly fishing, there is an omnipresent ranking system of superiority within the hearts and minds of fly anglers. A lot of people seem to put their specific pursuit on a pedestal and lambast any technique, species, or region as being "unworthy". I am certainly someone that has partaken in this over the years, but knowingly or unknowingly, all fishermen are hypocrites. This hierarchal caste system of pursuits has never been more in your face than with the arrival of the internet and social media. The meme culture that has exploded with Instagram loves to poke fun at specific niches within fly fishing like Tenkara, Euro-nymphing, or using an "indicator". I'll admit that I have laughed at the expense of these anglers too, but I respect them as skilled and productive techniques. However, I typically have the opposite reaction when the target is the potamodromous rainbow population of the five major Great Lakes. Hitting closer to home, there seems to be an utter disdain that exists for Great Lakes "steelhead," and those that pursue them. Out west, I've had anglers, fly shop managers, and guides go out of their way to let me know that Great Lakes steelhead aren't steelhead. Typically, they will bring the topic up unannounced at the mere mention that I live on the east coast. Based on internet views, you would think that anyone that pursues the migratory fish within these lake systems isn't worth their salt as an angler and that the intended quarry isn't worth anyone's time, energy, and effort. Overall, this perception of Great Lakes steelhead is damaging because it divides us an an angling community at a time when we need to present a unified front. 

Woah, big gulps eh?

Beware...Alligators