A Passion for Steelhead by Dec Hogan

Based on what Dec learned in 20 years as a steelheader, 15 years of which he guided nearly 200 hundred days a year. It’s classic fly fishing for steelhead from A-Z as he saw, lived and taught it. There is something for everyone. From the rank novice to the most seasoned of veteran. Dec covers basic techniques proven on 1000s of steelhead, selecting the best fly for various river conditions, choosing the right tackle for you, effectively covering different water types, learning to spey cast, practical strategies for finding productive streams. Many B&W Illustrations & photos; 8.5 x 0.9 x 11 inches, 314 pages.

Adventure-minded anglers can chase the elusive, silvery steelhead with this book of techniques, revelations, and observations by an expert guide. Pointers include selecting the most effective fly for various river conditions, choosing the right tackle, adjusting to different water types, spey casting, and finding the most productive streams of the season, and a chapter on why steelhead choose to take or refuse a fly is included.

No other game fish stirs the passion of the dedicated steelhead fly fisher as does this big sea-run rainbow—whether rising to intercept a dry fly skated across a September tailout on a high-desert canyon river in Oregon, or taking a deeply swinging wet fly on a swollen springtime river in coastal British Columbia. From his longtime base on Washington State’s legendary Skagit River, highly regarded steelhead guide and fly fisher Dec Hogan has done and seen it all. Now he brings together a lifetime of solid steelheading experience to write a book which, if not the last word on the subject, is has become a classic.

A Passion for Steelhead covers all the basic techniques proven on thousands upon thousands of steelhead successfully hooked, selecting the best fly for various river conditions, choosing the right tackle for you, effectively covering different water types, learning to spey cast, practical strategies for finding productive streams by the season, and a fascinating and highly original look at how steelhead take (or refuse) a fly, based on the author’s personal observations of more than 1,000 summer-run steelhead movements during nine intense seasons. The book is filled with the author’s own impressive color photography and illustrated with many beautiful pencil sketches of two-handed casting and steelhead taking the fly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dec Hogan is a highly regarded steelhead angler and spey caster with decades of expertise in and around Washington’s legendary Skagit River. He lives in Utah.