In this episode Nick and John truly take a deep wade into the five reasons they are their favorite fish. They love steelhead because of their diversity and their behavioral tendences. For instance, an angler may catch a steelhead ranging from half-pounders to thirty-pounders, from dry flies to nymphs. Further, one doesn't fish for steelhead like salmon. Salmon tend to school in pools. Steelhead live more solitary lives, mostly in moving water -- resulting in the rhythmic movements of step - cast - step - cast. No stripping. No sitting in the same place for two hours. Whether you fish a 5 wt or a 9 wt, the interior or the coast, this episode offers something for every angler. Tune in for a highly informed discussion about about why steelhead are such a cool animal.

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Host John McMillan interviews Matt Sloat to discuss one of the most interesting questions about steelhead and rainbow trout: Why does one fish go to sea while the other does not? It's more complicated than you think, but also simpler than you would surmise. They explain why there are so many big rainbow trout in Alaska, while there are so many steelhead in places like the Olympic Peninsula. Tune in for your steelhead fix and to learn more about their cool biology.

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In this episode I interview filmmaker Shane Anderson as we discuss our snorkel survey in the upper Elwha River in the summer of 2020. The trip required a 16-mile hike, then more hiking to access the upper canyon, snorkeling 6-miles in the rain and cold, and Shane somehow following everyone down the canyon while carrying his camera equipment. We also discuss how I nearly lost my teeth and the pure exhilaration once we found the holy grail -- a school of wild summer steelhead. Tune in for all of this and more, as Shane and I reflect on one of the greatest experiences in our life.

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