“Desert Dries”

Producer: Todd Moen

“Steelhead are NEVER known for being easy to catch. In fact, the more difficult they are to catch, the more valuable each fish becomes. There is a certain satisfaction in catching a steelhead on a skated dry fly. It feels like a big accomplishment to catch one of these fish in the most pure and sportive method possible. That challenge is the very reason angler Jeff Hickman began fly fishing in the fist place. It was not to catch fish easily. He wanted to learn how to catch fish in the most challenging ways possible. In this video, angler Jeff Hickman uses his jet boat to access the roadless Lower Deschutes River with his guide and friend Barrett Ames. These desert steelhead, most of them just straying out of the mighty Columbia River, are very tuned into the surface and will aggressively rise to a skated dry fly.”