Yes, we know it’s January.  And yep, we know January falls squarely in the category of “winter.”  But winter is typically the season when we find ourselves keeping warm by the fire, thinking longingly about that steelhead we were playing back in October.   Hence the title of this post.

We were in one of those reflective moods the other day when we came across this article inThe Contemporary Sportsman.  In it, the author, Bryan Huskey, gives a moving account of growing up in Central Oregon surrounded by trout rivers, lakes, and streams.  Beginning with his introduction to fly casting for steelhead, he gives a methodical description of his evolution as a fisherman, tying it into the evolution of the sport itself.  Looking back at the emergence of two-handed rods, learning the nuances of the water and movement of the fish, and simply taking in the beauty around him, Huskey makes it hard for the reader to not want to get back out on the water.

After checking out Huskey’s stirring words (and photography!), we encourage you to explore the plethora of content within the covers of this latest edition.  And once you’re done with that, you might want to consider subscribing to their newest publication,Backcast.

Photo courtesy of John Fielding