Steelhead guide Ed Ward has had a profound influence on the way all of us chase steelhead. From the Spey lines we cast to the flies we fish, Ed has brought more to the game than anyone. Skagit Master is not just another casting video. While the DVD does cover Ed’s unique casting techniques, it also gives us insight to the thought process of a true steelhead bum.

March is the month many of us wait for all winter. December is wonderful because after a long summer it feels so good to be back on our winter rivers. In January, that newness kind of wares off and the reality of catching a cold-blooded animal in 33-degree water temps. becomes painfully obvious; There is a lot of cold, wet days between fish or even a single pull. The month of February brings us more hope, and a few more fish. Things start to look up in February. But March is when it all hit’s the fan. The fish can’t help but to feel the primal pull of the rivers and neither can we. The water is warmer, the days are longer, and those half-hearted plucks of mid-winter are a thing of the past. March is when steelhead don’t just eat the fly, they try to kill it. For winter steelhead addicts, there isn’t a better month to be on the water.

-SB