Fresh steelhead for Christmas Eve dinner anyone? I spent the past 2 days on the Lower Deschutes. It was cold but I have warm clothes and only saw one other boat both days. What’s a little ice on your rod, reel, and line? Just put it all back in the water. It’s really nice to have the day stretch pretty much to yourself. The first day was productive for multiple hookups and species, the next day was subfreezing in the morning and very slow. That’s fishing. Some of you might notice that’s a 6wt single hand rod and a small trout fly in the steelhead’s mouth. After mastering them, I have mostly stopped using 2 hand rods. They really are overkill if you are an experienced angler and I like the thrill and challenge of using lighter gear. Over the past year I have landed many steelhead and even chinook on various rivers using my 6wt single hand rod. It’s more sporting and a great feeling of accomplishment. I hope you have good fishing in 2024!