Dec Hogan's A Passion For Steelhead
Words by Greg Thomas
I remembered having met Dec Hogan back in the early 2000s but, in fact, we’ve known each other longer than that.
Looking back at my second book, Fly Fisher’s Guide To Washington, which was published in 1999, I checked out a chapter on the Skagit River and there were Hogan’s quotes, generously littered throughout the pages, the result of a thorough interview with the “Skagit Master,” a man who spent up to 200 days on steelhead water each season . . . for 20 straight years.
What struck me in those quotes was Hogan’s confidence in his skills, and his passion for an iconic Northwest fish, the steelhead. In his words:
—“To cover the river really effectively, you have to cast 60 to 70 feet. It’s not an endurance competition—you just have to really pop it out there. I have clients who can’t cast more than 50 feet and they catch fish. Then again, they are fishing with me.”
—“On the Skagit you have to look at searching, reading the water, and the anticipation as your recreation. No whiners need apply. If we went out and caught 10 steelhead a day, it wouldn’t be the same.”
—“You can hook truly big fish on the Skagit, but it shouldn’t be the reason a guy comes here. I’m on that river with capable anglers and I see slightly less than one 20-pound fish each year . . . I wasn’t really looking for a 20-pounder when I finally caught mine. After I hooked the fish it jumped five times and I said, ‘Holy shit, it’s about damn time.’ When he came into the shallows it was awesome. It was like it wasn’t even a fish. It was like an animal, a prehistoric creature. It had a look of its own, and I’m glad I got a taste of that.”
I must have interviewed Hogan in 1995 or 1996 but it wasn’t until 2010 that I met him in person. That was at Alaska West Lodge on the Kanektok River where Hogan served as an in-house expert on all things spey.
After a few sessions on the river, and several impromptus around camp, Hogan had all of us performing the snap-T, double spey and reverse double spey “adequately” and imagining the possibilities if we could eventually master all those casts.
Around that time Hogan made a career change that shocked me; he walked away from the Skagit River and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he joined a fire department. It was a family and career move that likely served him well, but it left a hole in the Pacific Northwest steelhead knowledge base.
Fortunately, in the early 2000s Hogan signed on with publisher Tom Pero and agreed to write his magnum opus, A Passion For Steelhead. In my mind, the book sort of replaces Hogan’s presence on the river while providing the same kind of sage advice I received while standing knee-deep in the Kanektok with the master at my side.
A Passion For Steelhead is now 20 years old, but it’s as relevant today as it was when released in 2006. The book is made up of eight major sections, plus an intro by Bill McMillan and a chapter by publisher Tom Pero.
Hogan’s work begins with a section on flies, including the classics, like the General Practitioner, the Steelhead Caddis, the Intruder, the Olive Garden, and the Grease Liner. Each description tells how the fly came to be, what type of water it’s best fished in, and the personal successes Hogan has enjoyed with each pattern. Materials lists compliment each entry.
Hogan is known as a great casting instructor and there is much to be gleaned from his chapter titled, simply, Casting Your Fly To The Water. This section covers the double spey, snap-T, single spey, snake roll, reverse double spey, and reverse snap T. Each description includes sequential illustrations that demonstrate exactly how to perform the cast, depending on which side of the river you're on and which direction the water flows. Note: you can read the sections and view the illustrations and then bolster your knowledge by seeking out YouTube videos on each cast.
The next section covers Presenting Your Fly To The Fish and demonstrates approaches for every situation. It’s true that steelhead can be found anywhere in the river, but they certainly prefer specific locations depending on water clarity and flow. In this section Hogan describes good swing depth versus bad swing depth, fishing small structure, fishing the classic bar, shallow riffle, ledge rock, hidden bars, trenches, slots and depressions, along with steelhead in front of and behind boulders. Take this section in fully and you’ll never look at steelhead water the same again.
There’s also as section titled, How A Steelhead Takes Your Fly, which includes descriptions on how to set up on a fish in any variety of circumstances. Hogan offers advice for fish that he calls, nippers, followers, inside-outers, inhalers, rejectors, and toyers. He includes advice on how to set the fly or how to reproach a fish that has taken a look but made no significant commitment.
Hogan also writes a section on Tackling Steelhead, a nod to all the essential gear to battle a fish that may be fresh out of the saltwater and approaching 20 pounds. It includes advice on rods, reels, lines and knots, and how to specifically get one of these beasts to the beach.
One of my favorite sections of the book is called The Four Seasons, and it details the attractions of each. It discusses how fish behave in various weather conditions and nods toward water temperature and the possibility of getting steelhead to raise to skated flies. Of course, it also details the winter season when steelhead are more lethargic and anglers mostly roll their flies deep, off sink-tip lines. This section really provides an opportunity to dream and see yourself standing in one of the Pacific Northwest’s iconic rivers at a specific time of year, which means it makes you think, I might have to clear some dates on the calendar.
Hogan also provides a chapter titled Asked And Answered, which is an interesting collection of questions from various sources, including those provided by British Columbia steelhead guru Dana Sturn, who founded the online community called Spey Pages.
These questions cover a mishmash of subjects that range from when it’s ok to celebrate the taking of a steelhead with a nip of whiskey, to when is the best time to switch from a floater to a sink-tip, to the perils of fishing too deeply, etc.
The book wraps up with a 12-page section titled A Special River, a collection of musings on Hogan’s favorite water, Northwest Washington’s Skagit River. It details the glory catches, the long history of famous anglers who have fished that water, and it points toward taking care of a resource, including a special race of steelhead, during challenging times.
Ultimately, Hogan’s A Passion For Steelhead lands squarely in the mix of the best steelhead books ever written, standing with Trey Combs’ Steelhead Fly Fishing, Steve Raymond’s Steelhead Country, and Russ Chatham’s An Anglers Coast, among many others. And there’s no way to work through these pages and not ask yourself, Where am I fishing steelhead next?
Whether searching for a gift, or just adding to your angling library Hogan’s A Passion For Steelhead is sort of a must-have, especially if you live and fish in the Pacific Northwest. Hogan lived the life, fished the rivers, caught the fish, and has a unique ability to teach, whether you’re standing next to him in the water, or simply taking an afternoon or evening to read his words. No matter how experienced you are with steelhead, this book will enhance your skills and give you an opportunity to keep dreaming.
The book includes dozens of beautiful photographs, scads of detailed illustrations, and comes in with an original price of $59.95. Today there is limited availability on this title, but you can get your copy at House of Fly 319 pp; $49.95