At the turn of the 20th Century, a handful of pioneers carried their fly rods into California’s remote north coast and gave birth to a culture that would revolutionize their sport. For a select few, salmon & steelhead fly fishing became an obsessive pursuit without compromise. By the early 1980s the fisheries found themselves caught in a spiraling decline. Dams strangled the rivers and California searched for its disappearing salmon and steelhead. The anglers who remained foraged for their souls. 60min.

The history of anglers who dedicated themselves to steelhead fishing on California's north coast. At the turn of the 20th Century, a handful of pioneers carried their fly rods into California’s remote north coast & gave birth to a culture that would revolutionize their sport. For a select few, steelhead fly fishing became an obsessive pursuit without compromise.

Leading the pack was the mythical, Bill Schaadt, an off-kilter angler famous for his ruthless pursuit to be ‘in the fish’. The new endeavor was ruled by a demanding, unspoken code, which made 'breaking in' almost as difficult as 'breaking out'.

Narrated by Tom Skerritt.