In the Bucket #21 | Steelhead Fishing and the Illusion of Control with Adrienne Comeau and Eric Leininger

Wet Fly Swing Fly Fishing Podcast

Dave Stewart

Sports, Wilderness, Leisure, Hobbies

4.7 • 530 Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2026

⏱️ 91 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

#918 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/918

Presented By: Yellowstone Teton Territory - Visit Idaho, Togiak River Lodge, Montana Fly Fishing Lodge

Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors

In today's episode of In the Bucket podcast, Brian Niska is joined by Adrienne Comeau and Eric Leininger for a candid conversation on what really drives success in steelhead fishing. What starts with fly choice and presentation quickly shifts into a bigger discussion around uncertainty, experience, and how much control anglers actually have on the water.

Eric shares a perspective shaped by years of guiding—that in certain conditions, especially when water temperatures are right, many of the details anglers focus on may not be as critical as they seem. Adrienne adds her experience from the river, highlighting the role of confidence, instinct, and pattern recognition, while also recognizing the randomness that shows up time and time again. Together, they unpack the balance between what we think we know and what remains unpredictable—and why that tension is part of what keeps steelhead fishing so compelling.

#918 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/918

Transcript

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0:00.0	and then at the end of the day, if they're like, I can't believe, I was like, really, you can't believe it?
0:05.6	That's where I'm going to try to do this winner is like drill that into all my clients. Instead of them, I never want to, and you can say it. I'm not going to be like, oh, you asshole, don't ever say that again. But it's like, why are we saying that? Why are we saying I can't believe it? Like, I can't believe I haven't won the lottery.
0:19.5	Yeah.
0:20.2	Really? Have you ever won the lottery?
0:21.7	Like, no.
0:22.7	But you have caught Steelhead.
0:24.0	So when you're like, oh, I can't believe I haven't won the lottery. Yeah. Really? Have you ever won the lottery?
0:21.7	Like, no.
0:22.6	But you have caught steelhead.
0:24.0	So when you're like, oh, I can't believe it, it's like, well, some days you do, some
0:26.3	days you don't.
0:26.9	Like, that's just how it is.
0:28.0	So like, what are we doing out here? this emphasis on like we think we know
0:32.5	dude if I don't know and I've been out there
0:34.8	pretty much more than half my life like at this point
0:37.5	I don't know like I can't see in the water
0:39.4	they should be there but if they're not it's like If I don't know, and I've been out there pretty much more than half my life, like at this point, I don't know.
0:38.3	Like, I can't see in the water.
0:39.8	They should be there.
0:40.8	But if they're not, it's like, yeah, I'm done being surprised.
0:43.7	I mean, like, wow.
0:53.8	Welcome to In the Bucket, the podcast that explores the culture of spay fishing in the Pacific Northwest, a spectacular land of mountains and wild rivers where every cast has a story to tell.
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