Great stories gents keep em coming. I didnt become obsessed with steelhead,truly obsessed ,until the late 1990s. Being located a long ways from any numbers of fish,my compadres had to travel a lot to catch them. I used to fish the American river every opener. Usually for a limit. That was fun ,with about 300 of your closest new friends!

I began covering a lot of ground,moving to the PNW after a divorce in the mid 2000s,I became familiar with the oregon and sw Washington streams.


My last steelhead I hooked was Saturday. I was on a small stream where the run is all wild,fishing a lower run just above tidewater ,no people around,tide was approaching low after a big high tide,so I figured a few might be moving despite the lower water.

I swung a 1/3 oz copper red cleo through a long sweeper run and hooked a dime bright fish of around 11 pounds or so.2 Violent jumps and ran at me so I didnt get a good set on him. Threw the hook. Not a soul around,pretty weather,just me and that fish. I live for those days. I don't need double digits anymore. Just an opportunity for some peace and quiet surrounded by natural beauty and some good water,maybe hook a couple. That's where its at!