Born and raised in cental California,my granddad would regale me of tales of steelhead from the Russian and Eel,Klamath and Trinity rivers. His home river was the Carmel River. In the 60's there was a 3 fish limit,and we still have a picture of him,mid 1970's ,with a chrome bright river hen from the mouth of the Carmel . That picture always haunted me,and I vowed someday I would catch a fish just like that.

In the 80's we had a drought that nearly wiped out that run of fish,they average 10-12 pounds. It's a special little river,very pretty,extremely brushy. The river was closed for a number of years,and re-opened in 1998. I fished it every chance I could.

In the year 2001 I landed a fish at the mouth on an incoming tide,minutes out of the salt,on a #4 brass blue fox spinner. I have the picture somewhere. You can see the waves crashing in the background,me holding a 9 or so pound dime bright hen,just like fish grandpa had in the 70s. It wasn't my first steelhead,but it was the one I hold dearest to me.