Went Steelhead fishing for the first time in my life this past weekend on the Lower Hoh. My buddy and I put it at 7:30 in the morning, after wiping frost off the boat, and proceeded to the "Honey Hole." As we sat anchored in the hole, our plugs about 25 feet out and having no action, I asked my buddy whether fishing the plug right off the front of the boot would produce results. He replied, in a very non-comittal way, "stranger things have happened." Taking that as a vote of confidence in my proposed methods, I let my plug and diver out about 8 feet off the front of the boat. About a minute later, I hooked into what my buddy later would describe as the "Stupidest Steelhead in the entire river." My buddy (who I will refer to as King Marine), clearly jelous of my fishing skill, decided the best way to help me get the fish in the boat would be to wrap his line around mine as he reeled in. He further contributed by bringing a bird's nest up from the bottom of the hole to pile on top of the mess. Not yet satisfied with his efforts, when I finally got the fish close enough for netting, he repeatedly knocked it in the head with what could only be viewed by an unbiased on-looker as an all out attempt to knock the pink plug right out of the fish's mouth. Fortunately, the Dumbest Steelhead in the River apparently believed the net was some sort of safe haven, and swam into it despite my buddy's efforts to set him free. A hatchery fish, he went about 15 lbs. I can now say that I am as hooked on Steelheading as that fish must have been on my plug.