Like Todd, I lucked out to start fishing in 77' with my Dad on the rivers a bit south of him. I learned to fish steelhead on the Puyallup during it's glory days. Caught my first steelhead on christmas morning of 1977. Caught a 19lb hen on the the north levee side of the hiho hole (remember when hiho shopping center was still there?). Started a long career for me. Caught alot of fish plunking up and down from 11th street to hiho. Foundest memory of that day, was an old timer on the river named Robbie. He had caught a ton of bucks to that point but no hens. My first time out and nailed a big one. He called me a lucky little mother*&*&*&. My Dad laughed and I smiled. I've been hooked ever since. Trout didn't seem as worthy to me as these big fish did. I still trout fish mind you, but especially once I turned 16 and could drive on my own it's been salmon/steelhead 24/7 365 days a year.