Welcome, Fisthead!

With a few exceptions for terminal fisheries, a "good" spot is defined by many factors, such as the bottom topography, water flow and clarity, water and air temperature, time of day and year, and plain ol' luck.

Some of those don't change much, some change in minutes or hours.

Sounds like your first trip the stars aligned for you...and haven't since.

The most satisfying thing about steelhead fishing is not figuring out the secret lure, secret fly, secret color, or secret egg cure (though they do affect your success). The most satisfying thing is learning why different conditions require different techniques, different areas of the river, and different times of day/month/year to hit a spot.

You can learn about baits, lures, and gear pretty simply. The rest requires either a very giving mentor and your undivided attention to what he/she is telling you, or just plain experience.

Most likely, it will require both.

It may seem difficult now, but if you stick with it and figure it out, you will appreciate every hookup you get all the more when you remember the time you put in learning all you needed to know to get that hookup.

I think it's like learning the value of money. It doesn't mean as much when it's given to you as it does when you work hard and earn it yourself.

I'd highly recommend, however, using this and other BB's, and fishermen you meet in the field, to "borrow" a few bucks from to start your "business" of learning to catch steelhead.

Who knows? If all goes well you may be able to teach them a thing or two in the future!!

Good luck, and...

Fish on!

Todd.