I also grew up in Cali. Caught my first steeelie at age 9 on the American River throwing white roostertails. No one in my family fishes so I have no idea how i got the bug. Cuaght my first trout at age 5 and it was all over. Fish on the brain 24/7 since. Got away as soon as I could and went to college at Humboldt State. Lived in very close proximity to the Mad river where my steelhead education really took off. Fished other great stream such as the Eel, Van Duzen, Redwood Creek, Klamath, and of course the Smith. Moved to the East coast for 3 years where I got my tutalege in aquatic entomology by a guy named Billy Kingsley who now own the Blue Ridge Angler. Fished a spring creek called Mossy Creek. Learn alot about bugs. Also fish upstate New York for the Big browns. 50+ fish a day and the little ones were 5 lbs. Moved back and worked in the casinos of Nevada and fished the Tahoe basin all summer. Moved to Corvalis and fished all the streams within a two hour reach before moving up here where I spend most of my time residing on the Kalama.

~steelymann~