What river Popped your cherry.....

Just curious what river popped your Steelhead cherry and what year?

Mine was 1983 hwy side of Reiter. Something I will never forget, got there early on a December morning snow on the ground. There was only about 2-3 other people fishing on that side. Lost my first hook-up and was sick about it. Then about 15-20 minutes later hooked and landed a Hen around 8 pounds or so( horsed that sob in under 2 minutes lol ) thanks to an older gentleman netting it for me.

Fished for another couple hours until I ran out of gear. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face driving back to West Seattle. I still remember listening to the song " Felize Nava Da" on the radio while driving, XMAS was just days away!

I'm sure the Sky has de-virginized a few...

Lets hear some stories of your first.... ( fish )

My dad threw me right into the bogie brat parade...Dec. 1996, nice hen around 11lbs

Snoqualmie, maybe 1990, boot buck around 10 lbs caught on a jig and float.
That was my first fish landed.

My first fish was caught on a 6.6 trout rod. I turned it upside down and mounted a bait caster on it. Took it to the river with a float and jig. Ended up back lashing almost the entire spool of line. Sat down on a rock and tried to clean it up. Rod almost got yanked out of my hand when the float that was still out in the water went down. It didn't take much for the 8lb leader to bust as no line could go out and the back lash became so tight I had to cut the entire spool of line off.

Green river in Auburn just below the foot bridge by the golf course, 1984.

Out on the Salmon River about 5 or so years back. Real low and clear. Nobody was catching anything but my buddy wouldn't give up and he had the car keys. Decided to practice with a 5wt flyrod I had just received for X-mas. Little bit of yarn tied to a hook. Cast near a log. Fish on. Nice 8-10 pounder. If that fish had headed any other way during the fight I would have lost it in the logs or current, and possibly broken my new rod. It was the only fish I saw or heard of being caught that weekend at the Salmon. Only took three years or so of trying to finally hook and land a steelhead.

cowlitz, 1991. i never understood the whole steelhead obsession, they're easy if you find them. guess most guys never figure that one out.

salmon, on the other hand...kings frustrate the hell out of me.

1978 Tolt River cabin hole. A chrome 12 pound hen.

Like Stam I fished many years before that with my dad on the Quinalt in the early 60's, but we had no idea what we weere doing and caught nothing. Then I took off a few years, while my dad was becoming an excellent steelheader. Got back into it in 70's. BTW my dad becanme quite proficient after he turned 70. He caught his last srteelhead at age 88.

Thanksgining Day 1989 @ the Big Eddy Snoqualime River. Blue Fox spinner, blue body chrome blade, 7 cast 2 fish , took a year of fishing hard to be rewarded.

March 96 on the Nooch. 14# hatchery hen on a #2 spin glo with eggs, drifting it using a bank sinker. It was my 29th time trying to catch a steelhead. I fished almost every other day the rivers were in shape starting in December of 95, I was just determined to get one. I was checking out books from the library and pestering the old timers around town trying to figure out what to do. Man that was a fun time, since I didn't know how easy it could be I never got frustrated, just kept on keepin' on. Minutes later I landed my second one.

2003, Green River, just down from Metzler Park on the right side of the split. 14# summer-run buck took a pink jig under a float.

I was by myself and can clearly remember the exact moment that fish hit the bank... I had fished hard all winter with nothing to show, so that first steelie was a real trophy to me. I think I feel more fondly toward that first steelhead than my first Muley buck... or even the first girl that let me have a go (without paying for it). ~josh

First Washington state Winter run came in December of "88" off the Puyallup river plunking from my buddies "84" jack up 6" lift chev 3/4 ton.I used the front bumper as a rod holder,put a bell on it then proceeded to sit in the truck and smoke my brains out until my rod went off.I think it may have taken all of 3 minutes to land,it was a 10lb chrome bright nate that I bonked.Not sure if it was legal @ the time so we left 10 minutes later.I was the only one plunking in that stretch of river everyone else was drift fishing and hated me for Fuk$%^&* up there water and walking away with a nice one.I was 19 years old.
First Oregon state winter run was in "85" on the Nehalem river by cook creek.It's about all I can remember about that.
Cool thread.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

1983 - last day of the winter run season. 16lb. buck on the Skookumchuck.

Sol Duc, 1992, nates 24-32 inches, 3 in one day although two were on plugs (hot shots) and one on a spinner, so I suppose the rower gets credit for hooking two although I reeled them in.

1973, Mill Creek, Shelton, WA.

If you were there that day, you'd have seen the happiest little 7 year old bast@rd you've ever seen.

Went from little peckerhead trout to an 11-12 lb. steelhead in one cast with a red/white Dardevle spoon.

March, 1977, Sammamish River...6 1/2 foot Mitchell Garcia combo...Mitchell 300 with 6 pound test, on a size three spinner.

That fish tagged out at 41 inches, and was as chrome a buck as you'll ever see...one of these days I'll have to dig up a photo and scan it in.

I was seven years old...it was a looonnggg time before I caught another fish like that, but I was lucky enough to get three more steelhead before the end of April that year...got ten the second year, and by the time I was 16 I had bicycled to every river within fifteen miles of my house and caught a fish or three out of all of 'em...when I started to drive it was game over then...been an addict ever since.

Fish on...

Todd

1983 in Issaquah Creek. A 13# dark buck on a yarn fly and a 6' trout rod.
I had a lot of fun days fishing that creek before they finally closed it.

Todd, Ahh, the Sammamish brings back memories. I spent alot of time right above the handi-cap access in Redmond. I always fished a pink corkie with a full night crawler. Caught some nice steelies in there.
We probably crossed paths and didn't even know it.

July 1986, an aerial leaping chrome summer-run at the Cracker bar on the Sky was my first steelhead.
I caught that fish with on a spin-n-glo/sand shrimp drift gear.
I really enjoyed bank fishing the Cracker bar back in those days...
Learned a lot from the old timers fishing the Cracker bar back then.
I remember summer-run fishing use to be good on the Sky in mid to late eighties.
Use to be able to drive my 4WD Toy SR5 pick up to the Cracker bar along the Sky back then and camp out on the bank during summer nights.

1980sih..Skookumchuck. Brothers and I were fishing for trout using cut up sucker meat. I only had one fish and my brothers probably already had more than their limit back then. I get this tug on the pole and this big-ol chromer comes up to the service. I yell, I got a big one, the guy across from us yells, thats a STEELHEAD. I'll never forget it. Hooked at 13yrs. old.

Big White Salmon river, August 1978

First hook up was on the Tolt on a 5 weight bug rod. Fish kicked my arse. First landed was at reiter in the summer of 01 I think.

New Years day 2007, Cable hole on the Sky, jig an float. All by myself on a cold rainy morning, thought I hit that damn snag, again, went to pop it off and sumbeach there was a tug back. Nice chrome 7lb hen.
Yeah, I'm hooked for good.

Nestucca River, near Hebo, 1987, 8# winter

You guys are making me feel old. Anton Drift on the Puyallup, 1968.
I was using a Sammy Special. I thought I had snagged the bottom, jerked back on the rod back and a fish jumped. I yelled to my brother that I had a fish on and to get my dad, who was fishing farther upstream and had the net. My brother just laughed and told me I was snagged. The fish jumped again so he finally believed me.
Rather then reeling it in, I just kept backing up the bank. By the time my dad netted it, I was 40 feet up the bank in the bushes.
A chrome bright 8 lb hen. As a 8 year old I was hooked. I must have showed that steelie every fisherman on the river that day.

Skykomish River either '8 or '85. Family, friends and neighbors knew me to be a fishing fanatic (trout and salt water salmon). I was about 14. One of my neighbors who had a driver's license wanted to see someone catch a steelhead. He drove me up to Reiter a couple times and just sat on the rocks while I caught nothing. No clue whatsoever as to how to catch one of those things.

So, I went to the library and checked out a book on the subject. Back up toward Reiter we go. I'm sure many of you know exactly where I was. As you drive east on hwy 2 past the pullout to Reiter the road goes from 3 lanes back to 2. You look to your left and there's a HUGE boulder just upstream from where the river turns into "rapids." Peach corky, white yarn and cast right in behind this big rock. Tap, tap, tug. Fish on. 2 minutes later a 6# winter fish is on the bank. Not quite the fight I was expecting but at that point I was hooked for life.

As we're about to walk out this old guy with a fishing rod congratulates me and asks what I'm using. Show him my gear and he says "you caught it on that?" I still remember looking at his old yellow rod strung up with monofilament as thick as my anchor rope while he told me he'd been fishing steelhead for 25 years and never even hooked one.

First one ever was in 1975 on the Navarro river in northern California. I was at Boy Scout summer camp, tossing Roostertails to trout when I hooked and landed it. It was probably around 6 or 7 lbs... but at the time I thought it was freakin' Moby Dick! I caught another one the next spring, again on a Boy Scout campout to the Eel river.

10 years went by before I caught my next one on the Kasilof river in AK.

Been fishing for them regularly in WA since 1987.

Tolt again, must have been back in 1988?? Think it was November, nailed a skanky summer-run on a green/silver spoon. Man, I was one happy cracker!!

I had my spanking new Lami G-1000 #1310 baitcaster & Ambassauder 5500c, still have that rod.

C/22

Goldsborough Creek, 12th street hole early-mid seventies.

I bet you're right...nightcrawler was always a good steelhead bait in that little stream...and the fish weren't always all that little, either! The bonus of the nightcrawler technique was the occasional monster cutthroat, too.

It was only a four mile bike ride for me to be at Marymoor Park, so you better believe I fished there a lot! I also caught a few in Issaquah Creek back when you could...tough spot to hook a fish, and even tougher to land one once you did, but it was a good place to learn to fish small streams, that's for sure.

Fish on...

Todd

Green River, main street hole, plunking the winter of 1981. 6 lb. hatchery buck. I was 7. Took me 5 years and numerous lost fish before I landed my 2nd. A gorgeous mid-teens hen on Xmas day 1986, drift fishing below the golf course on the Green. Orange spin 'n glow. (funny how you remember that stuff?).

For me it was 1976, Elocohoman river in SW Wash. I had fished all day without a bite, so I thought. My uncle was standing next to me and was watching my rod as I drifted and said, YOU GOT A BITE he grabed my rod above the cork and set the hook and it was fish on. 10 # buck my first. The next day I went all by myself below the forks in mainstem of the Toutle river and caught a 16# hen and a buck of 15# drifting a pink # 12 spin -glo. I walked back to the Harry Morgan campground with my limit and woke my uncle up and showed him my catch. He asked me if I felt them bite and I replied yes, he said you will never have any problem catching Steelhead from now on and he was right.

December 1979, Barrier Dam, Cowlitz, spent summer run and I was happy as hell with it. I look at that photo today with 30 years under my belt and have to laugh. What a punk.

85' Sky, plunked, 16lbr. Didn't catch squat for nearly a year after that until I learned to drift fish. Didn't even find Reiter until 88'.

My first steelhead was back in the 80's,I was in my early teens. I was fishing off a pier in Central California for perch when I looked down and saw a big steelhead swimming in and out of the pilings and toward the beach. I tied on a green prism krocodile and ran after him. Slammed my spoon right in front of me,about 12 pounds of buck,in the salt.

My first river steelhead I got out of a tidal lagoon in a small stream on a blue fox brass spinner. Dime bright fish. I can never hook enough of those slimy bastards now.

Mine was caught in the ninth grade and would prove to be memorable for all the wrong reasons. It was caught with a flame corky and chartreuse yarn on Alaska's Ninilchik River over a Memorial Day weekend opener for spring kings. I was so excited to finally land one of these prized gamefish. My first instinct was"Quick, let's get it back in the water." because I was under the mistaken impression that only kings could be retained.

A buddy said "Why? It's legal to keep." After confirming with others on the bank that it really was legal, I grabbed a rock and whacked it solidly across the top of its head. It was a remarkably bright hen measuring 38", but skinny as a snake."So what," I thought to myself, "it looks like a fresh one afterall."

When I cut it open, its meat was nearly white and paper thin along the ribs and belly. After one taste, I threw the rest of the fish away because it wasn't fit to eat.

Lessons learned as I look back:

1) Never kill a down-runner, no matter how bright it looks, even if it's legal to kill it.

2) What a waste of a marvellous wild hen steelhead that had just completed her life's mission and then just mending up for another run out to sea where she could have fattened up for a repeat spawn the next year.

3) That fish in its prime would have weighed 20 pounds or more! Definitely an exceptional fish for that little creek... and I just wasted its chances to pass on those genes on a repeat run.

Definitely one of my darkest and unforgettable moments of enlightenment in my evolution as an angler.

Clay banks hole on the Hoh river. Summer of 2000. Tied up an egg sucking leach. first time I had every tried it. I was very skeptical. 3rd cast brough a nice 12 lb native up. Snapped a nice pic and sent her on her way. The guy I fished with framed the pic and attached the egg sucking leech I caught it with. I look at that pic everyday.

N Fork Stilly on a bug rod may of 1995 or 96. Had been fishing for these bastards for 6 years and finally everything came together. I guarentee you this, I was the happiest mother fu#$er on the face of the earth that day. It was an almost spawned out boot wild buck of about 12/13 pounds and to this day it is still the most special steelhead that I have ever caught. I have caught many that were bigger, many that were way brighter, come to think of it, I don't know that I have caught one that was darker, but I have never caught one that made my knee's shake like that one or shoot adreniline through my whole body. Hundreds of steelhead later, you can still find me out there any chance I can looking for the one that will do to me what that first one did. Come on 20 lb'er!

Tim

December 1956 on the Toutle along the Tower road. I was with Larry Worrell and Bobby Loomis, Gary's older brother. Got him on a brass and orange striped shoehorn. It was about 11 a.m. The weather was cloudy, no rain. About 45 degrees. I was using a Wright-Mcgill rod and a Mitchell spinning reel. I remember that but I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday.
















got him

1989 reiter ponds with the old man, a week or so before i was 6y/o. hooked up with a 10lb dark buck at the cotton wood. peach corkie/red yarn

+ 1
Ain't that the truth! Funny how you can remember fish you've caught but easily forget other things. Must be our priorities as fisherman.

1956....that's going back a spell.

1972 Gobar Creek behind the Ranger Station (Great Grandparents house) Would love to say the first one a a Chrome beauty but it was a Nasty dark buck that we released. Was tough for Dad to convince a 5 year old he needed to let the biggest fish he had ever caught go but he did. Had been catching trout all morning casting a spoon and hooked into that dark ol 10 lb fish. What a blast that was. First of many fish I caught out of that creek over the years. Sure do miss the days that the Gobar was full of fish.

The Stilly below Arlington near the Highway 99 bridge (pre I-5) in early January about 1956. I don't remember the size but we were plunking with okie drifters & yarn with pencil lead. I was using my new Mitchell 300 and pole and had on my brand new hip boots. I'd received the gear from my Dad for Christmas. I almost got a ticket because we got checked by a game agent and I'd left my license home.
Dad knew the agent and he let me slide with a stern warning.

Upper Hump, don't know what fork, about 1976. All I remember is I was using a spin glow. My favorite guide (grandpa) put me on a lot of fish when I was a kid.

Mouth of the Touchet throwing copper vibrax into the Walla Walla.

16lb nate.

Cowlitz at Blue Creek. 1996. Nice 8lb chrome Brat

used to only fish salmon growing up...

after hearing about my buddies rave about winter steel i went out with them one day 4 years ago.
took the drive from sequim to forks, questioning the cold the whole time.
did the boggy the first day with no luck. second day first steelhead on and landed on a jig and a float. was a hard figting fish i remember being surprised.not sold on the cold yet. followed by the next day my buddy told me we were hitting the queets. i was excited to see this river as i had'nt seen the queets this time of year.three boats and a good day. fished most the day with no takers. set the tad pollys out. mabee 2 minuets in the work down the left rod goes ape sh&*.that was my 1st queets steelhead thumb burner that came unbotton after running 100-200 yards down river with no changing its mind. rowed back up re-plugged the hole in my buddies woody another visious take down battle that ended with a land and release.
after that weekend i felt bummbed i had let all that time slip by not taking advantage of these fish. ever since, salmon season is just a warm up to the best time of year winter steel.

winter 1971 nisqually riv 1000 line rd. by the mouth of the mashel riv wright Mcgill steelie Granger rod and a orange and brass spoon I was a junior in high school. funny thing I still have that rod and half a card of those old spoons.

Willapa river, car body hole 1984. Then the Elwah in 1990. Took 9 years off living and fishing in Florida. Moved back in 1999 and a buddy took me to Blue Creek to get familiar with steelhead fishing again. It worked.-TBJ

About 1992 on the Sky on the gravel bar above the bridge in Sultan. Winter time and that was back in the day that all I did was flyfish. Fished for a couple of hours when the guy below me went to take a piss I caught a 7 lber right where he was standing.

Lots of young'ens here. Move from Eastern Wa to Seattle in 89 and caught my first winter run at the mouth of the tolt on the snocrummy with store bought eggs. like that? ->Store bought eggs

i don't believe that's the whole story, wasn't that the first time you met a game warden also ? you guy's had to hide the killer green ?

It was in the Mid-90's on a trip to the Grande Ronde, we stopped at the Tucannon river and hooked one of those snakey eastern WA fish drfit fishing. I was very excited, because I had about 60-70 hrs in without a bite and when the fish picked it up it felt like a small trout. I remember being told it may feel like that so I set hard and the river exploded, Awesome. I had a later start Steelheading than most of you and I was in my late twenties and I was already hooked before I hit that fish.

Aptos creek ( Central California , south of Santa Cruz) back in 1972, Caught my first 14 lb. Steelhead there, I don't think they even get a run of fish there anymore due to growth and lack of habitat, poor fish management.What a Shame it use to be a beautiful creek to fish. One of the reasons I got out of there.

I caught my first steelhead in 1985 when I was 11. It was a Skykomish buck 15-17 # native. I got it on a 6 weight flyrod with an orange GP. The thing was chrome, and I can remember it like it was yesterday!
Neal

Ketchikan Alaska, June 1980.

First Salmon out in the saltchuck with my dad. I was 11. Still have a picture holding the little coho while I was wearing a greenbay packers sockhat and a smile ear to ear.

Fishing and Hunting News got me pumped up to try and hook a steelhead so on Saturday mornings my mom used to drive me and my buddy down to the Nisqually early in the morning and leave us there all day to hike up and down the river from the old bridge. In 1979 I was fourteen, clear sunny day March'ish if I remember. I was throwing a metallic red corkie with pink yarn and I kept getting a weird rap at the end of the swing against some rip-rap. Third swing in a row I decided that must be a fish- I set the hook and the rod almost leapt from my hand. I had tightened the drag to break off a snag earlier and forgot to loosen it back up. A little fire drill and I got lucky. I have been hooked ever since.

Great thread! The side channel above Blue Creek 1992 and it was snowing hard. It was my first time steelheading. I had borrowed my friends Kunan and we were throwing carpet pad and corkies. I really had no clue how to fish. The guy across the channel from me was yelling that I was standing on the fish, I ignored him and next cast...fish on 8lb chromer. We went back a few times that winter and back then it was fish on almost every time. I was hooked deep. Next summer I financed an older Wooldridge that I couldn't afford and started boondoggin. My buds loved it as they caught fish right and left but it took me a full year to land a steelhead from the boat. I thought I was hexed. But I figured it out and now I look back and think how much that first day in the snow changed my life.

1977 on the Cowlitz. Stonedfish, I have a full card of Sammy Specials that I got from my dad. They were deadly.

Nisqually, June 1st 1988. Tossing Mepps spinners on the trout opener a couple miles below Ohop creek. Hooked a double stripped winter that tore me up!

First steelhead was at the Ballard Locks, 1981.

Actual "in river" steelhead would probably have been..er....Walla Walla River, 1983.

First steelie came on the Bogie on Dec. 21 1998 when I was 10. Fishing with Mreyns and our dads we hooked 9 and landed 7. Caught a chrome hatchery hen up in the Dimmel and I was also able to get my first nate, a 10lb buck further down the drift. Our dads kept telling us that not every trip would be that successful. They were right but we were hooked.

Mine was in 1996 on the Sol Duc. It was under the first bridge west of the Klahowya campground. I know it was winter because I remember camping in the snow and remember freezing my ass off on the river.
We started fishing that day at daybreak and I caught the fish at last light (I remember telling my bud- last cast). It was a 6-7 lb bright native hen caught drift fishing an aero fly. I thought it was my 500th snag of the day and lifted the rod to pop it free when it shook it's head and ran up river. Man was I stoked. I smiled all the way back to Seattle. My bud was pretty sick of me describing it by the time we got home.
Weird thing is I didn't fish for them again until about 4 years ago.

Kalama river summer steelhead 1994. Fishing w-my friend, mentor, brother, Rob Orzel.

1993 Lewis Street Bridge across from the boat launch, right in front of the big log that used to be there. Me and my dad were just learning and we got new rods and reels from outdoor emporium for christmas. I got a snag drifting and went to break it off, and a leader and weight came back. Broke off the next cast, tied my new rig a faded pink cheater and green yarn, next cast 7lber. I never had such a big smile, only person to catch a fish there with 13 or so guys. Sad thing is after that I never went back, found Reiter and caught way more fish. Hopefully the rivers will drop enough to back to reiter this weekend.

Man I can remember my first one really well. Caught it in 96, on the Milwaukee river not that anyone cares about that but.... Being an ignorant 11yr old kid, I was a ripping maniac. I remember "fishing" for some spawning kings in some deeper water. Was using the classic egg sucking leech. After making numerous casts I finally hooked a king right in the back haha, proceeed to go 10 miles downstream and come off. Reel back up and very next cast my fly went past the redd and my rod just got buried. A bright steelie proceeded to do numerous cartwheels running all over the place. All the while my pants were filling with sh!t, not knowing what to do. Somehow managed to land it, after that it has been just down hill

Pete's drift on the Bogey, New Years day 2003. I had put in at least a dozen trips over the two seasons before with no success. At that point in time, the mythical reputation that the steelies seem to have was clear and present. I hadn't had so much as a take down, a nibble, or a good look as near as I could tell. Looking back now I wonder how many fish and opportunities I missed on those trips.

I got up at first light while the rest of the cabin was sleeping off hangovers and snuck down to the river. Temps were well below freezing and mist covered the river as the sun crept towards the horizon. A morning that will forever be burned into my mind even though I have seen many like it since. It was maybe an hour before I hooked up. Just a 6-7lb brat, but it might as well have been the state record for how happy I was to have finally connected. Out of half a dozen folks fishing that day, I was the only one that brought meat home and feeding the crew over a camp fire that night was the perfect end to what was at that point, perhaps still, my best morning of fishing ever. Got it on a drift rig. One pink corky, one white, white yarn with sandshrimp.

Of course it was another year before I caught another, and only this past year do I feel like I am starting to consistently find fish. In a lot of ways it seems like there are two types of steelheaders, those that have seen the light and ones that haven't. Thinking of all of the oddball places I fished and gear I threw back then makes me chuckle. At the time I didn't think I was doing anything different than the guy down the line pulling out chromers. As some of these posts have shown, nearly anyone can luck into a beauty if they happen across the right spot at the right time.

Knowing where to look and what to use is a skill that only comes with hours and days on the river and/or in the presence of those that have seen the light.

Winter 1987 on the Queets when I was 11. We were pulling plugs and my dad's buddy hooked three, but lost every single one. Nothing for me until we were getting near the take out and my rod buried. The fish was jumping all over the place and I'm not sure who was more scared, me or that fish, as I was shaking like a leaf. Right at 13 pounds and the only fish landed that day. Got him on a metallic blue and silver wiggle wart with red bill. I still remember my dad trying to "fillet" that fish. Man did he butcher that thing. There was enough meat on the skeleton that we just barbequed that too. I remember getting my hands on every single steelhead fishing book possible after that. Been downhill ever since.

Dungeness 5-6lb summer run steelhead,1985 and thats all she wrote

I hooked one on the sol duc about 4 years ago, but it was puked out so we had to let it go. still havent caught one since.

I was 15, the summer of 99 I hooked and landed a 15 pound bright summer run on the cowlitz ...

Elwha River. 1983 my wife to be bought me a new rod and reel. I think I only made 1 or 2 trips and nailed a chrome 14lber. Hooked it on a orange/gold spoon. It was all downhill from there. Bought my first boat the next spring.

1974 cowlitz... We lived by blue creek my Dad worked on the Barrier hatch when it was built...I remember more salmon on "coho bolo'' spinners then anything but regaurdless it was a blast..
But the Nisqually was were I cut my teenage teeth a few of my buddies and I bought a DB and fished it every weekend and every day we could skip school..Was a sad day when the shut er down in 90

Sammamish river in 1979. Pink metallic silver corky, red yarn, and half a nightcrawler. Those steelhead were just crazy over nightcrawlers. I think I need to fish crawlers more...uuuuummmmm might be a challenge for this winter.
Fish was about 15-16 lbs. and looked like fifty to me back then!!!

CM

1958 plunking the chehalis at the trestle hole i was 12 and it was a 15lb buck that hit a cherry bobber.

The first one was around 79-80 just below the sultan launch on the Sky. Slipped & fell in while fighting it, guy in a DB offered to come over & help, "nope I got it". Took about 25 yrs off & got my second in 05.

1993 Snoqualmie at confluence to Tolt. I had been trying for years without a hit. It was clear and cold and of course my guides freeze up. I just casted when the reel birdsnested due to the frozen guides. The cast must have gone about 10 yards at the most and I just left the line in the water while I untangled the birdsnest. Next thing I know, I get this hard pull on the rod, I say, WTF? My friend 5 yards downriver says, "Fish On"!

I successfully bring it in and figured out that it wasn't a casting contest out there, the fish were lying in a slot 5 yards in front of me. I ended up getting two more fish and lost one that month and they weren't accidents but actually skill. I finally figured out how to catch a steelhead. The most amazing part was I caught all those fish with one rig, a red/yellow cheater with the same slinky!

Jan.1985 Green River (Flaming Geyser bridge) 10 LB hen caught on pink/white Birdy Drifter and pink yarn.

1969 Tokul Creek. My dad would take me there because you only had to pull out some line and flip it out. He didn't even fish it....just watched. He probably rued that day because I was like a dog wanting to go for a ride ever since.

Soquel Creek, Santa Cruz Ca. 1985, Nice returns and easy walk from the High School.

I got a brand new rod and reel for Chistmas in 1955 an eight and a half foot solid fiberglass rod and a Winona reel it took about two weeks but on Jan. 6th 1956 I got my first Steelie at the mouth of the Stuck River (Puyallup trib.) I got it on a Cherry Bobber it was a chrome 10# buck, I was 14 at the time, been hooked ever since.

Duwamish/lower Green river...1965, day after Thanksgiving

Opposite side of river from what now is the Tukwila Community center, down by the old bridge abutment island.
Plunking with my dad, grandpa by Allentown. I used gramps Harnell rod, Pflueger baitcast reel (yes, cast it myself at age 10). Flame red/chart #4 spin-n-glo with very strongly anise scented boraxed eggs cluster.
Remember the warmth of fire, hot coffee-laced with cocoa just for me, and about 2 dozen other plunkers up and down the river on both banks....and chrome hanging from the riverside trees.

I still plunk there each early December, don't catch many there like back in the late 60's but plunk there more for the memories....
me: "gramps, can I have another donut"
gramps: "sure MAV, just go fetch some more firewood from the pickup first"

1960 upper Cowlitz by Kosmos. Caught it with a 166 Nebco Flashbait spoon. Brass with the orange stripe. Wright-Mcgill rod, Mitchell 300 spining reel, 15# Charter Boat Green line. About 12-14# buck. All natives back then. I was 12.
Ronnie, I used to work and fish with Larry Worrell and Fred Tereski, small world.

My Dad was an avid steelheader and I received my first hand-off at the age of 3, in 1973 on the North Fork Stilly. It was a 12 pound hen that slammed an Ottos "Ace-Bait", the go-to spoon of the era. Dad said everytime it took a run it would drag me down the gravel bar, and I just held on and eventually dragged the fish on the bank. He said that I gave it a bear hug for the next 15 minutes and was covered with scales and slime after the ordeal. I received countless hand-offs over the years until I hooked and landed my first winter run on my own in the Elochoman at age 11, just below the house that always used to blast the opera music, on a pink okie drifter with green yarn. I have been a hopeless steelhead bum ever since-

If only I knew then what i know now........

Man, that bings back some memories for me too. I caught plenty of salmon in the Sammamish but never a steelhead. My first hook-up came in March of 88 just below the Sultan. My first actual landed steelie was June 26, 1988 at Reiter.

hatchery run on the Sol duc river. 1990, i have to thank my brother. on second thought do you really thank some one for giving you an addiction.

First winter run, West Fork Humptulips River Jan '71 DAM Quick Spinning Reel, White Eagle Claw Rod, Charlie Anderson Clown Bobber. 8lb buck, second came later that season on the Dosewallips pick nail polish okie drifter.

First summer run, 6lb hen Dugeness River '73 Periwinkles on a trout rod.

First fly caught, Dogfish Creek, '69 swinging a Carey Special (actually I was just letting it wave around current in a tailout of small pool)

1996, cowlitz, 100 yards below blue creek. I was standing on top of a log, high on the bank. The log is still there and juts out a bit. Fishing with my best freind at the time, now all my other freinds fish with him. Must have snagged bottom ten or fifteen times and he is over there catching fish. What am i doing wrong, I asked him? Nothing he says, so I cast out again.
And i snagg up again, wtf, I am pissed, then my line starts heading upstream. Holy crap I got a steelhead!!! 8lb hatchery fish, peach corky and white yarn. It was the best!!!

1978 in the Lyre. Used to have a great fishery. Buddy lost something like 14 before he landed one on the last day of the season.

Hey Dan S. I thought I was the only one to ever catch steelhead out of that creek. I caught my first Steelhead out of Millcreek in 1983. Caught 3 of them that day.

An 8 lb buck, January 8th, 1986. I was plunking just above the 212th bridge on the Green River. At first I thought the fish belonged to the guy fishing next to me until he elbowed me and told me it was mine.

1973, Yachats River. 8 lb native hen on a nightcrawler. In '74 I caught about a 10 pounder right underneath Daybreak Bridge on the E. Fork Lewis. Made my dad smile. Then about an hour later, I hooked a freaking whale on a spoon about 100 yards downstream. Biggest damn steelhead he'd ever seen, he swears it was over 30 pounds to this day. I have no idea, I was just a zitty kid with a trout rod. It smoked all the line off my reel and had me crying in my Alphabits for a week.

North Fork Siletz in 1968. She damn near ripped the rod out of my hands, came 4 feet out of the water, snapped the 15lb test line as I slid her on the bank at the waters edge and dang near bucked me off when I pounced on her!

1986 mainstream of the Nooksack, used to be call the feedmill hole by the Land o Lakes feed mill off hiway 9.

I fished hard off the bank for at least 200 hours before I hooked my first steelhead, a 13lb chrome bright hen. Coffee grinder of a reel and Wright McGill rod. That fish came hard but I limited out a couple times before that season was over and I was hooked.

Over the next 8 years I fished about 100 days a year, had a blast, then work, kids, divorce, work, building a house etc. and my fishing time decreased each year. Got married to the nicest gal this Fall and she likes to fish, wants me to be her guide so we have been getting out this past year. She has caught sockeye and silvers, I can't wait until I get her into her first steelhead.

nothin better than fishing with friends and family.

Great thread

I haven't seen this river mentioned yet? But my cherry was popped on the Deschutes River(thurston county). Plunking down at the original Olympia Brewery. I don't remember the exact year but it was around the early to mid 80's.

Talk about memories. I remember having my mother drop me off down there with all the old farts. Drive my pole holder into the ground. Hook up the big ol clown spin-n-glow with a chunk of borax cured eggs, dropper pryamid weight, put in pole holder, clip on the brass bell and sit under the plunking shack made out of pallets with the tarp stretched over it. Listen to all the old timers tell stories while they drink thermos after thermos of coffee. I had my thermos full of hot chocolate.

Green River in December of 1993. I was 6 years old. Got a nice 8lber with a corky/yarn/shrimo combo. Didn't even feel the bite or set the hook. The fish just took off running.

Winterrun- Sammamish, '74. We moved to WA state in Oct. '73 and for a while my folks humored me by taking me to rivers like the Sky. They quickly got bored, and when I (or anyone else) didn't catch anything, they started suggesting that steelhead were mythical beasts, like bigfoot. I was 11, and a fishing fool, and I didn't care. I found a stash of the old STS magazines at the local library, (back when they were B&W) andI devoured them. Eventually, my folks would just drop me off to hang out under the Kenmore Bridge (makes me a troll?). I'd use a spin'n'glow or corkie and crawler, plunking. The first one I hooked trashed me. The second one was only 5-6lbs., and I was able to handle it.

Summerrun- S. Fork Stilly, '80. GF and I drove up for the day, and she was happy to hang out while I casted. At one point she was chilling her feet downstream of me, when a buck slammed the blue metallic hotshot I was casting, and launched itself 4-5 feet out of the river. It was only 25 feet from her, and she fell on her butt!

Tolt December 1978 - 'happy time 2' hole -I think that's aka Vedder's 'cabin hole'. ....course I caught mine the day before Dave

maybe 7lb.
yellow eagle claw rod, DAM Quick 330, 26 degrees super low & clear, driftfishing what was probably a way-oversized corky & yarn- overweighted rig on a dull & rusty hook, slack-lined tumbling downstream drifting right toward me (along the deep rock/shelf that sat in middle of that beautiful hole.)

Must have lost a dozen in the prior couple years-most in or within 1/2 mi. of that spot.

caught next couple in the Cedar later that year. ya know how it is....once the cherry's popped.....you can't stop (course you sart branching out.)

March of 75 in Dogfish Creek. Was 12 yrs old. Behind my buddy Jeff's house. We were fishing bobbers with nightcrawlers. Fishing for cutts. I was using a Wright McGill fiberglass rod with a Daiwa spinning reel. It snapped the 6 lb test and I grabbed it and pulled out the searun rainbow. I used to fish alot then quit. My first summerun was back in June 95. Caught two the first day in the exact same places my father in law cast in two seperate holes on the Sletz. My first summerun in WA was on the Bogie on Nov 99 on my birthday. My next winterun since my cherry was popped was in 01 on the Kalama and the pic is somewhere on the board.

Methow 83 Black roostertail craped myself

1958 on the Humptulips. The hole was called Rosie Hole. River is a long ways from that channel now. But still remember it today as it was yesterday.

Home made copper spoon on a steel pole and a Mitchel 300 spinning reel.

Got a picture but can't get it loaded.

fp

Cool ass thread.

Winter run in Feb of 1965 I caught my first on an orange okie drifter on Drift Creek (Siletz tributary). Followed by another on the next cast.

Summer run on the McKenzie next to Finn Rock while trout fishing with a gold 1/4 oz little Cleo, in July 1976.

First WA steelie was in 1982, freshman year of college at UPS in Tacoma. Finally ventured out for my inaugural trek to the Puyallup. As I drove upriver along the River Road, I could see lots of plunkers working the levees. Pulled off under the Meridian Bridge and had the "hole" to myself. Drifted a giant gob-stopper flame corky with chartreuse yarn into the olive green-brown flows using a home wrapped Fenwick HMG blank and Bantam 200 reel. I wasn't there 20 minutes when I landed a brand new 11 pound native hen (WOW, had to go check the pic to verify that!).

Not even sure if there was a distinction between wild and hatchery retention among the average Joe Fishermen of the day. It was my first, it was bright, it was loaded with eggs.... it was dead!

So can any of you long time Puget Sound steelheaders tell me if I was a criminal in the day? I honestly don't know.

Nooksack, right under the center of the Everson bridge with a glow in the dark hot shot on drift gear in 1981 I think. In fact some helpfull guys in a drift boat had me hop in to land it. Native, had to let it go. Back when they handed out a credit card like measuring device to determine if the dorsal was tall enough to be wild or hatchery. Funny, I spotted that fish on my way home from baseball practice on my bicycle. Raced home for a pole. Used to climb down the old RR trestle.

Pink worm and dink float, 1992 Cowichan River Vancouver Island, 10ish chrome buck not far from tidewater...cheers

First steelhead was about 5 years ago caught incidentally while fishing for cutts on the stilly. It was a dark brat though, so it wasnt much of a fight. The most memorable for me has to be my first wild steelhead, caught on the sky on the swing during a January snow storm. It was a chrome bright wild buck and I hooked another immediately after but lost it on the jump. My buddy also landed a wild buck about 25 minutes later...awesome day.

Arctic Blast 1986 for me....................

Was gearing up to fish the Sky at Ted's when Rieter Rat tells me it's much too cold to fish the rivers. Suggested I try Ft. Casey and then proceeds to sell me the silliest looking spin-n-glow/hootchie thing I'd ever seen. The next day a friend and I are standing on a deserted beach in 15 degree weather and 20 mile an hour winds. It was crazy in that the surf was blowing and freezing so that all the driftwood was covered in about a foot of ice. As I was reeling in I could see my hootchie in a big wave when it dissappears. I set the hook, the wave crashes and recedes leaving a little 7# nate flopping on the beach. I never did feel a thing.

Retreated to a log shelter and polished off the last of the Yukon Jack!

First river fish the following summer on the Sky. Much bigger and meaner!

Dam Freddy theres just one thing I wanted to tell ya ...I wasnt even born yet...

Doc,
You weren't a criminal in 82. It was still legal then. We all know better now, myself included.
Brian

1977 Cablehole Skykomish 8lb summer run on a Yellow Eagle Claw with a Mitchell 300 and sand shrimp.I remember going fishing up there for the first time earlier that same summer with a friend from High School I stood in awe watching him hook and land 2 or 3 fish in about 2 hours .I could not believe that there were fish that big in the river. That sameday I went out and got that Yellow Eagle Claw and I spent the rest of that summer in pursuit of that first fish.I was hooked for life.
Years later I took a friend who I coached hockey with and had never been steelhead fishing before, on the Uppper Quinault and his first steelhead was a 24 lb mint bright buck and he hooked 4 or 5 more fish that day. His responce was this Steelheading isn't so tuff and he is spoiled for life.

My first steelhead was caught in 3 rivers at once. January 1959, 7 years old, hammered brass Tor-pe-do. Back then the Sky met the Crummy to form the Snohomish right above the 522 bridge, like 100 yards or so. I was standing on the tip of land between the two rivers casting that spoon into the Snohomish when a 7lb doe bit. She swam to my right into the Skykomish then turned and swam around to my left into the Snoqualmie. 3 Rivers, one fish.

Beezer

1959, Craig and I will row from now on

1959? Hell, Beezer, I knew you were old, but I didn't know you were that old!

3 rivers, one fish...that's pretty cool!

Fish on...

Todd

One more for Mill Creek outside Shelton. Early 80's, on a wedding ring. I don't think I realized at the time what I had...it was just a huge trout to me. Went with a guide on the Cowlitz in July of 1994, and caught 3 summer runs that day. I've been obsessed ever since. Ok, not just obsessed, I have a problem!

Pilchuck ,OK bridge December 1979

June 1988, Skykomish river fishing with YB Guy. Blue hotshot, 8# buck. Haven't caught one since...........just kidding, but feels like it. Don't steelhead much, coho? Now, that's a different story.

December 1977 I was 12 in the Pilchuck River. I had been buggin this guy from our church to take me steelheading and after putting me off a dozen times he finally relented. The morning we went was in the middle of a cold snap 10 degrees out, line freezing in the guides etc. - he was sure I'd wimp out. Fished hard all day wading several miles of river using corkies with eggs or sandshrimp with nothing to show. I was wearing an extremly cheep pair of thin plastic stocking-foot waders stuffed into my hiking boots and they split open at the crotch in the middle of crossing the river to fish the last drift of the day. Snagged up, broke off and decided I'd had enough. Starting to get dark but I figured I'd rig back up while waiting for my guide to make his last few casts. My waders are full of water which is starting to freeze. I finished up and made "one last cast" and a beautiful 12 lb native buck slams my plain pearl-pink corkie. Heck of a battle making me forget all about the water freezing around my feet. Landed and bonked the fish and hightailed it out of there walking a couple miles back up the railroad tracks to our car. It was so cold the water froze on the fish and then cracked making it look absolutely ghastly until we figured out it was just the water. Had to actually break the ice in my boots to get my feet out which were numb for several days after.

Great experience and spawned many a bike ride to the Pilchuck over the next several years.

Winter 1968/69. Thought I'd cut classes at UW and go fishing. Hit the Sultan Bar about 7 a.m. using a balsa wood cherry bobber with silver blade. Home by 9 a.m. with two fish and made it to my class.....

Thanks for dredging up some nice memories.

Mouth of the Tolt - July 1980. Drove up, 3 PM, made one cast, saw my "pearl glow" corkie go down in 2 ft of water way in close, didn't see the fish but got a major pull back. Hauled it in quick, then left because I wasn't 100% sure about the regs and got paranoid. Total time spent at the park there was maybe 10 minutes max. Took 2 more years to catch the next one, almost got a ticket for not punching. Last of the Nisqually early runs, February, made my grandpa proud since he fished there since the 1920's and told me where to go - I wish I hadn't thumped it now.

It was the Kalama for me...in the canyon..on a blue fox spinner...
my boyfreinds was my bday, a trip he got for me...on the Sol Duc...
i had a fish on and the fish that my boyfreind caught was soooo aggressive that it was hitting my bobber when i was fighting a fish...he threw a spinner in and it tagged it instantly...double on for my boyfreinds first...
im sure i got a pic somewhere, but it was before digital cameras were in my hands...ahahha...not that long ago...but my guess around five years...c

Puyallup River December 24th, 1980. 16 lb buck, took what seemed like forever to land. My knees were actually knocking when I landed it. I bonked it, put it in my backpack, and rode my bike home on South Hill. The tail was hanging out hitting the back of my head. Went back the next day after opening presents, caught a little 6 lb'er that literally landed itself on the beach in about 30 seconds flat. Had completely opposite fish, in two days. Funny thing was I had fished for 2 years trying to catch my first one. I couldn't figure out "the hit" on a corky. After that the hit seemed so obvious I couldn't understand how I didn't know before.

The Cedar around 1972 (before Boldt). There was a fellow in the office that used to come in Monday AM and tell us about his steelheading success over the weekend. He usually caught his limit on at least one day if not both. I had done mosty trout and salmon fishing but not for steelhead. Finally, I asked him about steelheading and being a very helpful sort he proceeded to show me how to rig up an oakie drifter (he gave me one to use as a prototype) and precisely where to go on the river. He drew a diagram showing where I should stand and where to cast. He told me to be fishing no later than 7:15AM (it was barely light) and if I hadn't had a strike within 30 minutes there wasn't a fish there that day. Although I didn't know it, my problem was that I only had my trout spinning rod to use. Well, I arrived at the spot right on time, found where to stand and could see well enough where to cast. I made a cast and felt the bumpy-bump-bump of the lead along the bottom. However, on the 3rd cast I felt a WHUMP-WHUMP-WHUMP. My poor trout rod doubled over and a fish leaped out of the water and over a sizable boulder. It broke me off of course but I was so suprised that my knees were shaking. Unfortunately I only had the one oakie drifter rig that my friend made up so I had to leave.

That week I went out and bought a Wright-McGill Power Light and a Penn 109. I landed my first steelhead the next weekend from that same spot.

JP

It was November 1992, just a few hundred yards downstream of the Rapid River. Same river, and same exact hole I took a friend to catch her one and only steelhead about 5 years later.

I drove to the river with high expectations. I even packed an oversized cooler into the trunk of one of the most uncool cars I've owned. A 1980 Datsun B 210, mine was faded tan and looked like the one in the pic below. Except for two important distinctions; There was a massive dent on the drivers side door, and on the passenger side door vomit had eaten away at the paint. I used a quarter to put some finishing touches on the etching that the puke had started. It looked just like the silhouette of Abraham Lincoln.




The cooler didn't fit, so the trunk lid had to be roped shut over it.

I picked up the fish right away on a gold pixee spoon, with the orange insert. Lost a second fish a few minutes later. And still when I tell people I caught that fish on the Little Salmon river in November, they say "But that river doesn't have any fish in it in the Fall."

I've been catching fish where there weren't supposed to be any for a time now. They taste sweeter.

And my B210? I had it for 2 more years. Summer of '94 I stuck a 100+ pound bluefin tuna in the bare trunk, and poured 75 pounds of ice over it. Drove from San Diego to San Berdoo with it leaking tuna juices on interstate 5. And on those rare occasions when it rained, my car smelled like cat food. I liked it.


VHAwk

North Fork Skykomish near Troublesome Creek - August 1986

1960 (or so) May Creek (trib of the Wallace) fishing with my Dad's fly rod and reel with a four(?) foot leader, colorado spinner and night crawler, held down with two split shot. Nasty buck about 7 or 8 pounds grabbed my shiat and ran downriver to the next hole. I couldn't put much pressure on the fish as I was only using 4 lb test. Old woman living on the creek comes out of her house (still remember her name...Mrs. Raddenbush) and yells to me, "Need some help?" I indicated, "Sure!", and off she trots out of sight behind her house and reemerges with a gaff hook on the end of a 10 or 12 foot pole, hikes up her dress, kicks off her shoes, and wades over next to me and says, "Just raise him up a bit". The buck was just sulking in the only deep spot, so I just gently pulled him up close to the surface, and Ol' Mrs. Raddenbush had that thing gaffed and drug up on the bar faster than I could blink. She just says, "There you go", and wades back across and out of sight.
Not a very glorious start, but my Dad sure was proud. Used to have some old 8mm movie footage of me holding that ugly thing up.

cool story dennis

give it another 5 years, and it might be another place to have a decent shot at getting one. there's a hatchery going in around 2009 or 2010 up in pioneer park.

i'm going to try fishing it a little more this year, got a lot of spare time on my hands during the week...there's still a few in there.

1st landed one was 1975 (I was 4) in late winter on the Upper Columbia plugging with my old man. I'd really like to know how many I caught that way. I really wasn't into fishing but I went everywhere with dad.

My first drift fishing one was at the base of Snoqualimie Falls (3rd cast) in 1983 (12 yo).

My son caught his 1st one last year (again pluggin') and he was 2 3/4 yo. Reeled it in all by himself (in the rod holder LOL), maybe a 6# hen. Proud moment for dad.

Pilchuck river, mid '80s. Had just moved to washington to go to school and hooked up with a guy I was working with to go fishing. I had a borrowed pair of waders, but no wading shoes (looked for days, but no size 16's to be found) so I put on a pair of old high top basketball shoes and off we went. It was cold as heck, snow on the ground and ice on the guides each cast. I learned the reason I was invited was because I had a car to leave in one place and then drive with my co worker and his brother in law to another spot up river to start fishing. As I followed them down the river I noticed each time we stopped to fish a hole they would trade as to who would go first, I was always left to bring up the rear but I didn't know any better. After about 3 hours of fishing and walking with no fish I was about ready to call it a day. They had spent about 30 minutes pounding this run while I fished the top end of the drift. They started down river to the next spot and I decided to get a couple of casts in where they had just been fishing. After a couple of cast I got the "hey there aren't any fish in that hole, lets go" from them. 2 cast later I am hooked into a 12lb chrome hen that is trying like crazy to make it to some brush at the bottom of the hole. I managed to land her, bonked her on the head and carry her for the next hour untill we made it to my car. They decided to keep fishing and hitch hike back to thier car, I was fine with the fish I had and nearly frozen so I called it a day. That is the only time I have ever fished the Pilchuck.

Snoqualmie (summer run), Other side of River facing the big eddy, down river from Tokul Creek ( Forest Theater side). The year was 1974. The Start of my Steelhead addiction. Been cronic since that bright sunny day.

Dec 1973 in downtown Redmond with a yarn fly, nice 12lb. buck. Nobody believes today that there was a good fish run in the Sammamish Slough during its heyday. Would love to see the old conga line of anglers right next to yuppie Town Center Mall today! There were many nates heading up Bear Cr. (before it got wasted) and before Herschel ate the rest of the run.
Wish that run was back and wish I could use floats and jigs there....

July 12th, 199?, Sky, with buddy in his driftboat, corky and sandshrimp... 27" chrome hen, maybe 4-5lbs? remember it because it was my birthday, and my buddy gutted out a toothache to row my ass down the river, on Sultan to Ben Howard drift.. Also no pic as his camera went tits up. This was after several other trips, (on the Sky and on the coast), in which I caught nothing. Years of fish whistling have made me forget which year, but I still remember buddy telling me I was grinning like a little kid.(Cotton mouth may have had something to do with it!) Before catching that fish the wife thought that when I went fishing, I wasn't fishing but having an affair, because I always came home smelling like sand shrimp, but no fish to show.
I asked her why anyone in their right mind would be having an affair with someone who smelled like that?!!!!

American River circa 1973. Casting white rooster tails with my mitchell 300 and Garcia rod. Dad was hanging by the gravel bar drinking beers with other "fisherman" while I battle the 3.5 lb monster. No picks.

~steelymann~

Bogey in the winter of 1996. We woke up early to temps in the teens and frozen pipes in the cabin. Harry and I spent the morning thawing pipes. Headed for the hatchery sometime in the early afternoon. We had the river to ourselves as the wind was blowing about 20- 25 upriver and it was downright brutal. We didn't put the heater in the boat even though we talked about it, we were tough and going to proove it. Nothing in the hatchery hole or tall timber so we decided to quit trying to proove anything and started pushing down river headed for home. Harry says "there's gotta be fish in the 'four o'clock drift'". (he called it that because he always came behind everyone else late in the afternoon and hooked fish there) Sure enough, he hooks one about 10 lbs we land it, bonk it, high five and he says "cast out there and get one for yourself." I do, and hook one identical to his. Both hatchery hens on pink pearl corkies. We didn't make another cast. That was as cold as I've ever been winter steelhead fishing. Harry isn't with us anymore but I haven't passed through that water without thinking of him since. That day is etched in my memory forever. He was a great fisherman and an even better man! Many of you crossed his path for sure, the guy in the brown Lavro, always with a smile and usually with a fish on.

My first steelhead was a 5lb native hen(maybe a unclipped hatchery) late Dec. 1999, when I was 10. Just above Maggie's Rock on the Nooksack. Caught it on a small corky and chunk of roe. One of the biggest thrills in my life.

1962--Humptulips with gramps. Hooked 3 caught my first Steelhead. Spin-n-glow and eggs.
Of course he hooked about 10 on straight yarn and eggs. Did not matter the water conditions, he never fished anything but yarn and eggs on 18" of leader and would outfish anybody on the river!

Upper green river near palmer at my Grandpa's house. 1967 I was 5 years old tossing a piece of nightcrawler off a rock in back of the house for trout. Allong comes a summer run to gobble it up. I remember screaming for help, Dad and grampa came running down and helped me get it in. I thought it was a big rainbow???

I grew up in Montana fishing for trout as a kid. Sometime back in the early '70s I went up to Ranger's Hole on the Duckabush with a little trout spinning rod and was tossing some single eggs in the hole below the falls, when I felt a tug on the line. When I set the hook, the biggest trout I had ever seen leaped out of the water took off downstream and immediately broke off my 4lb. test. Didn't have a clue there were steelhead around. I can still visualize that fish coming out of the water. Left me shaking and with the bug, though it was dormant for awhile.

Moved over to eastern Washington shortly after that and spent most of the next 10 years learning to fly fish and chasing non searun varieties of trout. Moved back to the wet side in 1986 with memories of that earlier steelhead. Started fishing with a friend for summerrun's on the N. Fork Stilly. Caught my first one on an orange marabou fly at Picnic Table on a beautiful June morning with the sun just starting to hit the snows on Whitehorse Mt. Memories you don't forget.

Cascade 1999 off of a white worm, same day caught silvers, chum's, and dollies it was a good day.

Toutle 1974 my Dad and Uncle gave me a box of spoons and a trout pole to keep me busy while they fished the prime parts of the runs I got lucky and landed like a 5-6 pound snake in transition water ( I wasn't even looking at the river when I hooked into it). If you asked me that day I thought it was a 20 pounder all I remember thinking was " It's going to pull me into the river" !!! That's when my addiction began, I was 11.

The memory that I will always remember is the time I was fishing the Puyallup river with my Dad, as we did every day off that he had. I don't remember how old I was but very young. I wandered off with my rod and was playing around looking for loose corkies, when I spotted this huge boulder with some really roiling water behind it. I threw my yarn and corkie in there and whoa, my rod about gets yanked out of my hand, the Steelie took off to the middle of the river and starts doing aerial acrobatics with me yelling "Dad" help! I played that fish until I almost had it to the bank and POP, the hook came out. Even though I lost it, it was truly a huge fish that will forever be embedded in my mind.

Steve

Man, this is good stuff! What a great thread.

I would have chimed in days ago but just got my life, er, power back on from this past week's storm catastrophe so here's mine....

Winter-run: 1981 Willapa River. 2 dark unspawned(but VERY ripe) February hatchery bucks caught with a Stee-Lee spoon DAM Quick spinning reel and Fenglass rod. Caught in separate holes the same day......I was ECSTATIC!! My partner at the time, a more seasoned fisherman who had many seasons experience and success on me(though we were the same age...16) hinted that maybe they ought to be thrown back.....he didn't want to offend me knowing they were my first. No way! Those bad boys went home and, I think, were smoked and, I think, tossed after that feeble attempt.

I had fished hard for 2-3 years prior to this on the Deschutes in Olympia back when the old brewery was the happening place. I still remember how my world revolved around hooking one and the sense of accomplishment when it finally did happen. I've been ruined ever since, putting more time into these fish than any other.

First "keeper" winter fish came in 1984 freshman year in college at Oregon State on the Alsea river on the Central oregon coast drifting a plain chartreuse/flame corky.

Summer-run: Fishing a size 1 Mepps spinner as a 10 year old fishing for cutthroat with Dad on a lonely little out-of-the-way Grays Harbor tributary. Day was about done, we'd caught some nice SRC's and came to the final hole before the hike out. I cast in, let the spinner sink, started a slow retrieve and watched this giant white mouth come in behind the spinner, inhale it and immediately let me know it wasn't happy about the state of things. Me? I panicked of course. I forgot what the handle on a reel was for and decided I'd have better luck putting the rod over my shoulder and running backwards up the gravel bar. We parted ways about 10 seconds later. That was my introduction to what a steelhead was and is still a vivid memory. I had no idea at the time how that that fish would shape my life....but I'm glad it did

Nice stories guys...i love it!!!...c

I do remember the first one that i lost...that too would be on the Kalama, but more near the Kalama camp ground...we crossed the river and hit the bend, that fish hit hard and took off like i never could have imagined...as people say, up and down the river...i had a few times to land it, but never knew or thought it was ready...just when i thought i woudl land it it turned and popped off...gone!!...goodbye....i sat on the river for at least five full mins so dissapointed i cant explain, but im sure if you look back you would understand...it was hard to take...but i was hooked on fishing before ever landing a fish...something about the challenge...i could only wish i learned anything from a father, grandfather, aunt, uncle, mother....they all think im crazy...except when i send em fish...but i truly do wish i could have learned from my dad...some here may take it for granted, but i know they dont for real...but man...i did have a chance to take my dad fishing last year...he came up, and i didnt do the Everett Coho Derby so i could fish with him and my Grandpa and Uncle...came to a point in time where we needed to buy a license for em...and my grandpa, who loves to fish in Lousiana, said...." i reckon its tooo cold"...i had the boat ready and all...it was a terrible let down....but i have years to try to convert em...hahaha...c

The Sandy River in early 1980.
Buck about 12 pounds.
First thing I ever caught bigger then a trout or bluegill. Talk about fun! Needless to say i got wet and was very cold!

Actually, that is the only steelhead I have ever caught. I tried the next two years and then joined the Navy. I had better luck with the Kings and Silvers in the Columbia.

Sweet thread...I popped mine when I was about 27 years old on the S. fork of the Stilly. Brightest one to date also. Broke the leader as I brought it to hand. Near drowned myself jumping into the river to throw it onto the the rocks. Couldn't wipe the smile off my face with a shovel.

1965, Snoqualmie River, right where the Tolt dumps in. Had come from S. Dakota to visit in Belleuve. We were fishing for "searun cutthoat'. Remember I was using a flyrod, automatic retrieve flyreel, and a size 14 "montana nymph", walking down to the river I saw a fish roll, so ask my friend "how big do these searun cutthoat get?????? He said "14" to about 22". Well to make a long story short, I caught a summerrun steelhead and had traffic stopped to watch. I'd post the picture but that was when "I was skinny".........

Thanks for the memories.........

8 lb hen outta the St. Joseph River at Berrien Springs, MI around 15 yrs ago. Killer thread,
fb

Kalama river,,not sure on when but I was like 7 or 8 and it was a 20.3 lb hatchery fish. been pimpin ever since

Puyallup River 1961:
This was about my 3rd or 4th time fishing for Steelhead with my Dad and Grandpa. We were plunking along with abut 20-30 other plunkers in about a 2 block stretch of the Puyallup River from Clarks Creek Bridge downriver, I still remember all of the fire pits and guys sitting around them BS'N and laughing while waiting to hear there fishing rod bell go off. I started getting board and I mean really board of sitting and waiting for a Steelhead to find my eggs and Spin-n-Glo when there were tons of other rods below me catching fish after fish, including my Dad and Grandpa, so I started to think (no it didn’t hurt) of some way I could do something a little different than the rest of the fisherman. I started digging through my Dads tackle box and found an Okie Drifter (pink if my memory is correct) and some pencil lead and proceeded to tie up what I now know as a drift rig. I was behind my Dad and was hiding my work in progress. After it was all tied up I walked out to the river bank and tossed it out about 20’ with my Mitchell 300 spinning reel, no sooner had it hit the water and my Dad and Grandpa were yelling what the hell are you doing your going to tangle up with everybody, reel it in and fish like the rest of us! So I slowly started reeling in my gear and I felt a bite like a trout would bite in a lake, so I set the hook and in an instant this silver bullet was flying out of the water doing cart wheels and I started yelling at my Dad to help me. He came over and coached me but would not touch my rod, I remember him saying “you will never forget your 1st steelhead you catch on your own”, and boy was he right! Well by the time I got the fish to shore we were down river about 50’ or so and one of the old timers got up and grabbed his net and landed my fish; I was all smiles and proudly carried my fish back to show off to Grandpa! My dad immediately started cleaning the fish to remove the eggs, he took the larger of the 2 skeins, handed it to me and said “bring these down to the nice man that netted your fish” so I did and shook his hand and said thanks for netting my fish. I kept wondering why my dad had me do this ( like I knew what to do with the eggs) when I got back to my Dad I asked him why I had to give the man the eggs and he simply said “it’s the right thing to do sharing the skein of eggs with the man for netting my fish.” My Dad was right you never do forget that 1st Steelhead you catch!, I hear my son telling guys all the time about his 1st Steelhead and I smile every time I hear him say it!

Been since I was 5 years old. Used to go with my father when it was his time to babysit. He would take my and my bro to the dosiewallups as we lived in Brinnon. Stick us on a rock plunking and he would go down to teh edge and fish. I got a 38 inch(we never weighted them back then) native buck. The old joker almost wrestled the pole away from me but I would not give it up. He just held me by the belt loop of my old levi's barking instruction. Man I wish they never screwed that river up. It was great fishing back then.

I remember it as though it was yesterday. It was 1975 on the Puyallup , downstream from Anton's. I wanted to learn how to steelhead fish, as I was pretty much just a saltwater fisherman. I noticed a large number of cars, so I parked and walked downstream about a half mile. There were about 15 guys all lined up about knee deep in the freezing water casting their wares. I watched for about 3 hours and the only person having any success was a fellow using a nickle size pink corky, pink yarn & about 30" of leader. I left for the local sporting goods store , then went home and rigged up just as he had.
Returning the next morning with my fathers rubber chest waders( WAy TOO BIG ) , I started my quest. In less than 1 hour I had my first steelie on the bank. A gentleman helped me slide it onto the shallows and proclaimed it to be a native. He asked if I wanted to keep it. I could tell by his demeanor that he was hoping I would say no. I told him this was my first ever steelhead adventure, but that I would gladly have him release the majestic fish after such an awesome display of speed and power. It was, I would estimate 11-12 lbs. I could tell he was pleased with my decision.
I returned to the river in hopes of another. Yea right. Well after another hour of casting, my corkie stops midway through its drift. I felt nothing, but set the hook. WOW!! It took off like it was shot out a cannon. First 30 yards upriver then 25yards downriver ,then back upriver in an instant. The noise my line made being ripped up, down, then up again was startling. Again the same gentleman helped me release the native. I would estimate it at 14-15 lbs. He turned to me and said,"you sure this is your first time ? "
No one else had touched a fish all morning! I simply pointed out to him( as if he hadn't already noticed) my 11' surf rod with oversized Mitchel reel .
It was the only thing we owned that wasn't for just salmon fishing in the salt. He was kind to me and I could tell he was almost as pleased as I was at my efforts and especially about releasing both native fish. The sound of my line ripping through the water has stayed with me for over 30 years.

-Don