Its been exactly a year since I started fishing for Steelhead. I moved here from New York City and for the first month or so just went to whatever dock or lake was nearby, but when I saw the rivers it was all over.......Most of my efforts have concentrated on the Skykomish but I've managed to hit a few others. I've landed a coho (puyallup), a few dollies (Hoh), and a Jack Chinook (sky) and I've hooked and lost a few large somethins but no steelhead far as I know. I've bought all the wrong and useless gear you could want, spent hours driving and never finding water, left my rod on the roof of the car, etc. I've fished and am still tempted to vasilate between every method there is...drift, spoon, float, etc....but am finally gravitating toward the spoon. Anyway, Im curious to hear what your first year was like....some I'm sure caught a steelie their first time out....and some were probably similar to my experience. Cheers

At least your catchin fish

5 fish a year is catchin fish to you? one keeper? No steelhead even tho thats what I'm after?
I aint complainin just wondering what the learnin curve is like....

Man, I hear ya. I'm not chasing steelhead but it's my first year chasing salmon on the sound & I just can't seem to get it figured out.

From now until about november, I do much better with a jig under a float than with hardware, though spoons and spinners will work. You might try that. I like black, purple, or pink/orange jigs.

No fish at all usually means you're fishing the wrong water. Try other types than what you've been fishing, and watch where other folks fish. Also, this time of year, if you float the rivers, you'll see the fish. Try to float through the stretch you fish in a boat or canoe, and just watch where you spook fish from.

Welcome to steelhead fishing, bro. My first year I caught squat. I finally hit one and it was wild of course--had to throw it back. Broke my heart. It gets better, hang in there. Or switch to bass.

I fished hard for an entire winter before I caught my 1st steelhead...and then caught my 2nd on the next cast.

Keep the faith!

Chovie, I feel your pain. It took me 3 years of fishing to catch my first steelhead. What I realized was that I had several bites that I did not recognize. Here's my advice (this and $2 will buy you a mediocre cup of coffee). I would choose a river that you want to call your home river. Being in Seattle I would recommend the Sky or the Green. Hire a guide for a day and tell him or her that you would love to catch fish but you are mainly interested in learning the river. Watch, listen, learn, ask questions. The money you invest will come back ten fold in greater success. After the guide trip, fish early, fish often. Make notes of river heights, clarity, weather conditions, dates and times. These fish are not magical. They behave by instinct and will repeat their behavior under similar conditions. Your diary will become your roadmap. Read this board, there are some great fishermen on here and more than a few are generous with their knowledge. Keep at it, you'll get there!

I started fishing for salmon and steelhead when I was ten and didn't catch my first steelhead until I was twelve. Ive cauht so many fish now that I can't keep track. I don't like fishing with bait and now I only use a fly. Metal is a good way to go. It's not messy like bait and it doesn't take much time to rig up. Thus you spend more time fishing and less time getting that smell off your fingers. I'd recomend that you go buy some books (spoon fishing for salmon and steelhead) and (spinner fishing for salmon and steelhead) Don't quote me exactly on these titles but I've read sections of both these books and they are very informational. I've never understood the poin of fishing with a jig because you might as well be using a fly. Good luck

You're not alone. I just started for steelies last year. First time out I went with a friend (his first time too) who caught a 20lb beautiful native out of the sky (released). We've gone back many times since both last year and this year and only have a dolly and a whitefish to show for our efforts. I'm still waiting for my first steelie. I think this has not been a banner year for steelies. Maybe we just choose a bad time to start. I'll hang in there because that 20lb my friend caught was amazing. Good Luck!

--Bank Angler

i agree with finding someplace to call your home river. i had one, but everybody came in and fished it out, used to be some great fishing, the nisko

i'm starting to teach myself the *cough*spookumsuck, but the fishing's never been as great