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.