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