First steelhead

[Orange Heron]

Do you remember the first steelhead that you caught? I still do to this day. We were fishing for fall chinook on Drift Creek around the first of November about 25 years ago and we had hiked into the canyon below the church camp and we were catching a lot of chinook and it was getting close to the end of the day and the last chinook was a dandy of around 40 lbs and by the time I finally landed this fish my hook was bent with the chenille on the body of the fly coming unwrapped. It was getting late and we had a great day already so instead of changing the fly over I just bent the hook back in shape and decided one more cast. Well, as fishing always goes the last cast which by the way was in the same pool that we had been in all day catching salmon I hooked something really bright which at first I thought might have been a jack until it came up just below the surface and did a roll and I noticed this beautiful pink color on his gill plate and at that moment I had on my first steelhead and I let out a yell that could be heard all the way to Lincoln City. I finally landed this nice 7lb. steelhead. Well from that point on as I'm sure it happens to everybody else it has become an obsession. Lets hear some the ifishers first steelhead stories!!

[RogueFishr]

First steelhead was when I was 4 years old. We used to live across the street from the river. My dad would come home and shoot across the road to fish before dark. About every couple days he would take my brother (3 years old) and I if the weather was good. He rushed home one afternoon and we loaded up and went across ths street. My dad was pretty busy putting eggs on our hooks and casting our rods out into the water (as opposed to the bank, bushes, trees where we seemed to land them). About 30 minutes into the trip, my brother hooks (and lands with my dads help) a 7# buck. Me and my brother are doing the victory dance over the top of this fish while my dad rebaits my rod and casts it back out. He no more than hands the rod to me, and I have a fish on. I fought the fish, determined to land it myself. We were fishing on a bank about 2 feet above the water, which was about 3 feet deep at the bank. As I finally get the fish up to the bank, my dad is preparing to climb down to the water and net the fish. I must have gotten a little excited because the ol' man wasn't landing the fish fast enough, so I take off runing (with the rod) away from the river, thinking I would drag the fish out of the water and up the bank. As I hit mach1, the fish comes out of the water, starts up the bank, and the leader breaks. The worn out fish slides back into the water and is kind of floating there. My dad jumps off the bank into the water, and scoops/flings the fish up into the air and onto the bank. Job complete: 8# hen :grin: We still have the picture, 30 years later of my brother and I trying to hold our fish up, and Dad, wet to his waist, standing in the middle of us smiling as big as we were.

RF

[k9jeff]

My first one was also at drift creek. I love that little river!
It was just below the church camp. That was a few years ago becasue they did not need to be fin clipped.
It was a 12lb hen and I nailed her on eggs.
I plan on chinook fishing there next week....

[KingFisher85]

Well, some of you may have heard this story before but here it goes.
This is how I got the bug for salmon and steelhead fishing.

It started off one summer many moons ago and I was fishing on the North Fork of the Lewis River off the Cedar Creek rocks tossing out deep diving wiggle warts.
All I knew is that there were some summer steelhead in. All I used was this blue deep diving wiggle wart that I found on the bank. So all day I kept tossing out that blue deep diving wiggle wart till about the end of the day and I was reeling in and had a good size steelhead flow it in.
Oh that got my little hart a going.
I kept tossing out to the same spot and soon one more a little bigger flowed it in.
Well, by that time I could not believe it. I kept on tossing out that wart till it was dark. Now just to let you know, I was 8 at the time and had been down there all day.

I ended up going back down there the next day and did the same thing. Tossing out them blue wiggle warts.
Fished half the day and right about the time the sun was going down, POW, I got hit but missed it.
Next cast, POW, it hit it but I still missed it.
Tossed out there one more time and the fish hit it and I set the hook good and hard. FISH ON!
I was yelling and everyone on the river had to hear me, if they didn't, well they had problems.
I ended up banking it. It was only like 22 or 23 inches but oh well. It was bright and it was a hatchery and it was my FIRST STEELHEAD that I caught on my own.
Everyone at school heard about that fish.

You can guess what I ended up fishing with for about 3 years?

From then on I have been going down to the Lewis River fishing for the salmon and steelhead. Even if there is no fish coming up, I'm still down there trying my luck.

[horseskull]

First steelhead was some 35 years ago on the Yaquina above Elk City. Dad, my brothers and I was plunking when I caught my first. Caught it on the yellow Zebco outfit.

[Corkie Monster]

I hooked my first steelhead when I was about 12 at the Farmers creek ramp. I used to go everyday after school. I remember I was fishing for trout with a tiny yellow/w red dot Panther martin. My spin real got all tangled up and was undoing it. When I finnally untangled everything I started to real it in. Suddenly my rod tip went down and saw a flash. I was so scared of loosing this fish, Heart pounding in all. Then I started to think that I had no Tags, But my aunt was already on the way to the tackle shop to buy them. Just then a white pick up pulles into the wayside parking lot. "GameWorden" :shocked: She watched me land the fish and I looked up at her and about cried in fear that I would have to release it. I told her I have no tag, and that I my Aunt went to get one for me before I came down here. She smiled and said I beleive you and to make sure I tag it when I get home. I will never forget that day or her face. Thankyou

[24 on/ 48 off]

Kalama River. I was seven years old. Oh, what a memory!

--spud-- :smile:

[fishguy]

Grande Ronde river, in march, back in high school, I had the worst flu i have ever had. I felt like I was going to die. Any ways, about a 9 pound buck on a fly rod. It was not the last one of the day. From then on I have had "steelhead syndrome", still have it to this day.

[SteelieSteve]

1978, Mollala river, a spawner :hoboy:

[Stew]

A spawner hen spitting single eggs at the Girl Scout hole on the Sandy. January 15, 1975 on a red corkie w/white yarn. Remember it well!
I had built my first rod and this was the first time out with it so I had some good karma going for me. Been a blast ever since!

[MountainLion84]

caught my first one at Gnat creek. Blacker than an ace of spades1!! I didn't care for a little fat kid it was quite a prize.

[GutshotApe]

1960, Columbia River, from the bank at the Kalama Bar, just above where the marina now is. A nice 5 lb. summer run on a yellow/red spin-n-glow plunked in the current with 4 oz. pyramid sinker. Everybody caught fish that day :cool: !

[Fast Water]

31 years ago when I was 10 fishing on the EF Lewis at Lewisville Park on the island at the "gaurentee fish hole" with my dad.

It was winter, cold and freezing. My dad seemed oblivious to this fact as he was happliy fishing and I was sure I was turning blue. My father went upstream around the corner just out of site and I sent the oakie drifter for another ride down the river. A jerk on the rod....then a YANK and I nearly had my butt dragged into the river. It was so powerful and overwhelming that I started shouting out to my day. He thought I was just complaining about the cold but when he heard the splash he came running. He stood by my side and talked me through landing the fish.

Something I will never forget. :smile:

[Lepper]

drift creek?? that is some memories!! I have caught many a steelhead out of that river... many many many steelhead!!

dave

[cannonball]

Fall 2000, my wife and I caught 2 on a short trip with a friend. The next week I purchased my first sled rods ect :sick: . Its not just an addiction it is a way of life.

[skrimmy]

30 years ago, Klamath River below the 101 bridge! Summer Steelies, what a hoot! I've been "hooked" ever since!

[Straydog]

I am guessing around 1962 or 1963. I was 9 or ten and my fishing experience had been limited to hatchery trout in the Mt. Lakes, upper Rogue and anywhere around Grants Pass that I could ride my bike. The Railroad Bridge and behind Spalding Mill were favorites.

Then one day the dream trip was offered. My buddies dad agree to take us on a drift for Steelhead on the Illinois River!

Long cold wet day with no fish in the boat. Heck, even "Davie" Davidson, who we saw on the river had been shut out.

It was right at the take out and we were in the last run of the day. I had the standard fly rod with spin reel fishing a "yellow sparkle plenty" hot shot in size 50.

Out of nowhere my rod starts dancing and the fight is on! After a few lucky minutes the fish was horsed to the boat and my buddies dad's wating net! Nice 8lb buck and as bright as could be.

The real remarkable thing about this fish, beyond the sight of a fat, toe headed kid going berzerck with excitment, was the fact that the fish did not have one of my hooks in it at all!!

The fish had broken off a previous angler and had the hook still in its mouth with a wad of monofilament hanging out. My plug had actually hooked the wad of line but still held for me to land the fish. We decided it had "intended" to bite my plug so kept it anyway. (as if anyone was going to convince me otherwise! :grin: )

[steelheadslayer]

Christmas break, junior year, 1978, 9 lb. chromer on the Elochoman with an okie with small bait o eggs. I'll never forget and still show the picture off. Oh yeah, froze my freakin rear off, that part I remember more than anything else except for the 18 lber. my buddy got a fly the same day. :shocked:

[jr]

summer of 2001 my first steelhead ..i was on the clackamas at riverside park fishing spoons above the concrete things in the slots . my buddy tiderunner had just got done telling me how useless spoons where when i decided to go .sunny day tan on the arms and thinking just one more cast when the next thing i know my med heavy action pole doubles over and just about snaps :grin: i couldn't beleave it after fighting it for 20 mins in the slots i finally got a look at it :grin: it was huge and about then it starts jumping like theres no tomarrow 20 mins later sore arm ,and all i finally pulled him to shore .no camera ,and he was half clipped :whazzup: what no prouf ?no this can't be happening !anyways est.25lbs about the size of the one on the wall at fish supple in OC, maybe a little bigger :wink: (and whose bright idea was it to let kids clip fish anyway :mad: )(o yeah good learning experence and all crap!)and tiderunner still won't let me live it down althou he says i like to hit dumpsters at 40 mph too! :wink:

[RichH]

Rogue river, mouth of Kane creek. Tossing a nickel woblrite with my trout rod, whats that snag doing out there. Oh crap, its moving. 21 inch hen, chrome bright. Started spitting eggs as soon as I bonked her. I picked em' up and cured em' anyways. :grin:

[PapaHog]

High on the clackamas fishing for trout in the early 70s. Wow what a rush. I'll never forget.

[O'City Fisherman]

The Elochoman river when I was 10 years old. My brother took me for a nice cold winter trip. We were down there throughing corky and yarn. Next thing I know my line is peeling like nothing I have ever heard before. I tightened up the drag got her to slow down then turned around. About 15 min later I finally got to tag my first steelhead a nice 12lb hen. Brother was so ****** we left early. (He does not like it when I outfish him. Needless to say we do not fish together anymore). By the way does anyone fish this river any longer? I have not been there for about 20 years.

[ 11-18-2002, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: O'City Fisherman ]

[Nuttinbutnet]

High Rocks on a very cold January morning. Never used a levelwind before. Big glow corkie and a peeled prawn tail. First cast....Big birds nest. 10 minutes taking the nest apart, bait 175 feet down river. Get the nest out, brother-in-law says give it a hard jerk and your bait will come to the surface. Jerk, nothing, jerk, nothing. Now I'm snagged! Jerk, jerk, jerk. Then the snag jerked back! FISH ON! Land what I think is the most beautiful fish I have ever seen. Chrome never looked this good. 17# hatchery hen. I'm hooked!!!!!!!

[rags]

January 1970 on the Wilson River behind the Guide Shop. Don't think it was the Guide Shop back then. Was fishing out of a friends driftboat pulling plugs. We were using our fly rods with 15lb. mono and #30 metallic green hotshots. 17# Chromer buck. When I finally landed him my thumb was bleeding from the reel handle but who cares. What a fish! :grin:

[TillamookChinook]

I grew up in the 50's in the Willamette Valley and heard people talk about winter steelhead fishing, but it sounded like it was rare to catch a fish and it was always cold and miserable. I tried winter steelheading some in the 70's and caught nothing but a cold. Then about 17 years ago, after a committee meeting in December I heard a guy at the other end of the room talking about flyfishing. He was a student from California and said he had been flyfishing for steelhead on the Salmon River (Mt. Hood) and always caught fish. I said he didn't understand. Steelheading was difficult, cold and seldom resulted in a fish. He said, "Come on, let's go this weekend." I caught two summer steelies on a fly in December, while standing on a snowbank. Of course, despite many more trips, I did not catch another until this last summer on the Deschutes.

[ko]

Caught my first steelhead at Wiley creek on the Santiam. My friend took me. He had a nice hand built Loomis, and I was armed with my 6'
trout pole, and small spinning reel with as much 8lb test as I could squeeze on it. Hooked in to a 12 lber. and was able to bring it in to shallow water right at my feet. All of a sudden my reel seats broke, and my reel went flying. I was able to grab the line with my bare hanbs and horse it in. Hooked ever since, but I fish with a better gear now. :wink:

[SpinnerDog]

4 yrs ago, upper Washougal, late summer run, buddy suggested we toss into the tailout of a small set of rapids, we alternated hooking steelies for 5 consecutive casts. First was about 8#, others 9-12#. Same rapids have been dead since :smile:

[Dragfreedrift]

My first steelhead was in December 1976 on the Snoquamie River outside of Seattle. I was just a young kid tagging along on a trip with one of the neighbor kids and his dad. My friends dad told us to go down to the tailout because "thats where the fish are". I now realize that he was just trying to get rid of us so he could fish in peace and quiet.

My buddy and I walked downriver and started to fish with corkies and yarn. After about 30 minutes or so, my friend decided he'd had enough and decided to walk downriver and try to catch some whitefish. I continued to fish with my same rig. Several casts later I thought I had snagged the bottom, then the bottom started to move!!! My eyes got big and
my heart started to pound as this steelhead tore up the pool. After about 5 minutes of some jumping and short runs, the fish decided he'd had enought and proceeded to take off downriver on a smoking run that tore all theline off my reel in about 2 minutes!!!

I sat there in disbelief....shaking and wondering what the heck had just happened!!
I had been spooled!!!

Now, years later and hundreds of steelhead later, I still recall that day like it was yesterday!

Half Canuck

[Firedog]

Gobar Creek (trib to the Kalama) 1972, I was 5 years old. Remember it like it was yesterday. Had been catching trout behind My Great Grandparents house on the Creek and 10lb winter run decides to take my triple teaser I had been casting. He was black as they come so we turned him loose. Still a great memory though. :smile:

Wish there were still catchable numbers in that creek.

[ 11-18-2002, 02:04 PM: Message edited by: firedog ]

[outdoor.spec.ops]

I cought my first steelhead about 4 years ago while fishing with my twin brother. He always catches fish, and I still to this day catch a limited few. Anyhow, we were down on Tenmile creek, and he had limited out for like the 10th day in a row, and I had still not cought a single fish. On the way out walking across the dunes, he spotted about 5 fish pooling by the bank. He told me to sneak down and drift eggs to them. He told me how close my eggs were, and even told me when a fish had the eggs.(I didn't even feel the bite-haha) After having him wade out and get the line unhooked from a snag, I FINALLY HAD A FISH! He never fails to tell people that he practically put the fish on my line, and how it was a small fish, but it was my first steelhead. I have thankfully improved my abilities, but still have a tough time outfishing him.

[drifter]

1970. Mollala river, junction with North fork. Fenwick fiberglass rod, Michell spinning reel, Mepps spinner.

However, the best "first steelhead" has been watching my sons each catch and land their first steelhead. One drift fishing and one with bobber and shrimp. As the say in the TV commerical - "PRICELESS." drifter.

[fishonksm]

1986 on the wilson river just below the guide shop. Got their 0 dark early. beat the water till my arm fell off. not a thing happening all day. kinda wondering what i was doing wrong.
the sun setting pretty low maybe getting on around 4:30-5. all day long cast, drift, retreve. Then it happened all of a sudden my okie stoped. I'm thinking why on earth did that happen. Darned okie never stoped in that spot all day. Then the lights come on, the bells started ringing and I'm thinking what was said to me before i came fishing " IF IT STOPS, PAUSES, OR HESITATES IN ANY WAY" set the hook cause its probably a fish. No doubt about it that day. I took home my first steelhead a 8lb hen. now adays i got my 16yr old fishing with me for them chromers.

[rob allen]

on the Washougal about 1979 i imgine my dad had been out in the AM and caught 11 then came back and got me.. I got two out of a run called "Straubs" on the Washougal river. I was drifting eggs I don't remember how big they were but to a 8 year old any steelhead is huge.

[BUGLEMAN]

My first stealhead was an old boot out of Eagle fern park. It was shooting sperm all over the river bank but since it was my first one and not black I bonked it and cooked it up. The girlfriends father said, " I thought we were eating bread for dinner but it wasn't that bad". I had never fished the rivers befor that so what did I know.

I was hooked ever since :rolleyes:

:smile:

[ 11-18-2002, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]

[Rock Stick or Fish]

I caught my first steelhead a couple of weeks ago on the Clack in Barton. I kept getting a thump every couple of drifts in roughly the same spot, and I finally socked it to 'him and landed a little hatchery brat that was dark enough to release.

Then on the 11th while fishing in the guide shop hole I was fishing above the hubbub where nothing should have been biting and managed to find a slew of friendly steelies, and came home with a 9lb hatchery buck...

Then I landed my first wild fish on Sunday... First cast through a drift on the wilson he hammered my yarn. A tough fight ensued but I managed to bring him in... All .10 lbs of him! He was a courageous little smolt, and I was happy to cut the hook to let him go without hurting him.

RSF

[Applegate]

october 1961, I was 6 years old and had permission to from my folks to fish in a local creek beside our house.My friend and i decided to walk down it to the river which was only about 1/2 mile downstream. Mother always told us not to go to the river, but you guys were all little boys at one time as well :grin: . I had an old steel telescoping rod of some nature with about 8 feet of line tied to the end and wound around the rod.
We get to the mouth of Sand Creek and the Rouge is low and warm and the mouth of the creek is choked with summer run steelhead trying to cool down. Floated a grasshopper down to them and just held on and yanked out a couple about 5-6 lbs. Finally hooked something that was heavier than the line we had and lost all of our rigging.
When we proudly came home with the fish, mother was all fired up at us because she knew that we didn't get them in the creek! Been sneaking off to the river at every opportunity since.

[Orange Heron]

Just got back from a nice relaxing vacation down in K Falls and sat down and read everybody's first steelhead experiences. What a hoot!!! That first steelhead is something that will stay in an anglers memory bank forever.

[Timber]

I can relate drifter. two of mine caught their first chinook this year. and the other one I took steelhead fishing this spring caught three while I just rowed the boat and let him fish. what a way to start your career. Tim

[graybeard]

It was winter in the mid 1970's. I had just built my first fishing rod, a 7 ft. sage graphite trout rod. It was also my first graphite rod. I thought it was a work of art. I put a tiny Ryobi casting real on it. It looked just like a steelhead rig, only scaled down for fishing trout. It was like torture, I figured I would have to wait 3 months for trout season to open to try it out. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to see how it felt so I hopped in the car and drove to the Wilson River. I pulled off the road where I could see a pool, tied a nickel steelie to the 8 lb test mainline and cast across the pool. I remember that I was amazed that I could feel the steelie lure pulsing as it drifted through the tail-out. You guessed it, Whammo!! Fish ON! I don't have any idea how long I fought it, I was in a time warp. I had fished for steelhead many times before then, but had never hooked one. I didn't even have a net with me. It finally gave up and I beached it. My new custom made trout rod and my first steelhead all in the same day. I was on cloud 9. :grin:

[wetaline]

I think I was probably 1 or 2... :smile: dont remember the first stealhead but i my parents have pictures....

I do remember hooking my first deschutes Rainbow on a fly though with out my dad standing next to me (so it counted as being all by myself - he was one hole down)... probably was 8 or 9 ... everytime i walk by that hole to this day i can picture it all happening again...

[TheTexan]

Feb. 2002 on the Siletz drifting from Moonshine. I had been out too many times to count for summers and winters without as much as a nibble. Everyone around me was always catching and bonking fish, but I couldn't even touch one. I have always done well fishing for bass and other warmwater fish, I figured same for Steelhead....NOT! Anyways we were about half through our drift and I was already getting depressed about another trip without a fish. Should I just give up and take up golf? When all of a sudden I felt a bump, thinking it was just my weight snagging on the bottom, I lifted the rod and away she went. After a good 10 minute fight the 12lb bright buck was landed. Luckily it was clipped, if it wouldn't have been I would have.............................................. .....................started crying like a baby! Largest bass that I have ever caught was 14.5 lbs and was not near as exciting. If I have to bass fish I will, because it is fishing, but nothing will take the place of an acrobatic steelhead!

WaaaaaaaHooooooooo! :shocked: