Last year on my birthday, I caught my first steelhead. I vowed to make it an annual birthday tradition. I was not disappointed. My fishing buddy and I arrived on the river just before sunrise. By 8:00, I landed a cookie cutter steelie. Followed by a chum that fought like a champ. Then WOW!; A soft bite, followed by a soft tug to set the hook, then KA-POW! It took of. There was now stopping it. I knew right then, that I was in trouble. I looked to my buddy, "get the net." (Thanks to Paul for letting us use your net.) I thought I was getting control of it, but I still didn't know what it was, a large steelhead, or a feisty chum. I was getting anxious to see it. Almost got a look at it, but it took off again.... and it was HEAVY! We battled back and forth. It would come in screaming faster than I could reel, then take off like a freight train. Back and forth. For what seemed like an eternity. Finally I got a look at it, and it was a steelhead! YEA! When it saw my buddy, it went nuts! Doing cartwheels and summersaults and anything it could to get off. My heart was racing, I started to panic. "Net the ****er!", I shouted. It must have heard me because it took off again. I caoxed it back in, and my friend scooped it up in the net. (Thanks Robert) - 37" 17lb hatchery!

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