This past spring was my first time fly fishing for steelhead. During the previous fall season I really got into catching brown trout on a fly rod. So, I really wanted to get a steelhead with a fly rod the next spring. It was sometime in the beginning of April. I had been fishing for steel for about a month without any luck. It was on of those days where I would get out of school, quickly get my fly fishing stuff and go directly to the river. The river was in great shape. The flow was just right for the steelhead run I had planned to fish that afternoon. When I got to my first spot every thing felt just right. When I started out I was using an egg sucking leach pattern and I just knew there had to be some hungry steelhead somewhere in the run. After about 15 minutes of fishing the egg sucking leach with no takers, I switched flies. I tied on a bead headed black and blue wooly bugger that I tied myself. I had been fishing this fly for about 5 minutes when my line stopped and I felt a solid thump. I set the hook and the steelhead took off like a lightning bolt. I was taking it easy because I was using a 5X tippet. After its first run, we battled it out for a few more minutes. It’s chrome body left the water 5 times, 2 out of the 5 times getting extremely airborne. Then, after a few more short runs, I had finally landed my first steelhead. I know that keeping steelies is looked down upon, but in this case being my first and a gift to share with my family, I did keep it. It will be the only one that I will keep because a fish this great deserves to be released. My first encouter with a steelhead has got me hooked and I will be looking forward to this fall’s and next spring’s steelhead runs. Good luck to all this next season, and if you come up to North Eastern WI, maybe I will see you on the water.