The relentless pursuit from 13 year old Michaelo gave him the opportunity to catch his first steelhead. His trip in June was postponed due to the drought but that didn’t get this kid down. Fishing conditions had improved later in the summer and a week ago we headed to the Cowlitz River in search of steelhead.
Part of my job as a guide is to give grandpas, dads, and grandson’s the best possible opportunity. So we picked a Saturday afternoon in August to hunt for Michaelo’s first big steelhead.
The day started slow. We spent the first couple of hours watching fish being caught all around us by bank anglers using a snagging procedure. A little frustrated we scratching our heads trying to get our first bite, but lots of pressure form fisherman had made it difficult.
This was our chance to keep our faith (always believe) and continue to do explore proven techniques. As we pulled passed the crowds we put on my favorite plugs and worked a long deep channel under some overhanging trees. Just before the river cascaded into the next run the left side rod buried under the weight of a heavy fish.
Gerrie’s Steelhead
Grandpa Gerrie hooked and landed the first fish of the day. High fives and celebration broke the ice renewing our confidence. Feeling good about finding more fish we switched to spoons and spinners as our plan of attack. I could hear young Michaelo whispering under his breath, “I wanna catch one”.
The relentless teen kept casting, kept fishing hard. The determination paid off with a shout of excitement as Michaelo’s drag screamed under the shear force of an angry steelhead. With an acrobatic display of jumps and long runs it was an all out battle. The last jump of the fierce fish caught us all off guard. Under the extreme tension the line snapped leaving us stunned in disbelief.
With a few hours of daylight left we kept the pursuit alive. Finding another promising stretch of river with a sunken pine tree along an amber bluff we put the plugs down and went back to work. Towards the end of the run the left side rod throbbed with excitement as the chrome plug was inhaled. Michaelo grabbed his rod and the fight was on.
Michaelo’s Steelhead
We ended the day with 2 beautiful fish in the box and a happy young fisherman.
Always Believe