Most of us don’t remember our first fish, but a first salmon burns deep into the memory banks. And a first steelhead, well, that’s one you will never forget. For Judah Oakes, of Vancouver, it came late on a winter’s day, when he got the last place on a congo line of anglers – and made the best of it. His email tells a timeless story about the wonder of getting a first steelhead to the bank. Story and Photography by Judah Oakes Today I was a little reluctant about heading out to fish as the weather wasn’t the greatest. But I but made my way out anyway at about 7 a.m and drove solo to the Chilliwack River, just outside Vancouver, to fish for steelhead even though it was early in the season, especially for fly fishing. I had heard a few were getting caught here and there but mostly by guys float fishing with gear rods. I fished for about three-and a-half hours. It was raining pretty good and the wind picked up and got pretty cold. There were tons of gear guys out, as there usually is on this popular, hatchery river, and the favourite pool I like to hit was stacked up with a bunch of fishermen, so I went farther upstream and fished down. After a couple of hours I got back to the run and there were still five guys float fishing through it, so I waited my turn at the head of the pool and fell in line to start swinging my fly through the pool. Cast, swing, step and repeat. You know the drill. The gear guys all fished through in front of me and had nothing to show for their efforts. No one was behind me...