We met our guide, Erik Brigham, in Astoria, Oregon at the East Mooring Dock at 6AM.  Erik and his deck hand Mike were geared up and excited to finally meet up with us.  They had been following us online and hoping they could treat us to a unique northwest experience on the Astoria Inlet today.  I asked Erik what our chances were.  He simply replied “good”.  It was clearly a statement of expectation management.
It was a cool morning – around 50 degrees, overcast with a hint of rain in the air.  There were easily 50 other boats already anchored and fishing when we arrived at our spot.  After an hour we had only spotted one other boat in the area that had hooked a sturgeon.  I thought “Hmmm, these are apparently harder to catch than I had hoped.”  Then, the action started.  Within 10 minutes we saw at least 10 sturgeon break the surface in an acrobatic display.  Seeing a 5 foot sturgeon shoot out of the water was an amazing sight.  It also seemed that they were concentrated in an area about the size of a football field. 
Erik decided to pull anchor and relocate right on top of their playground – and it worked.  15 minutes later Taylor was hooked up with one and having the fight of his life. 
Then I hooked one – DOUBLE HEADER!!  Mike, the deck hand, took the camera and Taylor and I went to fighting these two fish side-by-side.  15 minutes later we were staring at two of the biggest fish of our lives in the ice box – each four feet long.  Then, the big guy hit.  It took both Taylor and I taking turns fighting this one.  He was an “oversized” fish – meaning he would have to be released, but that was more than fair as we already had more fish in the boat than we could eat on the entire trip.  Well over a half an hour later a nearly 7 foot, 150 pound sturgeon lay in our cradled hands on the side of the boat.  WOW – what a beautiful creature.  We removed the hook and watched him glide back into the deep.
The day was not over though.  We landed one more 4 footer before we relocated once again.  We probably could have sold our buoy location because as we pulled anchor anyone within eyeshot of us clambered to move in on our spot.  We moved about a half mile to a shallow water sand bar location to spend the last 45 minutes.  And our good fortune continued as I hooked a very rare green sturgeon.  In fact, Erik stated in 10 years of fishing he has never caught one and only ever seen two.  All he could say was “you guys have got to buy a lottery ticket today.”

 Erik could also spend the day with his family – a rare summer treat for a fishing guide.
We met Eric and his deck hand, Mike on the Lewis River near Woodland, WA around 5PM.  I was no stranger to steelhead fishing – just a stranger to catching one.  Our family lived in Washington in 1997 and 1998.  It was during that year that I spent many a Saturday south of Seattle trying to catch one of these elusive fish.  But, given our blessed morning with Eric and Mike on the Columbia River we felt this would be our day.
First, let me say – our day on the Columbia and Lewis Rivers with Erik Brigham was an absolute joy.  Not only was the fishing “and” catching outstanding, but Erik’s personality is truly infectious - an awesome sense of humor, great father, and just a wonderful person to be around.  I couldn’t recommend him more highly.
Erik taught us a bit about the orchestration of steelhead fishing.  In fact, if done properly it actually looks a bit like a chorus line as the four of us in the boat each cast in unison – hopefully the video will illustrate that part. 
An hour into our adventure we had landed 3 small steelhead – really small.  These were babies and not what we were looking for.  But, then it happened.  Taylor had a Mack truck of a steelhead slam his line and the fight was on – or so we thought.  Erik said, “you’re snagged up – break the line”.  Taylor said, “I just saw him jump!” 

 I thought, “let’s err on the side that this might be a fish.”  It sure looked like a snag to me.  The fish was dead stopped in 10 foot of water in swift current.  Erik maneuvered the boat up stream and that’s when the fish took off.  Dodging, darting, long-runs screaming out the drag, pull bent double.  Taylor was circling the boat as the fish gave it everything he had.  I don’t think you can ever have to big of a net.  After 10 minutes of exhilarating fun – it was high five time.  The first steelhead I had ever seen caught in person – I was elated for Taylor – a 10 pounder
An hour and a few more small steelhead toddlers later and I would get my chance.  It was the same kind of acrobatic fun.  I was skeptical that we would ever get the net under him, as we dodged countless sunken trees and stumps – but in the end both of us would have one, and as usual Taylor’s was a big bigger.
We never did find that store to buy that lottery ticket – probably best not to push our luck.  It was a wonderful day – one for the ages.