Even since I lost a big steelhead my wife Eileen wanted to go back to Pateros to try to get another one. So, last Friday we went to give it another try. We didn’t get to the hole that had produced that first fish until about noon, and it was clear after a few casts that no one was home. From there I drove the Smoker Craft up the Columbia to a place where Shane Magnuson and I had fished several times, years ago, that had produced fish. Eileen’s bobber bounced once, but she didn’t hook up. We then went back to Pateros, passing several anglers casting from the docks, and one boat that indicated they had landed a fish earlier that day. When we ran up above the bridge we found Gary Cole, who told us he was having a ball catch steelhead here this season. He said he was having his best year ever. He held up a nice fish to prove his point. We didn’t share this good luck but had another fun day on the water. We haven’t given up steelhead fishing in the area around Pateros. We will be going back there with high hopes of landing a fish.