#4 The Twins

Every year the river evolves at the hands of mother nature. Runs that produced consistently in years prior change. Sometimes it’s the result of huge meteorological events or unprecedented thaws but the underlying fact is that the river gets remolded and is constantly evolving. It can be a bitter sweet pill to swallow. On one hand it is frustrating discovering favored runs have been filled in and no longer hold fish but on the other hand it is so exciting and rewarding rediscovering sections of water that now stack fish. It is a part of the sport that I cherish. There is great satisfaction finding these fish and enjoying the nuances of fishing “new or rediscovered” water. The allure of the unknown and beauty of the new backdrops add to the overall collective experience.


As you have read prior on this blog this past season was short lived. The river levels really didn’t come on strong and my season didn’t start until December. At the top of our typical travels is a fabled run that I will not mention here. This water has really never produced a lot of fish for me but has historically been known to. For some reason 2009 seemed to be the year for this run. On two separate occasions I was fortunate enough to manage hens in the 30”+ class. Both of these fish were pristine. If I had to quantify the raw beauty of a steelhead to someone that had never seen one I would give them a picture of these fish. They were that perfect. That is why my #4 entry is one of these ladies. The fight memory doesn’t inspire me as much as the beauty of this fish. Don’t get me wrong here as she had her way with me and I should be embarrassed about it but take a little time to savor this fishes beauty. She pretty much sums up why we never take any fish from “The Shire”. She is a true poster child of the Catch and Release philiosophy.

Note: This fish and subsequent writeup inspired me and got me thinking How many times have we all been caught up in he moment about hooking, fighting and landing these fish only to realize we didn't really absorb their true beauty prior to release. As a race we are genetically built to be hunter gatherers and in this day and age of give me more and consume consume consume it is so easy to lose sight and not appreciate the prize. Our window of opportunity is short before we return these magnificient creatures back to their environment. I guess that is why I am such a picture freak. It helps me relive the experience over and over again and the memories do not get lost as so many of my expriences have prior to the past 7 or so years. For 2010 and beyond I am going to make a conscious effort to slow things down and savour these brief encounters as if each were to be my last.