Better Late than Never

(Just saw Jeff's report and had to smile. The fish are finally in and I'm so happy that they finally showed that I am not even bummed that the season is over.)

My buddy Steve and I hit the Sky at daylight at Sultan. After finding someone in both Two-Bit and Eagles, we snuck down the backside of the island for my "private water". A half dozen casts in and Steve yells "Fish On". He'd hooked a nice fish in the 10-12# range. The fish came out of the water a couple of times and was colored up but frisky. Just as it came in close to Steve's feet it made one more jump and the hook came away. Steve said the best part was that the fish hit the fly as soon as he made his initial mend with the fly in the film still.

We proceeded down to Thunderbird to find two guys running up the rocks from a boat parked at the bottom. We were already pulling into the top but decided to give them the water and head down to fished the island water. We fished and waited there for over two hours as three guys in a boat with a outboard jet shuttled back and forth between IRS and Jack Daniels (always leaving one to hold the hole). Finaly they left and we moved down to Jack Daniels. I started at the top while Steve walked in mid-run. Once again, a few casts in and Steve yells out. The fish hit way out in the swing and started taking line quickly before the hook came free.

That was the grand total of our fish action for the day. There was a massive caddis hatch at mid-day and the smolts were making the water boil. Two of the little guys actually mouthed my 1/0 and were landed. Cute little hatchery steelies they were.

All in all this was a disapointing year but I swam some fish, I landed a couple, I learned some new water, I had some memorable trips and I met some really great people. Can't complain about any of those.

Did anyone say summer runs?
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