Morning Rush

With a sound like that of newspaper ripping, the fly line cut through the water as the steelhead with the minnow fly in its mouth rushed into the big bend pool on the Grand River. Minnows, spooked by the fly line zipping through their home behind a mid-stream boulder leaped from the water, for a moment looking like miniature flying fish.

The fish pulled line from the Lamson Waterworks real and dove deep. As the fish pulled the line through the water it vibrated like a guitar string. In the low dawn light I could see the gray backing zipping through the guides. All of the fly line was out of the reel and the fish -- if it was so inclined -- had several hundred yards of a pool to play in. I had to get the fish under control. As I reeled up line and tightened down the drag, she rocketed from the water, showed me her porcelain white belly, flipped one more time for good measure and crashed back into the Grand.

The noise of the splash filled the valley at Beaty Landing. It was just me and the fish on this beautiful, gray dawn. My wife was asleep at the B&B a few miles away. And I was enjoying another morning in paradise.

From Steel Pursuit

After a few more head shaking runs, she finally came to the bank. After snapping her picture -- with the minnow buried in her mouth -- I returned her to the river and headed back to the car.

I expect that there will be at least one more push of fresh fish this spring, but if not, this was the right way to end the season.