The Thankful Angler

Five that this angler is thankful for:

1. A wife and best friend who never once complains when I rise well before dawn to indulge my passion for the places where trout hang out.

2. William Stinchcomb -- the visionary who designed the Cleveland Metroparks, which provide world-class urban fisheries that allow me to recharge my soul, experience God's creation and fight giant steelhead during my morning and evening commutes.

3. Mike Durkalec -- The Metroparks biologist and all of his colleagues who keep Stinchcomb's vision alive, and protect it for generations to come.

4. Jeff Liskay for developing my spey casting technique (no easy task) so that I could catch steelhead on the swing in Steelhead Alley and wild rainbow in Alaska -- and for being the happiest angler I know.

5. Fishing friends -- New and old friends are made every year on the river. While I prefer solitude, there is nothing more fun than a day on the river with good friends, even if they do outfish me often than not.

My Thanksgiving wish is that more people will experience the wonders of Steelhead Alley and support efforts to protect and enhance this asset.