Yes, all good things must end. We are heading back today. The kids wanted to sleep in and that gave me two precious hours to fish.

I targeted some water that requires aggressive wading and has produced quality fish consistently.

I was on the water by 5 am. I must have chosen a good time, for seven sizeable fish came to the net in 30 minutes. Surrounded by very fast current, they were tricky to land. All on the Rainbow Warrior.

The best fish was a landlocked salmon that was about 16″ to 18″. I didn’t photograph it, as it shot out of the net as soon as I de-hooked it.

It was a beauty. Looked absolutely pristine. It is a memory that I will cherish for a long time. It took off down river, and I thought I had lost it. But, I put the rod tip into the water and tried to angle the fish with some side pressure. Thankfully, it worked. I eased it into a quiet seam.

With that, I decided to end the trip by fishing small dries on my 000-wt. The fish have been incredibly picky about dries on this trip. With water shallow, they refused most offerings.

I worked a gentle pool with bubbly water and very tricky currents. It was challenging. But, I managed to dupe a few.

There something fitting about ending a fishing trip throwing small dries to wild fish.

After releasing my last fish, I sat on a rock in the river and enjoyed the surroundings. Here is an unfiltered photo of what I saw.

Heaven.

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Thanks again, Tall Timber. Was a great 12th stay. Until next year.