who knows???
weather was great, water conditions were marginal (1.5ft vis most of the week), fish numbers were low (river guardians and others figured the run is 1/3 normal size this year), but the Dean is the Dean and it usually produces a few. Top rod in our camp for the week (Nobuo Nodera) landed 5 and lost 2 additional fish, so the fishing certainly wasn't "red hot", but there were a few around, just not under my flies. Somone said it must have been my casting. :hehe: I talked with legendary angler Jerry Wintle at the airstrip on the way out and he said it had been a pretty dismal year for him too--there since beginning of July, only one fish so far. Apparently there were a few spots up the river that were producing, just not at our location.
No sympathy required, Inland, but thanks for the offer, Per! This is just a good reminder that in steelheading anything can happen!
Bonus for the trip: we regularly had very large grizzly bears within 40 feet of us. They were more interested in the salmon than the spey casters, thank goodness!
Bonus #2: Beau is there, healthy and happy and playing hide-and-seek with a mama grizzly and her cub. Sorta like the Crocodile Hunter, Texas style!