Credit River

Shout out to the two gentlemen who took the picture for me!!!!

Just planning to get some salmon. And the results were a bit different but still fun😉

Just caught this huge chinook salmon. Tight lines lol my arms are sore. But it’s a good thing 😁😁

Hooo what a day! The browns were out to play! This old boy has seen better days, he was quite emaciated. Maybe he swallowed a hook at some point, or maybe he's at the end of his natural life. It took a WHILE to get him to bite, including multiple fly changes. A good pair of sunglasses really helps to locate these fish. I saw him swimming around in the pool, ignoring my offerings one after another. Thanks Feng Li for your patience as I tried half my flybox on this guy. We found lots of others as well. Unfortunately both of us forgot our nets.

The morning broke cool and crisp, the kind of air that wakes you up before the first cast. A low fog clung to the fields, and out past the fence line, a few cows moved slow and quiet, heads down in the wet grass. At the river’s edge, a weathered sign set the rules of the sanctuary: single hook, artificial only, no barbs. Fair play for wild trout. I pulled on the gear—waders cinched high, net slung at my back, rod and reel ready, box of spinners and flies tucked away. The river was calling, and it wasn’t going to give up anything easy. For hours I waded, cutting across the current from bank to bank, sometimes chest-deep, sometimes in water so shallow it barely touched my boots. Cattails whipped at my shoulders, branches clawed down from above, and every bend seemed to hold promise. Still, cast after cast, the river stayed silent. Then came the pool. Dark water swirling at a bend, the kind of place trout hold tight. I tied on a spinner, let it fly, and felt the hit almost as soon as the blade turned. The rod jumped alive, line slicing through the current. Moments later, I slid the net under a wild rainbow, a flash of silver and pink that looked too fine for this world. I held it just long enough for a quick picture, then eased it back into the pool. With one strong kick, it vanished into the depths, leaving only ripples behind. It was a hard day, a long day, but one I won’t forget. The river gave up its prize, and I walked away with the kind of memory every angler hopes for. A great day out with Beika Zhan