Dad’s Treat!

First time fly rodders for steelhead and trout, 15 year old Sam and his Dad, Mark, attended a different kind of school today—one on the Muskegon River–learning about casting, drifting flies, and best of all, hanging on for dear life to fish hooked. Both were quick learners, and here Sam and I pose a hen Chinook that he asked me to hoist for a picture, because, well…she was no mere minnow!

Sam, your Dad Mark, and I likely will never forget how that salmon took us from way above the Newaygo M-37 bridge, in and out of all sorts of boulders, debris, and who knows what else, to land her finally below the railroad trestle. You followed directions perfectly and with Dad’s boulder spotting and a few bumps here and there, we three managed to get you this picture. As I told you and your Dad, in 21 years of commercial guiding, I’ve never had a fish chase quite this one.  It was high anxiety to the max! As I told you when you first hooked her, “It will be a miracle if we land this fish!”, and truly, that it was since she was so fresh and strong from Lake Michigan and the perils of losing her so great! So, congratulations, Sam!

All in all, guys, I loved hosting you and hope we can do it again someday.

Tom Kuieck