“Rained Pitchforks and Hammer Handles, Tines Downward!”

With the bilge pumps whirring again and again throughout the day, avid steelheader and Nebraskan, Byron, pressed on with nary a whimper as we chased chrome on what I believe was the wettest day on the Muskegon River I’ve experienced in my 17 years as a commercial guide. Compounding the challenges the weather posed, when the buck Byron poses tore downriver, suddenly his fly reel freespooled, causing a gigantic backlash! Not only that, it wouldn’t retrieve line! So, there was Byron with  some 50-75 feet of fly line with which to work as he stripped and released line as he fought the fish. Finally, after what seemed a ton of time, I was able to slip the net under the fish, much to both of our amazement and delight! In short, what a day; what a fight; what a memory; and what a remarkable job Byron did in landing this fine Muskegon River steelhead.

Captain Tom Kuieck