The next time you and anyone you know slips into “I’m getting too old to do whatever,” remember this post. John commemorated his father-in-law Harold’s nintieth (yes, that’s 90th) birthday with what Harold likes to do best—fish. Harold took his first steelhead on a fly and fly rod when he was 86 in my boat, thereby giving him the “eldest fisherman with RiverQuest” honor. That is, until today when Harold picked up the long rod and fly line and began working the Manistee for kings—once again blowing away the RiverQuest eldest client record—his own record! Experience benefits the fisherman, though,and it showed as Harold deftly played the salmon he hooked. He was rewarded with a 15 lb. hen that inhaled his Steelhead Bugger fly. Not to be outdone by pops-in-law, John boated 13 and 14 lb. class fish. Harold, though, had the last laugh when he took a male pink salmon on an egg fly presented with a switch rod, indcator, and switch fly line. Just like casting his fly rod to gills and bass in the condo pond!
So, all in all, it was a superb day—one that I will remember to the day my memory checks out for the next life. Thanks, John and Harold, for affording me a most meaningful float trip. Pictured are Harod, John, and yours truly with some of the fish the guys hooked today.
Captain Tom Kuieck
