Online Journal Vol 25 Issue II

Swing The Fly Family –

Thanks for checking out Vol. 25 Issue II of the Swing The Fly Online Journal.

It feels like a lot’s happened since we released this new format. A lot HAS happened.

Even the fishing, with overlaps in the trouts, the salmons, and the steelheads, feels a bit frenzied. Not only is (almost) everything happening at once, but nothing seems to be as dependable as it once was. Stability, for better or for worse, seems to have fallen by the wayside. Here at home, for example, several Columbia River runs are over-pacing their forecast, while many of us are still waiting on bated breath for signs of life in some of our favorite fall haunts. In one flick of the wrist, you can see reports that everything’s fine, while others are screaming from the rooftops that it’s all going to hell in a handbasket.

Earlier this week, exhausted, overwhelmed, I found myself daydreaming while standing waist-deep in one of my favorite runs, the water the same pre-dawn silver color as the sky. I’d let my eyes glaze over a bit and I found myself able to truly take stock of the activity. Trout eagerly picked away at the soft edges under the trees. Summer chinook, river bullies, rolled confidently in the heavy water, displacing the steelhead that occasionally jumped along the seams, racing by on their way to cooler waters.

I’d like to think this issue reflects that same beautiful paradox of abundance and chaos.

“I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.”

Whether the best is behind us or yet to come, these are the days, and there is a LOT happening. Enjoy responsibly. Fight like hell.

No matter what that looks like for you, be kind to the fish and each other. My money’s on that being the only way to keep this train anywhere near the damn tracks.

So, dive in. Thanks for your support. We hope you enjoy, and we’d love to know what you think.

…and good luck. We’ll see you out there.

+ dr

Cover Photo: Dave McCoy/Emerald Water Anglers