Being a fishing guide we run our daily lives with the changing seasons, we count on them and relish the thoughts of the next change in climate and scenery that the seasons bring. Looking back on the the past year we have had a wonderful fishing season, even with the hoppers non-existence on what was predicted as an infestation and the back to normal fall steelhead run of the upper Columbia. These are the things that keep us humans interested in the outdoor addictions so many of us love. Some of the high points of the last year where:

~ Swinging 10 fish in a day with two of the finest anglers I know, I love it when it happens to the ones that work the hardest.

~Watching my good friend Rex get his clocked cleaned in fifteen seconds form a thirty pound Permit.

~Smashing browns for 5 days straight on golden stones when the WORLD is throwing the salmon fly.

~An early opening on the Methow that sucked and to have the fish come in 4 days later and nobody but us fishing for two weeks.

~Helping a new friends fiancee catch her first steelhead, the same one that rose to our dry five minutes before.

~A thirty fish day on the Methow with two very fun and energetic clients.

~My first big Whitetail deer form Montana.

~Swerving and NOT hitting that rock in pitch black as the spot light is dying out, doing 30 in the duck boat, whew!

~Last is the time spent with clients fishing as friends every day I guide.

After a ten day hunt in Montana at the end of  November this past month has found me enjoying my home life and chasing Waterfowl on the Columbia, two things that are at the pinnacle of my to do list in winter. By this time next year I will be enjoying hunting with my new pup fromLonghollow Retrievers , I have spent a few days in the duck blind with Ryan and he has mastered the training of gun dogs, his stud Delta is a fantastic retriever one that you just want to watch him do his job this dog has passion like a human and the highest drive of his breed the Labradors.

Looking ahead; my own predictions will be another great steelhead season on the Olympic Peninsula, possibly the best in many years, it will have wide swings on the conditions scale but that’s natural. Ocean conditions of parent years where favorable for great runs of steelhead.

Every year around New Years we all reflect upon the last and this being no exception, we are LUCKY to be Americans and lucky to have friends and family that we can spend our lives in Freedom with.

Life is Good we just need to live it!