After too long of a break the opportunity finally presented itself to take my smallest spey rod out to search for some early return summer/fall run steelhead on my ‘Tamanawis’. I had one day and 2 halves to revisit some runs from the past, search out a few new ones, and with some luck, hopefully find a steelhead. Much to my suprise, I found two!

These little guys do a good job of keeping you on your toes

and they usually come in waves!

This 7 1/2 pounder freight trained the fly!

I’d finished the long run without so much as a smolt’s tap but was in such a great casting rhythm that I continued beyond “the holding water” with one last cast, another step down, and one more last cast when suddenly, mid-swing and totally unexpected, the 2 foot loop of line was savagely ripped from my hand and the Hardy was back in screaming-action. This fat 7 pounder (26 x 13 5/8″) put on a great aerial show, on the other side of the river, and at eye level!