A Day of Transition

Saturday, April 29th marked the Opening Day for Trout season this year in Ontario. My day began at 2:00 in the morning, as I lay awake waiting for the alarm to go off. I've never slept much, if at all, the night before the Opener. I'm not really sure why. The Steelhead in our rivers for the most part bear the wounds of their spawning ritual this time of year, and fishermen from all walks of life line the banks, standing elbow to elbow at every well known pool. It's the day where I see the most number of wild Steelhead strung up on the "the rope of death", and it's when I see the most number of people walking through meticulously built redds, smothering and crushing offspring that would have been a part of a future generation.

After today, I realized that my excitement for Opening Day wasn't about the fishing itself. It was about of the camaraderie, laughter, and good company of my friends. It was about the familiarity of seeing acquaintances that I only ever see on this day every year. It was about the eerie silence and the lone sound of a gently flowing river amidst the pre-dawn. . . and most notably it was about the rare opportunity to fish again with the man responsible for this obsession of mine, and for which I am eternally grateful - my Old Guy.

We arrived at the river at 4am and revelled in the temporary solitude. By 4:15, I was battling my first Steelhead of the day, which turned out to be a fresh pre-spawn female. By 5am the serenity of early morning was replaced with the trampling of brush and the splashing of feet through the shallows. As the light peered through the leafless trees, it became apparent that it was going to be a great day - there were fish everywhere. The fish began to awaken as scattered rays from the April morning sun found their way to the deep pools and each fish took their turn to entertain us.

The colouration on this fish was very unusual but very cool - this lady was caught and released 3 times - This strain must be the blond version of the Steelhead gene pool

It's fish like these why I love Steelheading - this fellow leapt so high, it landed in an overhanging bush before its re-entry. A very angry 8lb hen

Opening Day for me also signifies the beginning of my departure from the "gear" and the migratory fishery - thoughts of little gems, old monster browns, and fly fishing begin to take over. Yesterday, I pulled a nice sized Brook Trout out of one of the most unlikely places while Steelhead fishing - it must be a sign.

I think I have a couple more Steelhead outings in me, but I intend on dusting off the feather and fur very soon. It's about time I became re-acquainted with some old finned friends that I haven't

seen for quite a while.