The sun was just beginning to set behind the canyon wall as the remaining warmth of afternoon slipped into coolness of evening. It was late summer and the hoppers were buzzing rhythmically to the gurgle of water over smooth stones. I quietly made my way up the rivers edge and searched for shadows of trout holding beneath the soft rippling current. As I continued upstream I came to a section of river that was just short of heaven. The water ran slow and deep between two giant boulders forming a large quiet pool of dark green perfection below. I tied on my chosen fly, a Madam X size ten.

I threw a couple small loops into the air and rolled my fly out across the water. It landed at the head of the pool and slowly drifted into the shadows. I waited for what seemed an eternity until I saw the splash! Instinctively I lifted my rod tip and felt the weight of reward on the other end. With several quick strips of my line I positioned myself for what I hoped would be a short, yet victorious battle. No such luck, this trout was a fighter. Just as I thought I had him contained in the slower water he made a leap into the air and shot out into the fast current. I tightened up my drag as I watched him bolt downstream.

For the next few minutes I was at the complete mercy of the fish as I chased him from one shoreline to the other. After one last surge through a maze of boulders he finally began to show signs of surrender. Keeping a tight line on him I made my way out to a little gravel bar on the far side of the river where I found some reprieve from the current and a good vantage point to land my prize.

I gazed at this beautiful creature lying just beneath the water’s surface, his deep red and green sides shimmering in the receding light. I took in a deep breath of satisfaction and soaked it all in. What an incredible day it had been.