Steelhead
When someone that you are rooting for gets a win and you’re as excited as they are you know you’re in the right place. This past weekend I had the opportunity to support a small group of Veterans on their first ever Steelhead fishing trip in Erie. More specifically, we were in Girard, Pa on the fabled Elk Creek. This was my first Steelhead trip as well so I knew my role would not be that of a fishing guide. Helping finalize licensing in the freezing pre-dawn darkness, heating coffee and handing out donuts and equipment were my responsibilities. Then it was photos and moral support. The temps were dropping but the spirits were not. The guys were excited to get started despite the spitting rain that had started to change to snow. All in all, the weather cooperated and we got the day in with a handful of hookups and one fish in the net. The big catch was that many of them wanted to do it again and enjoyed their time on the stream. And when one of the guys landed his first fish he showed all the signs of “big fish fever.” Having experienced such an adrenaline rush myself from close encounters of the natural kind, I loved seeing his smiling face (and shaking hands). Immediately retelling the story of how he was so worried he’d loose the fish and how excited he was when it was in the net made the seven hours of numb hands worth the wait. Honestly, I’d do it again tomorrow because I’ve got all the evidence I need to know that’s (one of) the right place for me.
