Head and shoulders above any other encounters for me was a lost steelhead hooked just upstream from the highway bridge on the Calawah (days long before the ramp). That fish jumped 13 times in a span of a minute and a half (wild guess)and at no time did I ever feel like I was in control of the fish. It was upstream, then downstream, then running full throttle at me, then away, then repeat for the duration of the battle. Some of the leaps were cartwheels, chrome flashing in the sun. The 13th jump was the magic number. I watched as my pearl pink came loose and plopped in the water half way between me and the fish.

I catch a lot of fish, and the adrenaline rush complete with shaking hands seldom happens any more, but that day.......just stood in awe, trembling.