What a trip! I could write about it for weeks… bliss, peace, at one with nature… away from the hustle and bustle of people and city life stress. Here we were on Southern Labrador’s Pinware River, fly-fishing for the King of the Sea, the Atlantic salmon. Granted there is stress on this river too with people showing poor sportsmanship – hogging the pools, being ignorant toward fellow anglers, sarcasm and all the rest. But Eric and I fly fished different pools for most of the week, away from everything and everyone. We all have to do this at times: get away from everything and everyone to just go and be, at one. Mother Nature is where it’s at. The lure of such a species as the Atlantic salmon keeps me coming back. I have to admit I am addicted to the Great Outdoors, a positive addiction in my mind. I chatted with one gentleman on the Humber River a few weeks before and he commented that after 60 years of salmon fishing, he still gets the same RUSH when the Atlantic salmon rises for the fly and engulfs the offering. Some credit this moment as the ultimate peak life experience, yes even better than the love making experience with your spouse … but some anglers do feel the need to go back every year and “catch” Atlantic salmon. What in your life keeps you going back? What passion do you love to do? What has/have you “hooked”?

The Atlantic salmon does it for me. On this fishing trip, I hit the summit of my life’s experiences. One fish I that hooked was not only large, but a monster. And it happened when I least expected it. Eric and I walked to a well known pool and chatted with an older gentleman who had fished the pool. The three of us had some good conversation about the paradoxical nature of the salmon and why the big run had not entered the river yet, even though they were in the tidal pool area.

Where the monster took my fly, top of picture, and went upriver first!

I had a quick look where Eric pointed to the fish that flashed and sure enough, there was an Atlantic salmon stopped for a break in the small pocket of water. Not wanting to scare the fish because the water was somewhat low (low water is still a small flood for the Pinware River), I ducked down behind the protruding rock on the cliff and got ahead of the salmon where it could not see me. These fish are quite unique and in tune with their nature and survival. Years of fishing experience has taught me that the fish you spook could be the one that wants your fly. Yes, fish first and look at them in the river later! Patience and a correct approach were paramount now. I knew the fish was big and would have to be released (conservation measures allow anglers to take salmon up to 63 cm in length, roughly 2 feet in length; anything bigger must be released) but just how big I was not so sure.

I had an orange bomber attached and I decided to try it first over the large fish. I floated the fly down perfectly over the fish 3 times but not a movement. Eric moved closer to watch what I was doing. We had been hiking and fishing (while taking some pictures and videos) for about 10 hours already on this day so we were both a bit exhausted. I told him “I’ll try one more fly, a wet fly, on this fish and then we will go.” I tied on a blue charm, with a stiff wing, one of my “secret” patterns, and made a cast. The fly passed through the water and the fish did not move. I casted again and once again the fly remained untouched. On the third cast, I let the fly come in different, as the current swept it slowly in front of the big rock at the top of this pool. BANG! A big head grabbed my fly and I set the hook. Eric looked at me and said, “Big Fish!”

Game on! First the fish stopped and went deep in the pool to the right of where it was hooked. Then the fish made a run out in the current and started to go upstream. Eric looked at me shocked as he jumped up in the cliff overhead to watch what was about to transpire! The fish now owned the river and I felt like it had me on, not vice versa. The remarkable fish removed all of my fly line and all of my backing (line smaller in diameter under the fly-line that anglers use for back up on the reel!) while going upstream against the hammering current. It was unbelievable! 300 feet away and still going upriver, this fish was going to be a workout! I managed to turn my rod slightly and she turned around, coming full steam ahead towards us.

Where she broke free, hopefully perfectly healthy, to continue life's cycle.

On the next run, the fish once again emptied my reel right to the end and was shooting down the river through the gorge. She stopped at the tail end of the pool where others were fishing. I had to run with her, like a mountain goat through the Rockies. I reeled in line as I hopped the rocks into the cliff. What a fight! Having some line now back in, I cranked my drag on full. At this setting, I can hardly take line from my reel with my own strength. This fish peeled the line off once again like a hot knife going through butter! With the river being low and the water being warm I decided to play the fish hard so that it had a better chance to survive, no matter the outcome - if I could release it after a photo or not. Back and forth we went and after 25 minutes, she was still as fresh and powerful as when I first hooked her!

Now she was getting smarter, going deeper into the current and hitting every rock in the current, hoping to nip my leader and break free. She ran to the far left of the pool and peeled off more line, going around one sharp rock that was hanging from the cliff, into the stream. I managed to bring her back into the rough current, and we were at it again, back and forth - peeling off line, reeling it back in as I kept a heavy strain on the Sage rod. The battle lingered on and I believe Eric was correct: a fish in the 25 to 40 pound range, nothing like the other large fish I have hooked and released.

Sure enough after about 30 minutes, the large fish went around a boulder at the bottom of the pool and the leader came back towards me. She nipped my leader line and had broken free. Big fish are big for a reason; extremely powerful and one might also say “intellectual”. I was disappointed I did not get a picture but was happy too as this meant a better chance of her surviving in the warmer river water that needed rain. When I went back and sat down, Eric commented how it looked like I had seen a ghost! What a battle with one of nature’s finest and what a memorable experience. Yes, it happens when we least expect it and sometimes we cannot be ready for such times when we are energized and dumbfounded beyond belief. We can apply this to life’s teachable and memorable moments - they often happen when we least expect it.

My life’s most fascinating moment and story that keeps me going back is stuck in my mind. It is great to get away from everything and everyone to a place where the engines of industry have not passed through. And in a place as such, one never knows when one of life’s biggest and greatest moments will wrap you in surprise. You just had to be there. At one point, the raging current did not even exist in my mind as this fish owned the river, and me. I am certain that you have a blissful life situation where I can relate. My only advice: keep going back, to the things you love to do and spend more time doing them. Your life and health will thank you. Keep fishing and catching your reality!

Paul