Fish On

"Never did a caudal appendage beat the sea with such violence."
-Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

A tired steelhead will bend its body into an S. Then the current takes up the fight. The fisherman pulls, but the fish stays curved while the force of the water moves against its opponent. The powerful tail is set against the massive shoulders. All the fisherman can do is hold on tight and wait for the fish to relax. The fish knows that the river will not readily relinquish her most beautiful possessions. The fish knows that a man can not stop the river. But sometimes the fish does relax. It's humbling and almost embarrassing that the battle ends only when the fish decides to let the river stop fighting.