For the last two Mondays my son and I have been hitting a river catching steelhead. Both times have provided an opportunity to help some amazing men.
1. My son was fishing we heard a 5 gallon bucket banging. Dog comes out of the brush. Old, old man comes out brush. Muddy knees and tired. I go over to see if he is OK. He is sitting on the bucket. I told him I heard some yelling in the woods. He said it was him and he was not yelling. He was swaring as he broke the tip off his pole. Chatted with him for a little bit to see if he was OK. Than he headed back up. I asked if I should follow him back up and he said I goes up hill better than down hill. Bill was 87 years old... My son ran up the hill 20 min after Bill left and he was just getting into his truck.
2. This last Monday we were fishing a hole I am on one side my son is on the other. Old guy come down to the river and start to cross. Gets a little low in the fast moving water and starts to go down I drop my rod and start to run to the old guy. My son is running and reeling his rod at the same time. We met at the old guy who is now on his knees struggling to stay up right. I grab one arm my son grabs the other and we pick all 120 lbs of this guy and take him to shore. We walked him to my side of the river and he sat next to our stuff for 20 min. Than asked if he could fish with us. Oh, he also told us he had a heart attack a year ago. Yikes... Clay was 80 years old.
Both very nice men very thankful and are getting out there in the twilight of their lives.
One hole a group of fishermen pulled 12 steelhead out. Nothing big... But a fish is a fish.