Salmon vs Shad

Spring Chinook I caught yesterday.

"Columbia River Tarpon" also known as shad.  These guys are fun to catch in the afternoon.  They are used for halibut bait and crab bait, and some brave souls can them with garlic or jalapeno, or pickle them. OPB has a story in which the writer noted "My family prefers shad to salmon." I'm glad the writer's family likes shad, but I'll take the salmon every time.

It's great to be on the river with 70-year-old men who maybe haven't figured out life but accept it in hard times and celebrate it the rest of the time.  Clay art is fun but nothing like the real thing.  I recall a quote from the film Waking Life: “Thomas Mann wrote that he would rather participate in life than write 100 stories [ . . .]" Anyway, yesterday I hooked five chinook and landed three.  The big one was wild so I let him go. In the photo is another springer from Hidden River in Unnamed County.

My fishing buddy Slim told me a story about his friend who was late to his own wedding due to fishing so I guess there may be a few souls even more serious about fishing than I am.