Tyee and the Salmon of 30+ Pounds

Tyee and the Salmon of 30+ Pounds

Tyee is the Indian name for a salmon of 30 pounds or more. No one has come very close to the mark. It seemed to make sense. From the time of the early Indians, Barkley Sounders have called a 15-pound or better chinook salmon a "smiley." Maybe the smiles would come...

The River Collector

The River Collector

It was not a conscious choice, but it seems that I have been building a collection. It is a collection of trout rivers. The collection was started almost 50 years ago, the summer our family rented a cedar shingle cottage on a small Michigan lake. Lily pads filled its...

Where the Wind Blows Free

Where the Wind Blows Free

"I told him I'd bury him in the meadow and not tell anyone. We shook hands on it, and I can't go back on my word to him, I just can't. If I get sent to jail, I'll go." “Ellie, make note of the date, time, people present and that this is an informal hearing with no...

Ice Fishing is Just Insane

Ice Fishing is Just Insane

The oddest thing I have discovered about hoomans is that when lakes freeze over in the winter and rivers are choked down with thick ice — they want to go fishing. Really? It’s cold, there’s ice everywhere and you had all summer to fish. Why go now? The other morning...