The fish and the dog

Perhaps not the most Steelhead post on this sub forum yet compelled to write about him I am. He’s chased the fish with me the past 6 years and I’d not trade it for anything. To most who see us, he’s just a dog riding the bow of my sled, be it in the marsh hunting ducks or running the banks of the lower Klamath chasing fish. To me he has made my world right, been my eyes,ears and nose out in the unknown, put my heart at rest and soul at ease at a time when no one or anything else could. Run himself until the wheels fall off yet ask for nothing in return other than my praise. Hard to express the love a dog has for man and the love man has for dog, hearts are big and full of love. He’s my first bird dog, fish dog too, he’ll hold a place in my heart no other dog will, seen me through my roughest of times, seen him through his. His bookmark in the story of my life will forever delineate the pages at which I discovered the joy of working dog and the bond one creates doing so. Step cast and swing, he’s got that sorted out. His river etiquette may need some work, been known to swim across to the opposite bank to chase a quail, may have gotten tangled in a fly line now and then in his attempt to land a fish yet this is the life we live. Crossed paths with many a man who’ve put fish upon the rank of their experience on water, might have done that myself for a period of time, perspective he has given me. To the fish I may owe it all. Brought me to the most beautiful of places, put my wading boots in water my old man stepped in 40 years prior, put us not too far downstream from each other today, connected me with him at a time when nothing else could. As for the dog, if not for the fish, we’d not have crossed paths, waded them banks, chased that fish and hunted the marsh. To the dog I owe my joy, to my Dad I owe thanks for putting my ass on the banks of the south fork of the eel 40 years ago, little did I know then the influence upon my life them days would have…




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I always say that the dog is the greatest gift from God to mankind.


Our family has had dozens of good dogs, starting with my grand parent's old Sam.


Very inspiring post Bwag.

Bwag,
Grand post for sure.
Brings to mind Dinah, Chester, and now Button. Absolutely NO river etiquette, unless confined in the boat.
However, while wade fishing they had (Button has) full run of the river. Watching their joy and antics brings far more joy than catching another fish, for sure.
.....lee s.

It is good to have a dog around. My dog has been on some trips but is in the low energy stage of her life so shorter trips are better for her now. I am reading the book The Art of Racing In The Rain which is told from the perspective of a dog. It is pretty good if you see a copy somewhere. I think the dog has to take a one way trip to the vet at the end so I am braced for a sad ending.

Recently I read somewhere that there is an indigenous story that says when the Creator was separating man from the other animals, that dog leapt across the divide at the last second.

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Its a great reminder how great a friend a dog can be- This is my girl, she doesn't want to fish, would rather sit alongside as I tie but, "it's too cold outside Dad".

She makes me smile all the time

Appreciate the replies, the dogs, they hold a place in our heart.