I couldn’t help but remember my last day fishing at RWL last year. My friend Larry and I fished American Crek with Tom for what I believe was his last trip for the season. Reflecting on that day, he told me he was given up guiding to be home more....and he would miss his favorite place to fish-American Creek. At the end of the fishing day, I handed him my rod as we waited for Bruce to fly us home. Tom skipped a mouse he brought with him (I still have it) over the inlet as we all played team fishing. What fun, we caught 9 or 10 respectable fish, and laughed our heads off at how aggressive these fish were with the mouse. Somewhere in my picture book is a snapshot of Tom catching a fish on that mouse with a big grin on his face – last fish for the year in Alaska for all of us.
Such is the fate of our passions that we take what we hope are limited risk to pursue our lives dreams. Tom, Bruce the pilot, and the others all passed from this life doing what they loved most: being in heavens corner of Alaska. I’m sure they are all skipping mice in a new corner of heaven, smiling, while Bruce circles to take them home.
John Bartling (Dallas, TX)
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