front row, center, seats, and total lack of anything better to do, we three settled back to watch the show. The man stepped up on a rock at the edge of the river, and began to fish. Our three jaws collectively dropped when we realized he had a FLY rod, and was FLYFISHING! His casting wasn't perfect, but certainly acceptable. Even from our distance we could see the huge and bushy salmonfly pattern settle on the water with each cast. He was situated just below a heavy current break, casting over a deep and roilying eddy. And he had an unusual technique. He would drop each cast down at the edge of the fastest water, then skate and tease the big fly rapidly back across the current into the slower roiled water to his feet, then cast again. On the second cast we could see the take clearly from a hundred yards. He reared back in a vicious set, the fish cleared the water with a jump, and the fly was free again. He repeated the technique as we began kibitzing. "He's using a skated fly technique", Peter observed. "He's got another one," I said. Again the rod bent viciously, the second fish jumped with a most peculiar arc, almost snapped in another direction in mid-air, and came free again. "He's horsing them too much," I observed. "He's got another one, John said. This time the fly came free with the strike and recoiled into the bushes behind the Indian. He snapped the rod forward strongly, ripping the fly off the branch with a flurry of leaves. "He's got some pretty heavy leader there," John said. "He's got another one, Peter observed. The fish, three or four pounds, cleared the water going away, stopped in mid-air, tumbled backward and landed in the water three or four feet closer to shore than where it started. It was dragged up on the rocks mere seconds after its hooking, and pounced on by the woman. "He's not giving any line," I said in amazement. "He's got another one," Peter said. Again the fly ripped free from the fish within seconds of the take, and again splayed into the trees behind the Indian. He ripped at the line to release it. It would not free. He took in three feet of line to get better purchase and ripped again. The whole eight foot alder behind him shook viciously from mid trunk.
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