Mr Shaw's Fish of the Year Canidate

Every year I try and make a few people happy by recognizing their catch as a fish of the year candidate. I am around a couple of fish during the year so there usually has to be more to the story than just the grip and grin, blah, blah, blah look at what I caught crap.

This years first fish of the year candidate is being held by my buddy Webb

This gorgeous rainbow was the last to hand on a very tough day of streamer fishing; we could see the truck. You see 16 year old Webb there is a streamer junkie, a committed one, and on this fabulous June day his dedication against the odds payed off. We bumped around Webbs father and brother while they played a few on bobber rigs from Chef Mazza's boat. Still the lad refused to break. Three hours in we had 1 fish to the boat. In the last 40 minutes he landed 7, like a man, a streamer man.

What makes this particular fish and story so special is the bug this trout assaulted. We pulled various combinations of streamers that day but Cha Ching bent the stick best. So Webb and I were slightly bummed out when some bastard rock or tree in the depths took our last one; Or so we thought. After digging around in the dark corners of my gear I came across a gift from my friend Mark Shaw......6 perfect size 6 Cha Chings. 

  

Well Mr Mark Shaw, thank you very much! Your fly caught that 21" toad for that young man.
By the way I need a few more.

PS Mark Shaw beat Brain Cancer and wasn't sure tying a fly was ever going to be an option.