Up North: More Bull trout

With some changes to our original plans we set out to fish for bull trout in a new area. The river itself was beautiful and it was something else to see bullies of all sizes holding in the deeper runs and pools as we snuck along the banks looking for prime lies. Overall the fish here were smaller and seemed less aggressive; however, what these fish lacked in size and aggression they made up in beauty. The colors on these fish were much more vibrant than the fish we had caught earlier. Bright pink spots and peach bellies. Amazing. These were the fish I had literally dreamed of seeing. Part of my fascination with bull trout is their combination of notorious reputation and remarkable beauty. I can definitely say that they were just as awesome as I thought they would be. Because bull trout are so precious we did our very best to ensure that their quick and safe return to the water was of up-most priority. The following are some of my brief attempts to capture some of their beauty.