And so it ends, but not quietly, as we witnessed a lovely fireworks display just after dark courtesy of persons unknown to me at this time.
The usual gang of rowers, rod-holders and rebels without a cause were observed hanging about at the clubhouse and many stories were exchanged and ideas debated.
Donuts were also devoured.
I, having proudly rowed my rod-holder into the best Cabezon of the evening, much to her delight, lobbied long and hard for a new category to be adopted, the Biggest Cabezon On The Last Night Award, but nobody went for it so I went home, sans-award and alone, but not before filching a donut.
That'll teach 'em.
And, as it turns out, I managed to win something in one of the draws held after I left, a jacket yet to be retrieved, so it's all good.
Here's the big fish of the season, the 41 1/2 pounder boated by Floyd Ross with rookie rower Brett Gardner on the oars.
I'm personally very happy that Floyd got the big fish and that a rookie rower rowed it. Floyd does an awful lot for the club and is one of the good guys for sure.
In the elite group of rowers Randy Killoran stood alone again this year, rowing four of fifteen Tyee, not a bad haul considering he quit rowing a week early to start school in Victoria.
Recapping fish-wise, it seemed there were a lot of fish caught that would have been 30 pounds in other years, what with the number of 29 pounds some ounces fish this year, not to forget many others in the 26 to 28 pound range but long enough normally.
Poor pasture this past year related to the "blob" seems to have kept this year's fish more towards the long and lean side of the spectrum and with a strong El Nino just about upon us we may see more smaller fish these next few years returning and then perhaps smaller numbers overall down the line as the warm waters bring many salmon predators along for the ride and that's not good.
Hopefully the new program at the Quinsam hatchery can keep the big fish genetic stock alive and well into the future and we'll see a return to better ocean conditions in the post El Nino era, when the first offspring from the program head seaward.
Sometimes timing is nearly everything, as weird as that sounds.
Aloha from the Tyee Pool and if anyone finds an old Shovel-nose Lucky Louie plug anywhere let me know.
I need one for my quiver to replace the one the snag traps got from me.
Take care.