Cutthroat and Me

I've always enjoyed searching for Cutthroat Trout. Even when I was a small water rat these guys were my favorite. I suppose its the eagerness of the fish to take your fly at that age where the entertainment factor is a top priority. As I grew older I feel in love with the colors, the shape and the curious face they possessed... much different that the other trout. Then it happened, one day I realized the places they live are sensitive, precious and remote. It finally dawned on me, over the years my search brought me deeper and deeper into the backcountry. Then one day we found it. Here hidden amongst the bustling ATV trails sits that tiny slice of heaven I've always been searching for. On the beaten path BUT tucked out of the lime light sits a sanctuary.

Each Year I try to visit these old friends. It's also a place where the one we call "Yoda" loves so dearly. Each year we return to our master baring photographs of his old friends so he might gaze upon them as he once did. You see Yoda isn't as agile as he used to be and his memory, although still sharp as a tack, still faded in some small way.

This image is how I view these Colorado Cutthroat Trout. I know I might have post processed them a bit more than I should have [rookie here] I so think of them as powerful, mysterious, calm and curious.