(updated below)
Yesterday E and I took a flyer and hit one of Washington's lesser known steelhead venues. As we headed out our expectations were modest, a relaxing day on the river, a rack of Ranier between friends, and if we were really lucky, some summer steel. We hit it on all accounts except that E drank most of the Ranier.
E spotted three chrome bright fish in the bridge hole, you can see two of them in the shot below, they are big fish!

I stayed up on the bridge to call the drift while E geared up.
After a couple of dozen drifts, a few fly changes, and some near misses, I watched the downriver fish in the first picture chase E's latest offering and inhale it. E set up perfectly on the fish and I screamed some shit like, you are the man and that was f*%king incredible!
Unfortunately the fish got off when E stepped back into this hole and fell on his back.

The aftermath.

Later in the day we circled back to the bridge run and E called the drift for me and incredibly I hooked and immediately lost the exact same fish.
We're not sure who dug that dam hole but we have a photo of the suspect.
It was a Reel Pure day!

UPDATE:
5 days, $60 bones in gas, and another rack of Raindog later, Rathbun returned to the scene of the crime. And found that revenge is a dish best served on a steel platter.