In a frenzied barrage of last-minute lobbying, attempted influence peddling and baldfaced pleading which would make an SEC football booster blush and an Oscar-nominee recoil, we are pleased to announce this month's SMOTM winner.

It takes a lot of cojones and an equal amount of house scotch to begin holding court on your "life fish" the size of a baby carrot.

Photo: Jeff Warr gets intimate with his Smoky Mts. smolt

While the White House throws back Gulf popcorn shrimp and BP assures all the clean up is in hand and most of the oil has -- like magic -- disappeared, federal scientists paint a different picture.

photo: of Jimmy Bay, LA by Cesar Hada and Hunter Daniel of the Lousiana Bucket Brigade.

Many factors are taken into naming a winner: ferociousness of the quarry, line class, size of fly compared to said smolt, and enthusiasm on the part of the sportsman/woman all contribute to the hallowed title of Smolt of the Month. It ain't easy.

Photo: John Magnuson and a "goldie" taken from a MN drainage pond on a #14 pupae pattern. White body/green head, in case you're wondering.

While at times the byzantine network of hatchery and "enhancement" efforts lead one to think there are more WDFW fish counters than there are fish, an eyewitness experience with one of these nearly cryptozooic creatures gave hope to us both.

Everyone catches small fish. Whether you spent $10K for the week and flew your G5 to a distant land, only to lip an Icelandic char the size of your pinky -- or wandered into the back 40 to whip a quarter-sized sunfish past your head -- you will find yourself standing on the bank at some point, cameras pointed at your mug and your pathetic little fish.

In a first-of-its-kind move this summer, Bellingham, WA's (hometown to FFJ) city council unanimously passed a motion (7-0) instructing their finance dept. to, "where such effort is reasonably feasible", contract with fuel companies which provide alternative fuels and avoid fuels with higher than average environmental footprints -- specifically directing avoidance of Alberta's tar sand fuels.