The Last Run

The Last Run by David Burns Coursing through the rugged mountains of Eastern Oregon is Lookingglass Creek, named after Chief Lookinglass, a little known warrior of the Nez Perce tribe. Although this book is fiction, it depicts the reallife struggle for the Northwest's most precious resource-water. Lookingglass Creek becomes the home of one of the most beautiful fighting fish-the firefish. Somehow, this gorgeous fish has managed to defy the rules of nature, evolving to combine the tenacity of the steelhead with the power and strength of a Chinook salmon. Indigenous to Lookingglass Creek, the firefish is found nowhere else in the world. There is just a tiny population remaining, and these genes must be saved to be passed on for future generations, including those dedicated fishermen brave enough to tangle with one of these water warriors. Recovering from a nasty divorce, the main character, Travis Rexton, returns to college to become a fisheries biologist-his true calling in life. He teams up with a young tribal member, Charlie Lookinglass. Together they vow to save this endangered fish at all cost. Little do they know, despite their expertise and degrees, the survival of the firefish ends up depending entirely on their little friend and fishing buddy, sixyearold Tyson Nightsky.