A naturalist chronicles the seasonal journey of an anadromous fish along coastal streams, combining close field observation, natural history, and local lore. He tracks timing and weather that cue migration, describes the fish’s life cycle from saltwater growth to freshwater spawning and return, and examines river structures, predators, and human interventions that shape the migration. Interwoven are technical explanations, informal history, speculation about behavior, and meditations on fragility, persistence, and interdependence between species and landscape. The narrative progresses through arrival, ascent, spawning, juvenile dispersal, and the animals’ outward migration, closing with reflections on conservation and the limits of human understanding.