He gathers his boots, buckets,
and creepers. Grabs his pack basket, traps, hand auger, and sled, and stops on the way for bait. He warms himself drilling through the ice, inches thick, until he breaks through to the water below. He baits the hook, drops the line through the hole, sets the flag, and depending on the lake or pond he's on, begins to imagine. The bass, trout, salmon, pickerel, or perch swimming under the surface. But it's a waiting game, where patience braces against anticipation, and the cold. When a flag is tripped, he wonders, is it a wind flag, stolen bait, or is there a fish on the line? Hand over hand he hauls the line feeling for the resistance that will tell him, fish on. And so begins a real fish tale.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
WhistleStop Blog
Uncover, write, and share your best stories Categories
All
|