Just beyond the suburbs a Pike, grown old and wily, has stationed himself to take advantage of the deeper water as the stream narrows. He (and I always imagine him as a he) stirs, but not for anything with my line attached to it. Would that I were at the water now; there’s an evening rise of Trout and Grayling snatching anything half hatched that’s failed its Promethean mission and fallen to the stream. The old predator waits, confident that guile honed on long experience will let him feast on the easy pickings of youthful enthusiasm. I can almost feel his slow eyes watching as he waits to flick the hunters switch, turning the stillness of the wait into the lightening of his strike. But alas I’m far away, helping Bushwacker Jnr with his homework and the bait shop is closed.
Thanks for reading
Bushwacker.
Photo credit
Oh, but you are going to miss the old wise fish once you put the lifeless body in the dinner pot or hang the carcass on the wall.
ReplyDelete"We're going to need a bigger boat."
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, he'll still be there another day. Helping Bushwhacker Jr. with homework is important too.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. Many a day I pine to be outside - and instead I'm stuck here looking at a computer screen for 8 hours a day. You capture the feeling very well.
ReplyDeleteSurvival topics
ReplyDeleteIts funny you should say that because i had always thought those stuffed fish were a bit silly, but i was wondering where to get the right beetles and maggots to clean up his skull so it could go on the wall.
Mungo
you're a very silly man - good to see you're still reading
kristine
yes (sigh) I know....(wistful sigh)
Tom
Thanks, i'd not seen your site before but i really like the idea. Very cool.
I've cleaned a number of skulls, including delicate bird skulls, simply by leaving them in trees near the house or places where bigger scavengers are unlikely to bother them. Natural processes such as various insects clean them up quite well.
ReplyDeleteI used to hunt and trap with abandon. Reached a stage in life now when I bag a magnificent deer or trap an old raccoon I look at it and it seems all I've done is turn a wonderful creature into a dead lump of clay.
Of course, if survival depended upon it that is entirely different. But just for sport doesn't cut it any longer. I like catch and release so's as to have the fun - and the smarter the fish gets the more challenge it is to catch the old guy again!
A decent-sized pike. If you do catch him, make sure to fillet him properly: Run your fingers above the lateral line to feel the "Y" bones, then slice a top fillet over them. This is your prize fillet. You will then get two long, narrow fillets by starting just on the other side of the "Y" bones and filleting as normal.
ReplyDeletePike like dill, by the way...