ADayintheStream
珍妮弗·奧爾松/JeniferOlsson
Isteppedoutofmyfour-wheeldrivetomeetmyclientandhiswife.
Hewasstrongandsolidlybuilt.Helookedlikeamodelforanoutdoorcatalogue.Thefishingvestwasstiffwithnewness;allofthecorrecthardware,shinyanduntested,hungfromhischest,liketoolsinatoolshed.Thefeltonhiswadingbootswasaswhiteassnow.Ahandcraftednetswungonhisback.Therodhadnevergottenwet,muchlesscaughtafish,andthelinewasshinyfromlackofuse.Thereelwasonbackward.
「Typicalbeginner,」Ithought,richand,likemanyrichpeopleinmyexperience,probablydemanding.
Ireachedouttoshakehishand.Afirmgripgrabbedback.
Hiswife,anattractivewomanbrimmingwithconfidence,tookaphotoofus,thenwavedgoodbyewithanarmheavilyweightedwithturquoisebracelets.
FirstIturnedhisreelround.Hesmiledandshrugged.Thenwebeganhiscastinglessononthelawnbehindthemainledge.
Tomysurprise,hewasoneofthoserarepeoplewhoconnectedwithaflyrodalmostimmediately.Itjustlookedrightfromthebeginning,andhewascharmedbythewaythelineseemedtomagicallyflowabovehissilhouetteonthelawn.
「Icouldjuststandherealldayandcast.」hesaid,smiling.
Wedidnothavetotravelfartothewater,sinceaperfectlysweetlittlecreekranalongthelastninekilometresoftherutteddirtroadIhadtravelledthatmorning.Thewarmthofthesunraisedthewatertemperatureenoughtoawakentherainbowandcutthroattroutthatslept,andthecaddisfliesweredancingtheirerraticdance,hereandthere,overthewater.
Eveninhipwaderswewereoverdressedfortheankle-deepcreek,butwesteppedin,wadedouttothemiddleandfacedupstream.Myclientcast,andIpointedtotheplacetheflyshouldland.
「Oh,hey!Lookatthat,」hesaidwhenthefirstfishstruck.Hewastrulyawed.Thesecondtimeatroutstruck,hisshoutsofsurpriseandjoyrangupanddownthecreek,andwehappilyreeledinasparkling,20-centimetrewildrainbow.
「Isn』tthatbeautiful?」hesaidsoftly,andeverytroutafterthatwasbeautiful,incredible,amazing,fantastic.Alittlebrooktrouttookthefly,andIhelditsomyclientcouldseetheblueringsaroundthebright-orangespots.
「That』stheprettiestthingI』veeverseen,」hesaidwithsincerity.
TobewithsomeonewhowasabletotreasurethemomentthewayhedidmademefeellikeIwasexploringfly-fishingforthefirsttime.Ishowedhimhowtokeephisflyfromdragging,howtofishinthedeeperpools.Hewasabsorbedbythewhysandthehowsandtheexecution.Andthefish,whether15centimetresor25,werepraisedlikepreciousstones.
Inthelateafternoon,aboutthetimetheskinbegantofeelsorefromafreshsunburn,myclientstoppedfishing.Hisshouldersdropped,andhepausedtolookatthewater,thetreesand,finally,atme.