PURSUING TROUT IN RUGGED WATERS

The sun beat down on the crystal surface of the lake, a shimmering mirror reflecting the towering pines that fringed its edges. The air was thick with the scent of pine needles, and a gentle breeze rustled through the twigs, whispering secrets only the old forest knew. I stood at the water's edge, my wader-clad feet sunk into the soft mud, a sympho