Bait the line with a chubby worm
Until its inside pop around the hook,
Sliding through membrane until secure.
Flip the reel and hold the line,
Cast into the shadows and the rocks,
And wait patiently for the bobber to
Be drug down beneath the ripples.
Jerk the line to snag ahold, and reel,
Reel until the slippery scales glimmer
In the light, a rainbow of colors
Refracting and twisting in the air.
Take a hand and smooth its fins and
Pry its lip from the barb.
Throw it back and watch it scurry away,
Dorsal tail beating against the water,
Or keep it and filet it here, knife and
Table at the ready. A circle of life, either way,
For all trout will die at length, but are
Best buried in cornmeal, salt, and pepper.