enough time to pass before they can see another one of my heinous casts, I think.
When the boat passes, I attempt more casts, some of which look better than others. Less than 24 hours ago I had romanticized about this moment. I envisioned beautiful flowing loops on a scenic river. I acknowledge the dreamer in myself and check my expectations. We load up in the boat and travel further down river; Henry and Jim floated the same section of the river the day prior and seemed to know the best lines to run.
“We took the right channel up here yesterday, yeah Jim?” Henry calls from the sticks.
“Yeah I think so” Jim calls back.
“Oh shit Henry drop the anchor! Drop the anchor Henry!”
The boat lurches a couple times to a stop. Straight ahead a large downed tree. Water rushes underneath, its limbs slice through the water menacingly. The tree blocks the channel we are now committed to. Both Jim and Henry stare…
“That’s got to be new, we took that channel yesterday” says Jim In disbelief. That “thing has to be four, five feet in diameter. “
“Whelp” says Henry with a sigh, “I think our only choice is to go for it. I’ll pull the anchor and row like hell… see if I can ferry us across quick enough before we…