The Uncatchable Fish

There is a saying in Fly Fishing:
When a man starts to fly fish he want s to catch a fish, any fish
Then he wants to catch a lot of fish
Then he wants to catch a really big fish
Then he wants to catch lots of really big fish
Having done this he is on the spiritual quest
To catch the un-catchable fish
The one hand clapping……..HA!


To that end a poem I wrote.........





The uncatchable fish
Truly a river god
A wonder
So very proud of his longevity
His radiant fins skull slowly

Has he graduated at the top of his class?
Has he built a robust business?
Does he have a trophy wife?
Is he a quoted author?

No

Though he bested the one who has
He has beat the one who is
He wears his scars proudly
In his piscatorial perfection

When younger, just a sprat really
He would jump into things greedily
He wanted to be first
To grab the prize and run

But the sting of sharp realization
Has made him philosophical
He has become methodical
A bit of a sage really

The most beautiful yellow mayfly
Is just one of many for the tasting
The most perfect tidbit
Is another’s bitter pill of destruction

Time is on his side
Look twice and bite once he has learnt
Think about what you are doing
And why you are doing it

Is the timing right?
If not turn your back and walk away
The early bird doesn’t get the worm
The early bird gets nailed to a wall

The youngsters come and go
Many don’t stay long enough to create an impression
Just blurs of color and motion
Forgettable

They think they are indestructible….HA!