My contest entries for Legerdemain's 15 for 15, fiction and poetry. |
Rare catch When Dominic, caught the big fish, little did he imagine, that he was setting a new record in fishing. He went into the river quite early in the morning, in his newly bought fishing trawler. After about fifty miles into the calm waters, he saw the long nosed fish moving sluggishly, in the first light of the day. He used a spear, a frayed nylon cord tied at the end, to attract the quarry. After striking it, he snagged it to the boat with treble hooks, and lifted it aboard. It was a variety fish that closely resembled the gar. About three and a half feet in length, and weighing some thirty pounds, it had irregular spots on the body. The snout appeared longer than the head. The upper part of the body was a gleaming olive brown, and its fins were vertical. The sun shone brightly, by the time he was home. The children waved and cheered, from the front porch of the house, painted in white. A gentle breeze blew from across the cornfields. It was a welcome sight to Dominic who, with hard work and determination, rose from the level of an ordinary fisherman, with a manually driven boat, to the ranks of a prosperous professional, with a big mechanical fishing trawler of his own. The fisherman approached his home, with the fish proudly displayed in his arms. His family and friends gathered around wondering at the big fish. A jubilant cousin took a picture of Dominic and his fish, which he later sent to the local newspaper. It made news. Dominic beamed with joy, his face turning ruddy in the sunlight. He was a happy man because he caught the biggest fish of his career, and he no longer had to worry about what to feed the guests with, on that Thanksgiving Day. |