The sun gated low on the horizon as the shadow appeared on the far bank of the small stream. In mid cast, Grant Peace took note of the arrival and kept his cast on-target.
A light breeze had been eating away at the smooth water over the last hour. The irritation of that fact was beginning to wear thin. There was a note in the air, of impending increase; this didn’t do much for his irritation. It irked him, but still, it didn’t dissuade him. He kept up his pace. He was on the hunt.
Grant was a determined fellow; not much got under his skin–but wind on the water when he was posting dry flies only–that did it. This one thing, seemed an inevitable flummox, haunting his hunt for a big brown trout trophy. He’d begun to believe the rumor: he was jinxed.
Rounding a tight bend in the river, Grant noticed a slick portion of water, leading into the upper lip of what he knew to be a deep hole. Ahead of the lip he saw the tell-tale circle of a just-eaten surface insect. By the looks of the winged offerings whirling about him, the meal was most likely a delicate mayfly. His next fly-from-the-current-menu was duly plucked.
He took up post, in the shadow of a willow, on the east bank and made fast the new offering. Drying it good and applying a liberal application of Gink to the tippet, leader and front 4 feet of this fly line. He wanted this entire train to run in the highest portion of the water column. Reducing, for maximum potential, any chance of drag. This brownie was a big one and he wanted to capture – not just give chase.
In the center of his focus was an active, rising trout; a massively kyped brownie; sucking down new hatch like a vortex sweeper eradicating carpet-bound bread crumbs.
Three solid false casts established both distance and needed line, the forth cast sent the fly on to its intended target. The fly landed within 2 meters -upstream- of the brownie’s targeted feeding lane. The drift was good and on-target.
The shadow, which he had largely ignored, continued to prostrate across the riparian line. As if it would mow down every plant in its path, it increased in size, girth and density. Ominous? Well, to Grant, it appeared to be; as usual. But, he knew now, that was only fear conjecture. Reality was likely to be worse.
Grant recognized the shape emitting the shadow.
“Stone the flaming crows, Are you ridgy didge with that cast? Surely, you’re just pulling my leg and having a lend with me, if you think that old brownie will take.”
Grant didn’t even blink concentration. His focus discriminated only the fly, the trout and, the nail-in-the-coffin of this shadow-from-the-past. He was going to nail this brownie, then nail his father’s arse to the nearest wall.
And the challenge is off ….
On Friday 30 JUN 2017 I began a conversation with Trevor Hawkins and Carol-Ann Morris about a Facebook video I’d posted. The conversation took on the flavor of a lexicon trivia hunt – when I used the word ‘pleasurable’ and Trevor wondered if it was even a real word. Carol chimed in she did not know but was enamored with my comment. One thing led to another. Soon, Carol and I, had a real word melee going on – all in good fun.
Trevor arrived to the party late and made a comment that changed everything! The direction that, after a few swift turns, has landed us on this Novella-adventure.
Trevor posted the following comment:
Trevor Hawkins: Stone the flaming crows, i wouldnt of thought that was a ridgy didge word. I thought you were both pulling my leg and having a lend of me.
Carol and I replied that we ‘loved!!’ this reply. My comment follows…
Trevor, I believe I will have to do a calligraphy of that reply, frame it and write a novella around it. You can do three illustrations for said novella. Starting NOW!
And so the Adventure begins.
The SITH (Stab In The Houdini) [a colorful way of saying ‘stab in the dark’] Challenge, is thus:
Trevor is to produce three (3) Novella-grade illustrations that will depict the tenor of the story – based solely on the information and tenor of the introductory story-line – without seeing what I will write to finish the Novella. He is illustrating in the dark on the direction and outcome. First Impression is all he has to go on.
The objective is to see how close he comes to the final story-line.
On Saturday 01 July, Trevor accepted and began his delivery.
The Novella is to be delivered by weeks end Friday 07 July 2017.
The 1st Chapter will be published on ISSUU for the public to read. It will also be published here on CreXpoCon.
The Game is afoot!
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