Small Trout Rising to Bugs in a Stream Near Monet’s Gardens, Giverny, France
One can only assume
it has no idea of the context
in which it is doing about the most natural thing
for a trout to be doing, nor any inkling
as to why all these eager tourists
keep on crossing this little footbridge
just upstream of where it is going to town,
devouring newly hatched insects
without a care in the world and, more than likely,
without any appreciation for the world famous
water lily pond next door, Claude Monet,
the Impressionists, or even art in general.
It’s just hungry. Or acting on instinct. Whatever.
The point is, it’s putting on quite a show
for me in this showy little Eden
where the great French painter cultivated
inspiration for himself until his death
in 1926 and, despite everything I should probably
be concentrating on here, I can’t help but wonder
what I might be able to do with a fly rod about now.
First published in Gray’s Sporting Journal, Vol. 48, Issue 1, April 2023.
