Assisi: An Online Journal of Arts & Letters Volume 4, Issues 1 & 2 | Page 44

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Mack had never been good with tackle -– the slippery filament made it
difficult to tie proper knots with -- but this time he’d used his head and set up his
rig the night before so he wouldn’t have to waste time fiddling around when he
could be angling. He had a hard time twisting the top off a jar of salmon eggs -– it
was the first time he’d ever used them, but they were supposed to be superb for
nailing trout –- but finally he succeeded in impaling two of the small golden
berries on his size 6 hook, making sure to cover the barb completely, as he’d been
taught by his father. “If they can see the hook, the fish won’t bite,” his old man
liked to say. The water was running strong, so he took two small split shots out of
his tackle box, set them about ten inches abo