CHASING TROUT IN RUGGED WATERS

The sun beat down on the crystal surface of the lake, a shimmering mirror reflecting the towering pines that fringed its borders. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, and a gentle breeze rustled through the twigs, whispering secrets only the old forest appreciated. I stood at the water's bank, my booted feet sunk into the soft mud, a sym