TIGERS IN THE DESERT
Tiger Musky vs. Goldfish at New Mexico’s Bluewater Lake
David motors over but the wave doesn’t move. A fishing line dangles from her throat; you can’t see the hook or hot dog, but they’re there. Her belly and throat, scraped from the struggle and wait on land, her eyes turning glass. She floats like a goldfish in a bowl, ignored by children who promised Mother to be responsible.
Her back ripples—a mix of musky green sheen and pike Morse code dashes in the water—with the hitchy movement of a flipbook in which a caterpillar turns into a butterfly at the happy end. She should’ve disappeared before we got to her though. Surfers and border collies chase waves and succeed, but the rest of us just run and jump and close mouths over sand...
Subscribe for access to this article plus the entire archive of The Flyfish Journal content—and receive a discount on all products. Subscribe Now