Wendorf's Steelhead Sonnet

By: Todd Wendorf

Date Posted: December 11, 2011

The crack of the slammer was still careening down the river banks …

but he already knew this was no ordinary fish!

The steady pounding on the rod, the line screaming down the hole,

and the look in the anglers eyes all said the same thing …

This silver bullet was on a mission!

Lift and reel, lift and reel …

Bury the rod tip in the hole as the “chromer” takes another run.

One, two, three magnificent runs … he’s sure she can’t have much left!

Slowly making headway, he breathes a slight sigh of relief.

Suddenly her crimson cheek appears in the hole.

He sees the fish … she sees him … the drag screams … the battle continues.

She saw the hole of death and refuses to surrender.

His forearms begin to ache;

his resolve weakens with the line as it endures another long run,

and the constant scraping on the edge of the ice.

He battles on thinking the end must be in sight,

and it begins all over again with the longest run yet.

Finally, the exhausted steelhead succumbs.

She’s lifted through the hole to an unfamiliar world.

Two bright flashes of light, muffled sounds she can’t interpret, and suddenly she’s back in familiar surrounding.

She sees the darkness of a familiar run and spends what energy she has left to reach it.

Still and silent, she breathes and tastes. She has indeed survived.

She’s older now. Wiser and stronger.

The small ball of eggs approaching her looks suspicious.

It shouldn’t just be hanging in the water … not flowing with the current.

She passes this time, only to see a silver streak appear from behind her.

It flashes to her left, shakes it head in anger, and disappears down the river.

She sinks to the bottom, pauses, then slowly drifts to safer places.

Todd Wendorf grew up in Northern Wisconsin and now calls McFarland, WI home. He is an avid bass fisherman who specializes in shore fishing, wading, float tubing, and kayak fishing. When not chasing big largemouths, Todd frequently fishes for steelhead and brown trout in Southeastern Wisconsin harbors & tributaries. You can visit Todd online at http://www.needtofishmore.blogspot.com/