Photo Essay
NOTES FROM A FISHING TRIP WITH A 7-YEAR-OLD
He makes swooshing sounds when I cast.
“Could a shark fit in this river?”
“Why do animals live outside?”
He is the dedicated keeper of the snacks and has asked me if I want my muesli bar every minute since we got here five minutes ago.
“Imagine if there was a shark in this river.”
“Are there kangaroos in Sweden? Why not?”
He is very impressed that he is standing in the river but is dry in his waders.
He has eaten all his snacks.
“That mountain looks like a sad monster crouched over.”
He stumbles a lot and is very short. Bushes that reach my hips are nearly over his head. I must remember to walk slower.
“Would a crayfish fall off a waterfall?”
We stayed in a cabin nestled in this picturesque Norwegian valley for a week, no electricity and no shower, just a tub we’d heat water in for baths. According to an old map I found in the cabin, a trail runs up the valley just above the cabin in the photo, leading to a lake. Next time I’m going to hike up there—I bet it’s fishy as hell. Photo: Jono Winnel