Spawn

I went for a bike ride today. I crossed over a stream at one point where, in the past, I have caught wild brook trout. It is a tiny little stream, barely moving a 4 cubic inches a second. But there were some fish there, going about the business of making little fish. I watched for a while. I 6 inch female had chosen a nice little piece of water and a 4 inch mate and was making a redd there. Every once in a while a longer but noticeably skinny male would sneak up behind the pair and one of them would chase him out. I tried without success to get a photo of this wonderful and beautiful drama-in-miniature that has played over and over in this stream for thousands upon thousands of years. Wow. What a thought. And these fish were probably 5 or 6 years old and yet they had only grown to about the length of the palm of my hand. I love brook trout.

She's there, right in the middle...