TEMPTATION

“See now, how men lay blame upon us gods for what is after all nothing but their own folly.”
—Homer

Tell me, oh Muse, of that ingenious hero who set out from the town of Eau Claire on a musky guide trip in mid-July. Tell me of how he navigated the river while instructing his charge, using all his wit and guile to tempt the toothed leviathan from the wine-dark waters. Many a bend and log jam did they fish and many flies did they try in their quest. Sing of the sirens encountered, of their song, of temptation and longing, and the suffering he endured at the time and for nights uncounted after. Tell me, too, of all these things, oh daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.

In the Northwoods of Wisconsin, it is understood that the month of July is the time of the smallmouth bass. They, having