I've gone fishing thousands of times in my life, and I have never once felt unlucky or poorly paid for those hours on the water.

The trout that seem to stick in my memory the finest aren't the big ones, and maybe it's because I have't visited all the corners of the globe, but my most unforgettable trout all lived close to home. In fact, when I take out my pouch of trout memories and spill them all on the table, it seems that the smaller ones shine the brightest.

Everything characters say or do is a clue to their personalities, their histories, and the forces that motivate them.