“The Last Rocakabilly” – The North Americans

Four lane asphalt, turns into two. Gravel then dirt until the dirt runs out. Windows down, the heater on low. Topo maps on the dash. That six minute song on repeat, stretched out until infinity.

Cold beer and sunflower seeds. Sunlight flickering on your face as you wind down the pines. Fallen leaves swirling near the ground and dust clinging to the air in the rearview.

A riverbank camp with a mountain view and good water close by. Two pools upstream, two down and long deep run just over the bank.

You gather firewood first, string a road right after. You throw another beer and a small box of flies in the hip pack but leave the camera. You wander down to the first run as the sun starts to set below the peaks.

You unspool some line and its all muscle memory after that until you’re watching a big juicy dry ride a seam of sun dappled water, like a sailboat on a sparkling sea.

Until a snout slowly emerges to sip and submerge and end the scene.

You set the hook and it all goes as it should until you’re netting a healthy cutthroat, marveling at its crimson belly and golden hue. A near perfect match for the fall colours lighting up either side of the bank.

You return that gift to the river as the final spot of sunlight dies on the water and you watch the fish swim away as the current flaps your pant legs.

You turn and head back to camp, the sound of rising fishing behind you. But there’s no need to force it, you’ve got seven days and a favourable forecast. Plus there’s food to eat and a decent rye, just over the bank.

Later, as you lie next to the dying embers, a head full of whiskey and hair full of smoke, eyes facing the encrusted sky above, you can’t help but wonder if it’ll ever be this good again,

The world is filling up and we’re running out of everything —– space, water, days, fish.

No, it’ll never be this good again

Soak it up.

These are the days you’ll be nostalgic about someday.

Possibly as soon as February.

*originally appeared in The Drake Magazine Fall 2019 issue