THE RINGING IN THE TREES
The river valley is clogged with fog in the dawn and early-morning hours, casting a gray light over warm, clear water that carries foamy bubbles and the occasional rings of a rise downriver. It’s remarkably quiet, save for the quiet rush of water as it tumbles over ledges and falls. The sky is hidden—the weather it brings, anybody’s guess. It’s summertime on a Virginia smallmouth river. When the fog burns off and the lights come on, the water lights up. The aquatic life—chann