4/14/12

A Puzzling Secret Fishing Trail, I Mean Fishing Tale, Maybe a Fishy Tale...

When I was in the Black Hills, I met an old man at Wall Drug Store who told me a secret. Tall tale perhaps. We were high up there in the mountains, after all...




Secret Fishing Hole. 10"x13" archival ink drawing on 11"x14" Bristol Board.


This is one of five drawings I started almost four years ago. This one was inspired by the Black Hills,where there is a little known tale about Trout Lake. It's not really Trout Lake, the real name of the lake is some obscure Indian name which translate to "The water hole below two mountain witches."




According to the old man, the mountain witches were once two beautiful sisters who constantly fought and bickered and did not want to do anything with each other. One day they were fighting so loudly, it irritated the mountain god who turned them into stones immortalizing their angry faces. Now they look at each other day and night unable to say anything to one another. They are surrounded by their posses of even uglier friends. But telling that legend is not my intention. Instead, I am going to share a secret. You see, according to the old man, Trout Lake cannot be found anywhere on a map. The only landmark is the humpback tree by the road after the second Needle in the wildlife circle. There are no entry ways. Cars cannot park on the side of the road because there are no shoulders and so the fishermen have to walk for 45 minutes from the nearest parking lot. By the humpback tree, the fishermen have to descend from the main road by climbing down the boulders. I think there are snakes...




There are no trails. However, one fisherman's clever wife left a Fiesta carafe along the path pointing the spout towards the right direction. Sometimes, some mischievous fisherman would point the spout to the wrong direction, so instead of going down the river, the other fishermen end up in a campground by the First Elephant Hall. When they see the rock walls, they will understand why people call it such. Very few fishermen ever find this fishing hole. Everyone wants to be the lucky one.



Sometimes there are Boy Scouts hiking from a campground farther west. When the canopy becomes thin and the sky is visible, the lucky fisherman knows he is near the lake but dangers abound. There are wild animals living in dens, one wrong turn and he ends up in their territory.



Worse, he gets in the middle of gunfire during hunting season. When he finds himself in the hall of the second elephant, he can start relaxing for he is well on his way...




But all is not clear. There is another den just off the Calavera. Otherwise, congratulations to him. He found the perfect fishing spot.












Now, I cannot really vouch for this story because we had to leave the next day plus I did not want to spend on a fishing license. Plus that old man kept on referring to the masculine gender. Hmph!










14 comments:

Rick Forrestal said...

Now you've got me seeing things in the close-up sections of your drawings!

I love the stories you tell, the memories you bring to life.
And especially the drawings that weave them all together.

(I'm seeing things, really . . . perhaps things you didn't put there.)
Of course I love that.

Ces Adorio said...

Rick, this one is a tall tale fishing tail tale :) Hehehehe! But I was in the Black Hills of South Dakota and travelled all over from Colorado through the grasslands and the prairies during our family reunion in Hill City, South Dakota. Thank you. Your eyes see more than you may realize :)

Bella Sinclair said...

AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! I think it will take my eyeballs at LEAST 45 minutes to travel down the mountain side. Of course, I will have to stop at every rock and root to inspect it for hidden signs of life. I love the itsy bitsy people. I must find the carafe! And I love the story of the two angry sisters, frozen at their worst moment. What a curse! Botox ain't gonna get rid of those frown lines, no way no how. You are magnificent at the details. Gorgeous!

Tammie Lee said...

how fun that you took this story
and created art to match it
I love all the mysterious details


Bella is hilarious, so fun!

martinealison said...

Une belle histoire mis en image... Chaque détail dans tes dessins ont une importance phénoménale et j'aime ça!
Gros bisous

Rod MacGregor said...

Great work Ces...cool story...The rocks remind me for some reason of Braque's cubism paintings.

k.h.whitaker said...

ooooh, now I want to take a magnifying glass and inspect all of your pieces close up to see what treasures I can find :) It's like drawings within drawings. Awesome!!!

Ces Adorio said...

OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!! I did not think of the Botox not being able to cure the permanent scowls on their faces. You have given me an idea. I must rescue these two witches, after all, they were just young girls with sibling rivalry. They must be rescued...Thinking thinking thinking inking inking....

Ted Blackman said...

I used to love to fish for trout. This one has a lot of details and symbolism. It would make a dandy puzzle, Ces. Sorry to hear the witches didn't get along.

illustration poetry said...

been listening to this song too and posted it on G+.... oh dear, Sir Paul.
i am loving your story, sorry i am not well :(
but i read your comment and needed to visit you and look!
here we are, listening to the same song.

steveroni said...

Every time I click to this place, I feel so much 'at home'...in Ces's Blog House. Enchanted, delighted, charmed and fascinated--that's me. Like a child in a zoo (maybe that's not a good analogy--grin!) As a child, my absolute F A V O R I T E place was walking alone in the woods. Shamefully I was out to 'hunt'--with my Daisy Air rifle pellet gun--the most beautiful creatures: rabbits, birds, squirrels, and yes, even trees! I overjoyed to know "God forgives"!

'Telescopic' photo-puzzle-pieces of your art, the Story, the Music, all bring me to a love and an understanding that God might yet forgive my errant marksmanship of youth.

Thank you, Thank you, Ces!
Even when busy, busy, busy...
enjoy Peace, Peace, Peace!

Lorraine Young Pottery said...

What a story! I am sure they would both want to smile after staring at each other for so long and never make an angry face again!

Lorraine

Shirley said...

Gosh Ces, what a great weaver of tales you are...in words and ink!! I love that they pointed the Fiesta carafe in the wrong direction to hide the spot! : ) Always so so good to visit you - I hope you've been well! I've been in a cave for a bit but finally back again..TSUP!!

Creations By Mit said...

Really cool story! And I just love the minute detail in the drawings!