People fishing on grass
Sometimes you'll see people near Western Rivers casting fly rods across the grass. Most are testing a new rod.
Most.
The ones who remember the river
In our tale, the ghosts of a few old fishermen still come to fish a river only they can see. They stand among the customers, making patient, beautiful casts into perfectly dry lawns.
Ask what they're catching and they'll say, ‘Same as always.’
Ask where the water went and they'll look at you strangely.
You can supposedly recognize one by the way their line settles: it drifts gently downstream, even when there's no wind.
The Whale knows them. They've agreed not to make a fuss about one another.
A good catch
And if you ever see someone on the lawn lift their rod, smile, and carefully release something you cannot see—
give them a little room.
Apparently, it was a good one.