Night Fishing
by @prsongsmith
Skirmish: Fairy Nights (@ajna1960)
Liner Notes
Written for @ajna1960 's fantastic Skirmish prompt "Fairy Nights". It immediately brought to mind a night fly fishing on the Delaware River at dusk in the Catskill Mountains of New York, when the trees were so thick with fireflies that you could almost read in the dark. #NoAI #acousticonetake #folk #guywithguitar
Lyrics
Night Fishing February 4, 2026 60 Songs Quest: Song #7 FAWM 2026: Song #2 Skirmish: https://fawm.org/skirmish/625 © 2026 Peter A. Rafle, Jr. (All Rights Reserved)
C /B Am /G F /E F /E F G F G Am
I often remember a magical night Drifting the West Branch to the wide Junction Pool Casting our lines as the summer night faded to gray
And the rings on the water like echoes Where the big trout were rising and rising and rising And the bats overhead and the river just rolling away
And the trees on the banks were ablaze With uncountable flashes of miniature lightning Fireworks earthbound and silent and brilliant and gold
As the darkness continued to deepen Midsummer clung to the sky And the bats and the big trout and laughter that never grows old.
It’s been thirty years since that firefly night The twinkling so thick on the trees on the bank You could almost read a newspaper page by their glow
I don’t remember the fish that we caught there. Or the name or the face of the guide at the oars But I’ll never forget the Delaware night and the fairies that guided us home.
Comments
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2023/26065.png){kind=avatar}
That's plenty! Thank you and I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
![[pic]](/static/img/avatars/animals/04.png){kind=avatar}
Great song. Truly evocative lyrics (I think my favorite is "rings on the water like echoes", but there are plenty to choose from) that can't help but put a listener in that time and place. Add to that some beautiful guitar playing and you've got a real winner. Excellent work!
Thanks for the kind words!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2026/a6eadbba-d9e1-4482-9176-d71cc60b2cb4.png){kind=avatar}
Wow! The lyric captured me first, and I didn't want it to end. I smiled all the way through the read, and could really "see" your experience. Nice vocal and guitar carries the story perfectly.
![[pic]](/static/img/avatars/animals/01.png){kind=avatar}
A bard singing like a lark in a park, Nice skirmish. Cheers
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2023/31606.png){kind=avatar}
I feel like your song is the perfect description of "gloaming". I can just see myself being there.
“Gloaming” would be a great skirmish prompt! Thanks for the kind words!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2024/88bd475c-84b9-451f-a59f-f0cb475867fb.png){kind=avatar}
Oo, I like this interpretation of the theme. Nature is magical. ✨ A lot of great lines here-- "rings on the water like echoes," "banks ablaze." Gorgeous writing
Thanks — I’m not really a “magical creatures” guy, but real nature is my jam!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2026/d0d13dd0-b76f-4266-99cf-b3558e0a553c.png){kind=avatar}
This one had me "hooked" 10 seconds in to it! See what I did there ;). Nice job! Really nice acoustic playing and tone!
LOL — thank you!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2025/8b6d4e03-0f72-4a89-a593-93c89efd114e.png){kind=avatar}
I agree with others, Pete. Your guitar work keeps getting better and better. And nobody knows what a stellar bass player you are.
Lovely song that really evokes a calm relaxing mood.
Wow, that means a lot coming from you, David! Thank you!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2024/a2bcb648-b458-429c-ac9e-81baddbed222.png){kind=avatar}
Nice! One of my goals this FAWM is to play some proper acoustic guitar (as opposed to just playing like an electric). I'm taking notes.
Thanks so much! I feel like I still have a lot of work to do on the guitar playing but I’m glad you liked it!
![[pic]](https://fawm-avatars.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/fawm2024/322df60b-93f0-471d-895d-10a9795b4175.png){kind=avatar}
What beautiful guitar playing. Your picking is so evocative of the flowing river and the trees. Your words paint such a clear and beautiful picture, that I feel like I was there.
Thanks, @ajna1960! I feel like I’m still learning to play finger style, so it’s nice to get some positive feedback on that part!
![[pic]](/static/img/avatars/animals/09.png){kind=avatar}
WoW! You've got the bards voice wonderful!! What a beautiful scene, I love dusk on the water. This was wonderful!
Thanks, @kc_ ! So glad you enjoyed it!
![[FAWM]](/static/img/demoduck.svg)
Wish I had something more substantial to say about this, but all I have is: that was wonderful. Thanks for the song, and the comment on mine!