Story prompts with the tag “aliens”
Spaceship captain uses experience fly-fishing to recognize a trap
Fly fishing is the art of fooling fish. A "fly" is a small hook with any number of materials attached so that it looks like an insect to the fish. Trout are notoriously suspicious. Often they will rise to a fly and detect something wrong when they get close.
If humans compare the fly with the insect, the two often look quite different; the fly is designed to look like the impression of that insect on the surface of the water when viewed from below. It must only appear like an insect to the fish.
This story is about first contact between humans and another species in the future. An alien ship is detected and the admiral of the space fleet is summoned to the scene. Unfortunately, he is on vacation, out of communication, fly fishing in the wilderness. The action begins when an officer arrives to notify the admiral that he is needed.
The admiral complies, of course, but his mind remains half on vacation. As they approach the alien ship, he contin...
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