AustLit

'Maddie and Toby are fishing partners who live in a small mill town where people are dying from 'Mill Flu'. Keen to catch the biggest rainbow trout ever, Mister Rainbow, they disobey orders, fish in the 'Big Pool' and find a recluse living in a shack in the bush. Maddie falls into the big pool, almost drowns, but is saved by the recluse. Maddie becomes ill, but Toby continues to fish and finds people pumping toxic waste into the Rainbow River. He contacts the Environment Protection Authority and the local police, and investigations begin. Toby learns that the old recluse is Colonel Bolt, a former soldier who was highly-decorated during the Vietnam War, and an amazing artist who sketches pictures of his war memories. The colonel collapses near his shack, Toby finds him and arranges his transport to hospital. Finding two war medals in his shack, Toby e-mails the army and tells them of the colonel's plight. Will the army respond? Maddie and Toby enter one of Colonel Bolt's sketches in an art competition, selling Mister Rainbow's Magic Bait at a local market to earn the entry fee. Then, Toby goes missing and Maddie calls Colonel Bolt for help. Will they find Toby? Will the colonel win a prize in the art competition, and will they catch Mister Rainbow?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.