Fishing Narrative

Never Give Up

It was an abnormally warm day in the middle of summer in northern Wisconsin; the high temperature was around 100 degrees, and my grandfather and I were out on the lake fishing at our rustic cabin. I was a very impatient nine year old who loved spending time with his grandfather, but I did not have an abundance of patience. The time was nearing noon, and we were getting hungry after a long day of very few fish being caught, so I started to pester my grandfather about getting off of the lake and making some lunch. After consistent pestering, my grandfather suggested we troll around the lake a couple more times. Though many fishing stories are exaggerated due to the one that got away. "Imagination, desire, is the very basis of dreams. The mystery of the one that got away, is the spark that sets imagination into overdrive."(Bishop) This is one of the few stories where there is nothing that got away, which creates one of the greatest memories anyone can have. It was during this day where I would learn a very valuable lesson that would stick with me the rest of my life.

As I would soon find out, this first trip trolling around the lake that would change my life forever. As I began voicing my complaints of going around the lake one more time, my grandpa tried easing my complaints by telling me “Not too much longer Mike, maybe you will catch a fish.”

This did not help to ease my mind, I had decided I had enough time on the lake, and I replied “But Grandpa, I am hungry!” This response did not go over too well as my grandfather grew irritated with my poor attitude and response. I was young and impatient and did not know any better. All I knew was I was hot and hungry, as a naive child these two desires dominated my thinking.

My grandfather finally became so upset that he decided to give up entirely due to my persistence. “Alright, alright, we will go in after this trip around the lake then”; however, this last trip around the lake would suddenly...