First Fish Story

We have all heard those hard to believe fish stories but this fish story is much different. It is actually my youngest son's fish story and although many years later is still a common joke with the family. This fish story is NOT about 'the one that got away'.

We were camping for the second or third time now and we considered ourselves experienced campers by this time. The first fish story took place on Saturday afternoon. My friend and I lounged in our lawn chairs working on our suntans while the old older kids explored the campground, leaving my youngest behind.

Having acquired his first fishing pole and tackle box from Grandma and Grandpa a few weeks before for his fourth birthday. His older brothers donated to the tackle box fishing lures, bobbers, and other tackle they did not use to what the grandparents had included in their gift. He was ready to catch anything and wanted to nothing but fish.

As our camping sites were right next to the cannel we could relax and still keep close eyes on my son fishing. We even made up a song for him and each time he tromped across the lawn to the cannel with fishing pole in one hand and tackle box in the other. "I'm a man, I got my fishing pole, I got my tackle box, I'm a man!"

For a good two hours, we sunned and girl-talked while watching my son as he cast out and reeled in. Not catching a single fish, not even any indication of a nibble or bite the little angler continued his mission to catch a fish. At one point, I called him in to camp for a sandwich but he rushed back to his fishing.

We moms again singing the 'I'm a man' song - him yelling over his shoulder "Would you guys stop that?" as he returned to his ritual of casting and reeling. He obviously did not see the humor in our fishing song aimed at his attitude than the act of fishing.

It was about this time that the wind picked up and I noticed his fishing line go blowing in the wind rather than landing in the water where I would have expected it too. I could not believe my eyes! "Shane! You don't have a hook on your line!"

The darling's response was, "I know, it doesn't get caught in the weeds that way." He reeled in the fishing line and cast it out again - not catching a single fish the entire camping trip.

The inside joke now is if someone cannot do something or is not accomplishing something they need to do someone will ask, "Do you have a hook on it?" or instruct, "Try putting a hook on it!"