A Lake (The Quiet End)
The Fish I Caught, Told Five Times
I caught a fish on my very first fishing trip. Every time I tell the story, the fish gets a little bigger.
Last weekend I went fishing for the first time, on a lake, with a rented rod and a lot of patience. After four hours, I caught a fish. Fishermen are famous for making the fish bigger every time they tell the story. I’m a fisherman now. Here’s mine, told five times.
The Story
First telling, at the lake: “I caught a fish! It’s about the size of my hand.”
Second telling, in the car: “I caught a fish about the size of my arm. It fought very hard.”
Third telling, at dinner: “I caught a fish the size of a dog. A strong dog. It pulled the boat.”
Fourth telling, to my neighbor: “I caught a fish the size of the boat. I had to call for a bigger boat.”
Fifth telling, to you: “I caught a whale. In a lake. Experts are amazed.”
The Truth
The fish was about the size of my hand. I let it go, because that’s the kind thing to do with a small fish, and because it looked at me like it had somewhere to be.
I do have a photo. In the photo, I’m holding the fish very close to the camera, and it looks enormous. That’s called technique.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bait did you use?
Worms, from the shop. The fish loved them. I never looked at them directly.
Will you go fishing again?
Yes. Next time, the fish starts at the size of my arm, and we go from there.