The Fisher

My favorite memories of my childhood would without a doubt be the camping and fishing trips my family and I often went on. But one of those trips I will never forget. On this particular trip, it was just my Dad and I that would be going. It was on my tenth birthday. I remember how excited I was as my Dad and I packed the old jeep with all our camping and fishing gear. This was the first time that my Mom and sister would not be going. I probably reminded my Dad a hundred times before we left for this trip how this would be, "Just for us two guys trip".

It was especially exciting because we were going to a place that we never had gone before. As we waved good by to my Mom and sister, I kind of felt sorry for them, since they would not be going with us. My Dad must of sensed my pity for them. He reminded me that Mom and and sis were going on a trip to the beach with my Aunt and my sisters favorite girl cousin. That put an end to any guilt I had been feeling for them not going with us. So all that was left to do was to go have a blast, just us two guys.

It was going to be a long three hour drive my Dad reminded me. As we drove, we talked about all the things we were going to do for the next two days, so really, the three hour trip did not seem very long at all.

The plan was to set up camp, eat the lunch that Mom had packed us, then head down to the lake with the fishing gear. We got our lines casted and started fishing. Dad started telling me a story about what happened long ago, at that very lake that we were at.

A long time ago Dad began, there once was an old man that lived on the lake, the very same lake that we were at. The main reason this man made his home on the lake was because, he was obsessed about fishing. He had earned a reputation of being a fine fisherman. This fisher would reel in a big one, with just about every cast of his line! And then,this is what the fisherman would say to every fish he caught. "TONIGHT TOGETHER WE SHALL DINE, YES TONIGHT, YOU ARE MINE TO DINE"

But, the fisherman was not happy with the fish he was catching. The man was after a monster fish, a huge cat fish that he had seen out there in this lake! He claimed that the fish weighed one thousand pounds! His eyes would open wide and he would appear to be a bit crazy as he told people about what he had seen out in those waters. And he said he had seen the giant fish every day that he was down at the water fishing! But, People he told the story to did not believe the crazy old man, since they had never seen this monster fish themselves. And, they did not believe that a cat fish could get that big.

Never the less, the man had a mission, and, that was to land the huge fish. This man never gave up on his dream. Many years past by. Then, one day, the fisherman was no where to be found. When the people in that area noticed that the fisherman was missing, a search party was started. They all searched high and low. This search went on for a week, but they could not find a trace of the man.

The people in that area never forgot about the fisher. They always wondered what could of happened to the man. But, many people that lived near and far had reported a strange voice they heard come from out of the lake. At the same time every evening the voice would say. OLD MAN, THROW AWAY YOUR POLE, YOU NO LONGER NEED IT, TONIGHT TOGETHER WE SHALL DINE, YES,TONIGHT YOU ARE MINE TO DINE!

Was this a true story, and it happened right hear at this place? Before my Dad had time to answer, this is what we saw out in the water, A monster of a fish jumping up out of the water! The splash it made, caused Dad and I to get soak and wet. We just looked at each other with our mouths wide open!

When we were leaving that camping area to go home, we seen this sign that read:

There was once an old man that lived at this lake.

He was a fisherman, every day to the lake his poles he would take.

One spot he would always go,

and only one spot his line he would throw!

Reeling in a big one with every cast of his line.

To every fish caught he would say.

Tonight together we shall dine.

One day the man vanished into the thin air

No one could find him, they looked everywhere.

Now it is rumored by many near and far away,

At a certain time every evening from the lake a voice they hear say:

OLD MAN, NOW THAT YOU ARE AT MY HOUSE THIS TIME,

THROW AWAY YOUR POLE, YOU NO LONGER NEED IT, TONIGHT TOGETHER WE SHALL DINE! YES, TONIGHT YOU ARE MINE TO DINE!