NORMAN'S FIRST & MAYBE LAST FISHING ADVENTURE!

Norman was not known as an experienced fisherman.  As a matter of fact he had never been fishing before.  He got out his Fisherman's World Catalog and bought all the most expensive fishing clothing and gear they had to offer.  He was dressed top to bottom with the best, wading boots, fishing vest, even a fisherman's hat.  He also bought the best pole and lures the company had.  Norman figured with such good equipment he couldn't help but come home loaded with fish for dinner that night.

Norman loaded up his family RV with his gear, a raft and his new fishing boat hooked behind and off he went.  Since Norman was a little boy he had always loved boats and dreamed of becoming a great fisherman.  Life had taken Norman on a different path until just recently.  He had married, become a father and worked hard to have a nice home and wonderful family.

   As Norman pulled up to the dock he realized this was the very first time he'd gotten the chance to follow his dream and do some fishing.  As he parked his RV he saw a lady fishing off a dock and the whole lake was full of all kinds of boats and people.  This Norman thought, was going to be a great day!  Larry, a neighbor of Norman's, pulled up with his boat on his SUV.

Larry was an excellent fisherman.  Norman would   see him almost every weekend pass by with his boat headed for the lake.  Larry would come back loaded with fish and pass many out to his neighbors because his family couldn't eat them all.  Larry was a good friend.  Norman decided to try out his new boat first.  It was a beautiful day.  The water was so clear and blue, the sun glistened off it.  Some fish jumped right out of the water as Norman rode along in his new boat.

Norman passed a Cub Scout fishing and wished he had started fishing when he was younger.  He knew he had a lot to learn.  But, hey, how hard can fishing be, he thought.  Next he spotted a lady sailor in a row boat. Then a man smiling happily at the wheel of a beautiful sailboat.  Norman could see it was his pride and joy!

He looked like a retired gentleman and Norman thought he had probably worked hard all his life to buy that boat.  Norman decided to pull back into dock and try out his new raft next.  As he was docking his boat he passed a man in the most beautiful canoe he had ever seen.  It looked hand made and sanded smooth with love.  It was really something to see!

Most people don't realize the number of different type of fish in the lake.  There are every type and color you can imagine.  Pretty blue fish, large green fish, even schools of gold fish that people have brought to the lake to set free in the blue water.  They live and grow to be quite big in the lake.

A favorite of fisherman is the trout.  They are a good tasting fish and usually easy to catch.  Norman wasn't interested in any of those.  He had his heart set on catching a large mouth bass.  That is usually the type Larry brought home and Norman really wanted to catch one of those.

Lurking at the bottom of the lake just waiting for food to come along was one of the bass.  As Norman put his lure in the water the bass thought it was food and went after it.  Lures are made to look like small fish so the big ones go after them and get hooked on the fishing line.  Just about that time Norman's bobber started jumping up and down.

Then suddenly Norman was in a fight for his life.  Off went the raft with Norman hanging on with all his strength.  Norman knew he had a big one and no way was he going to let go.  The new raft was sure taking a beating but was holding up well.  Norman was glad he had paid a little more than most of them cost because this raft was really being put to the test.

Norman and his raft flew passed a sailor in a dingy who looked shocked.  He was glad it had not been him who caught whatever Norman had on the other end of that line.  Finally, in spite of Norman's effort, the fishing line broke and the raft came to a gentle halt.  Norman was actually kind of glad.  He was beginning to think he had a sea monster on his line. 

Norman would luckily never know it was a cute little yellow   fish on the end of his line.  You see Norman was right, he did have a lot to learn about fishing.  One thing he had decided was to try fishing from a dock or off the bank.  Maybe he should learn first to fish on dry land.  Good idea, Norman had, don't you think so?  Me too!

As Norman headed for a spot he thought would be a    comfortable place to fish from, he saw Larry out in his boat holding up a nice big bass.  Then he passed a young boy with a really big one and a man who had caught one of the little gold fish.  He would throw that one back in the water to grow some more.  Norman was getting a little upset with himself, here he had all the right equipment but just wasn't having any luck catching anything!

Then he looked up and saw a man trying to keep his boat from sinking.  He had sprung a leak and was using a bucket to keep the water down.  Norman ran to the lifeguard and he and some others took off in a boat to help the man.  The lifeguards took the man on board their boat and tied his boat behind.  They brought them both safely back to shore.  The man thanked Norman for getting help to him.

When the man was safe again.  Norman settled down     on the bank to fish again.  It was only a few minutes before Norman was holding on to his seat for dear life.  He had another big one on his line and wasn't going to let this one get away.  Well, Norman won the battle this time.  He reeled in that large mouth bass and he was flopping up and down on the bank.  Norman only made one mistake.  He went over to take a closer look at the fish and got just a little to close!

Next thing Norman knew was that bass had him by   the arm almost all the way up to his shoulder.  Norman ran down to the waters edge and shook that bass off, back into the water.  "Long John Silver's Restaurant" was starting to sound like a good place to stop on the way home for dinner to take his family.  Norman was beginning to think his dream of having a bass mounted to a plaque on his wall singing songs was not going to happen!

Norman thought, maybe this fishing thing just wasn't for   him after all.  He remembered practicing in his gold fish bowl at home and even his fish Fred paid no attention to his fishing pole.  His poor cat Whiskers never had any luck catching Fred either.  Norman figured not being a good fisherman must run in the family!

Then Norman saw a pretty golden fish swim by and   thought he would give it one more try.  There must be one fish down there waiting for Norman's lure.  He dropped his line in the water and waited and waited, it seemed like forever, then there it was the tug on his line.  He had one, Norman reeled him in and made sure not to get to close to this one.  He had caught himself a large mouth bass!

When Norman got home, his wife Mary Beth jumped up and down with joy, when she saw his big bass fish.  She knew how important it was to him.  That night, Norman told her he thought he just might wait awhile to go fishing again.  Maybe until they had a grandson he could take with him.  After watching Norman put his gear away that day, Mary Beth smiled at Norman and said "that sounds like a good idea!"

MANY TIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN OUR LIVES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR OWN BACK YARDS!