One cold spring day, the birds were chirping the fish were jumping, and I was bored. So I asked my brother, “Hey Garrett you want to go fishing?”

He said, “Yeah, let me call Brad and see if he wants to go”.

I said, “Ok”.

A half hour later Brad calls back and said, “Yeah we're going”. So now my brother and I are off to getting ready. We load up the car, and get garbage bags for the fish we get so it doesn’t stink up the trunk.

So now we're off to the river. On the way there we see many beautiful things in the wildlife, such as birds, deer, and surprisingly on this day a bear. It wasn’t a very big bear but it was a bear and you don’t see a bear every day.

Also on the way there we stop at a gas station to get food and a drink on the way. We got enough food for the whole day. Then, were back on the road to the river. As we pull into the parking lot my heart starts pumping, and I start shaking. I get out of the car put my waders on and head down the stairs. As I reach the river I see no one at my spot.I start my walk down to my spot about a quarter mile downstream. As I reach my spot I rig up with a bobber and a jig. As I make my first drift through the hole. I get no bites, nothing happens within the next 20 minutes.

Then all the sudden, out of nowhere my bobber goes under. I set the hook, and “boom” fish on. The fish took off downstream with a strong run. I can feel the tension in the line between the fish and I. no one could feel the adrenaline as I fight this monster. Then I start to think how am I going to net this fish in all by myself. Then I think to myself “I don’t even have a net”. Then boom the fish makes another strong run, but this time up stream. As I’m fighting this monster steelhead these three city slickers walk up to the bank right above me and watch me fight this fish. By the look on their faces I could tell they were impressed.

They yell down to me, “Is it a nice one?”

I say “Yea,” and boom the fish makes another strong run, I can feel the strength of this colossal fish tugging on my line like no other.

I think to myself this fish isn’t even tired yet, and I’ve been fighting for two minutes, I could tell It was a male due to its strength as I’m fighting it. Then I start feeling it I think to myself, “Am I going to land this fish? Is it going to snap my line?” My adrenaline is making me zone out. All I am focusing on is the fish.

Eventually, I hear a yelling “Sir, sir, sir”

I look up for a second and acknowledge the guy by saying, “Yeah what do you want”.

The guys Says back, “Do you want me to net this fish for you”.

Of course me my stubborn self I reply to him, “No but could I use your net, to net it myself”. Then amazingly the fish makes another herd run down stream. Now between me and landing this fish is 200 yards of 6 lbs test line. The guy with the net runs down the bank and hands me the net. I was thankful.

The fish finally gives me a few yards of line, so I think to myself, “Yes, this fish is finally giving up,” but no. The fish makes another strong run again. After five minutes of fighting this fish, my arms are getting tired.

Then the fish gives me trouble as it makes a fast run towards me. The good thing is all the past years of fishing has paid off, without all the previous years I would’ve lost this fish no doubt. Finally the fish gives some and I get it within 30 yards of me. Then it gets interesting the fish jumps three full feet out of the air, and sploosh the fish splashes down hard into the water and takes off again, ten minutes have gone by and I’m tired this fish is strong it’s got to be big, and the guys above me on the bank have been watching me the whole time.

The fish finally is getting ready to come in. so I fight it hard for another three minutes, I feel the fish ready to be brought in finally giving up. Now the hardest part netting it all by myself. I fight the fish strong, I grab the net the first try I miss, the fish hit the net then makes a strong run out farther away from me. So I bend the rod upward and fight it hard so it’s close enough for me to try netting it again. Then finally I get the fish in the net, I couldn’t believe it I landed it all by myself. I am so proud of myself. I am filled with ferocious happiness. My brother and dad are going to be so proud of me.

The guys that let me use their net said to me “good job not sure how you landed it by yourself”. I could see that they were jealous from the look on there faces. We talked for a couple minutes.

They asked how old I was, I told them I was 15. They were so surprised just the look on their faces explained it all.
Then they asked me, “How long have you been fishing here today?”

I answered to them, “For about 30 minutes, why do you ask.”

They reply back to me, “Wow! We’ve been here since six o'clock this morning and haven’t even hooked up, that was 4 and a half hours ago.” I could just feel what they were thinking what kind of bait is this kid using, we’ve been here all day.

They ask me what kind of bait I was using, of course not trying to be a jerk I simply reply” just a jig and a waxy” funny thing is they were using the same bait. As they leave I just felt on top of the world. I felt like the best fishermen in the world, to show up three middle aged men.

Just then is when I hear someone walking up behind me. Being relieved it was my brother and my cousin Brad. They ask me how I did and of course I explain the whole story. The way they looked at me when they saw the fish made me feel so proud.

I’ll never forget this day ever again in my entire life, I still have flashbacks to that day. The day I realized that I have a brother and a cousin that care about me so much, and my brother respecting me so much more today as a fishermen because of that day. also them guys were surprised at how young i was when i landed that fish by myself, it just made me feel proud.

“my fish was this pretty. I will never forget how pretty it was”