We jogged down the dirt road, our hooks swaying to the beat of our steps and our minds excited for the new day. Our jogging ceased in front of a skinny, one man path. One by one, we crept down it, avoiding large thorns and poison ivy. We finally reached our destination and jumped onto the rock. Our fishing adventure was about to begin.
We quickly hooked our bait and took a couple of practice casts, getting nothing. I found a nice spot, made a wonderful cast, and settled down to wait. And wait. And wait. I got nothing. Neither did the other guys. We shared a gloomy pack of Oreos, as boredom overtook us. We decided to take just one more cast.

My cast was good, so I let it sit. I thought about what lunch would be. What stories would surface about the day's adventures. None that are mine. Then I felt it--a nibble. I dragged my line through the water, luring the fish. I couldn't believe it. Then the nibbles stopped. I thought I had lost it, but I was determined. I kept with it. Then, a tug. I quickly set the hook and yelled “fish on”. The other guys ran over to support me and create a team effort. Then the battle began.

I gingerly started to reel, while trying to keep calm. We created a whole book of ideas, all from our fishing merit badge. Was it reel first or just drag? It was all up to me. The excitement inside me burned. The fish jerked again, and it sent my hands into a frenzy. My mind was instantly back on the fish. A bombardment of tips came from around me.  Even though only  I held the reel, it felt like we all were working together. Suddenly, it jumped out of the cool lake water and into the warm New England air. 7 heads followed the fish, in unison, soaring in slow motion through the air. We're knocked out of the trance as the fish slammed into the water, almost knocking me off the rock. I gritted my teeth while tugging like a tugboat against the fish. I started to crank the reel, its churning noise screaming in our ears. my friends drowned out the noise by chanting, “fish, fish, fish”. And then, I could see it. We stopped and stared at it, in awe of its magnificence. Then erupted in cheers. The graceful creature looked back at me, engulfing me in a feeling of happiness. I hauled it up onto the rock and grabbed for its mouth, but quickly pulled my hand away when I saw its teeth. Of course my peers are prepared, and I’m handed a pair of pliers, which I swiftly plunged them into the monster's mouth. I held it up in the air, its weight pleased me very much. Even though a strong wind made me shiver, I still felt nice and warm inside.