The Happiest Day

Last evening Jack and I were once again catching bream when his bobber disappeared and when he set the hook, I heard a loud screech from the drag on his reel. The next five minutes were somewhat chaotic, with me trying to help him hold the rod tip up while the big cat made three long runs before coming to hand. The channel cat weighed 8.5 lbs, a respectable catch for a fisherman of any age, but a trophy to a 6-year-old wielding a 24″ Ugly Stik and a plastic reel loaded with 4 lb test line. We released the fish and she swam away to thrill some other kid another day. On the way home, he told me this was the happiest day of his life.