Yes, the big one got away
July 30, 2009 (Thursday)
A good fish story is always appreciated by fishermen, so maybe you will like the one about the kid who walked up to two fishermen by the river. “Are there any big fish in the river?” he asked. “Why, kid,” one of the anglers replied, “the fish are so big in this river that we have to tie the line to our mule so the mule can pull the fish out on the bank.” “I don’t see your mule,” said the boy. “Kid, the last fish pulled him into the river!” (Drums) ba de ba de boom!
The biggest fish is always the one that got away.
Roy Hutchinson was a prospect for church membership at Rockport. One day he saw me walking near the bay and insisted I go fishing with him right then. I did. We zoomed out to an oil rig and threw our weighted lines in the water, where they took the bait to the bottom. On the way to the rig, I had tried to convince Roy to join our church. I felt a tug on the line and reeled it in. When the huge Drum made it to the top of the water by the boat, I gasped with delight because he must have weighed 40 or 50 pounds. Roy tried to gaff him to bring him into the boat, but the big old fish looked at the two of us as if he were saying “goodbye,” rolled over and swam away, breaking the line as he went. What an empty feeling! He was touching the boat when Roy tried to hook his gill with the gaff but missed. “I’ve changed my mind, Roy,” I joked, “I don’t want you to join our church!”
Like I said, the big ones always get away. That’s so we can increase their size every time we tell about them.
Oh, Roy did join the church and his wife joined with him. The two of them thoroughly enjoyed being members. And I enjoyed being their pastor.