Marlin fishing
It's been five hours since he first set foot on this vessel. Like the others he brought his rod, reel, and tackle. Beyond those necessities he simply carried a candy bar and gallon of water. Those five hours had passed without a single hint of a bite.
The sun was at its highest right now. On other rigs there was somewhere to hide to escape the onslaught, but this one lacked such creature comforts. So he cursed beneath his breath while acknowledging that tomorrow he'd have large red patches covering the better part of his neck, face, and arms.
His patience wouldn't pay off for another two hours, when a tug finally signaled that the day was really only beginning. This fish wouldn't tire quickly. Marlin stamina overwhelmed many a fisherman. So he took his time. Reeling in only to let the beast pull the line further from the boat.
The dance continued for many more hours before he finally got the first glimpse of the fish. Violently, it leapt from the cool waters. Startled, he let the line go too far. Frantically, he placed his thumb upon the reel in an attempt to halt the fish's progress. A hard yank seemed to have the fish back under the man's control. He pulled back one more time only to have the line snap from the tension. He watched the fish swim away from the boat and men who wanted nothing more than to place claim on the beast.
If anyone asked him, he'd blame the loss on dehydration. Only he knew that he'd let the line snap on purpose. The glimpse of the fish was reason enough for him to realize that such an animal was meant to be revered. Not on a wall, mounted, but within the natural wonders of its home.
The sun was at its highest right now. On other rigs there was somewhere to hide to escape the onslaught, but this one lacked such creature comforts. So he cursed beneath his breath while acknowledging that tomorrow he'd have large red patches covering the better part of his neck, face, and arms.
His patience wouldn't pay off for another two hours, when a tug finally signaled that the day was really only beginning. This fish wouldn't tire quickly. Marlin stamina overwhelmed many a fisherman. So he took his time. Reeling in only to let the beast pull the line further from the boat.
The dance continued for many more hours before he finally got the first glimpse of the fish. Violently, it leapt from the cool waters. Startled, he let the line go too far. Frantically, he placed his thumb upon the reel in an attempt to halt the fish's progress. A hard yank seemed to have the fish back under the man's control. He pulled back one more time only to have the line snap from the tension. He watched the fish swim away from the boat and men who wanted nothing more than to place claim on the beast.
If anyone asked him, he'd blame the loss on dehydration. Only he knew that he'd let the line snap on purpose. The glimpse of the fish was reason enough for him to realize that such an animal was meant to be revered. Not on a wall, mounted, but within the natural wonders of its home.