Legend of the Lure, page 2
Now Daniel felt even more confused. “Grandma, you know the scar on Grandpa’s cheek?” he asked.
“You mean the one he got in the war, honey?” she replied. “What about it?”
“The war?” Daniel mumbled. “Oh. Never mind.”
“You know, I never understood why he didn’t keep the fish in that picture,” Daniel’s grandma continued. “That was the biggest fish he ever caught. By the looks of it, I’d say it was one of the biggest in the state. It would have looked good on the wall. Your grandpa threw it back.”
Daniel’s dad smiled. “Probably would have tasted good, too,” he said.
“I know why,” Daniel muttered.
The grownups all stared at him.
Daniel took a breath. Then he explained, “Grandpa loved to fish. He probably had a great time catching that fish. And he probably wanted to do it again. That’s why he let it go.”
Daniel’s grandma said, “Knowing your grandpa, he probably put that fish back so that someone else could have the same fun he had that day.”
She smiled. Then she added, “Maybe someone like you.”
CHAPTER 7
THE TOURNAMENT
It didn’t take long before Daniel had decided to compete in the annual Lake Werner Fishing Tournament.
When they heard he wanted to enter, the tournament organizers allowed him to take his grandpa’s spot in the tournament. Daniel planned to use his grandpa’s boat and all of his equipment. In fact, Daniel decided, he would try to catch Big Larry during the tournament.
He would spend the two days thinking about his grandfather. Maybe that would help him stop feeling so sad.
The tournament was a two-day event. Anglers could get on the water at 7 o’clock in the morning each day, and they had to be off the water by 3 o’clock in the afternoon.
It was a catch-and-release tournament. That meant that anglers had to keep any fish they caught alive. They’d keep the fish in special holders on their boats.
At the end of each day, the fish would be weighed. Then the anglers would release the fish back into the lake. Whichever angler caught the most weight in fish over the two days would be the winner of the tournament.
On the first day of the tournament, Daniel was on the water bright and early. He caught a couple of small fish right away, but that was it.
He didn’t catch anything at all after noon. That meant he had a lot of time to think.
He moved the boat expertly around the lake, looking for fishing spots. He kept hoping that Big Larry would show up next to the boat, just as Grandpa Carl had said he would. At least then Daniel would see the fish for himself.
He knew one thing for sure. Big Larry was real. His grandpa had even caught him once.
But that was several years ago. What if Big Larry was dead?
However, Daniel remembered, Grandpa Carl had made Daniel promise that if he caught Big Larry, he’d release him. So Grandpa must have believed that Big Larry was still alive.
It was almost 3 p.m. Time to get ready to leave the lake. Daniel began to pack up his gear. Just as he was about to start the boat’s motor, he felt something hit the side of the boat. Quickly, he leaned over the boat’s edge and peered into the water.
Nothing.
Feeling disappointed, he started up the boat and headed for shore.
The first day of the tournament had not gone like he imagined it would. Not at all.
CHAPTER 8
FRESH FISH!
That night, Brian’s parents asked him to babysit again while they went to a movie. Daniel and Brian decided to go to the grocery store to get something to eat for dinner.
The store was only a couple of blocks away, so it was a short walk. At the store, they sped through the chips and salsa section. Daniel didn’t even let Brian stop and look at the candy bars.
Daniel was in a hurry. He wanted to get Brian home and fed as fast as possible. Then he’d be able to make a plan for the next day.
As they walked through the meat section, Brian pulled away from Daniel. “Hey!” he yelled. “Look at that huge fish! It’s like a giant monster fish or something!”
Daniel’s eyes shot over to the fresh fish case. There, packed in ice, was the biggest fish he had ever seen. Next to it was a sign that read, “FRESH FISH! Pulled straight from Lake Werner!”
Daniel couldn’t believe it. Slowly, he stepped closer to the chilly case. The fish was much bigger than the one in the picture in his grandpa’s house. But running halfway down the side of the fish’s body was a yellow stripe.
CHAPTER 9
NOT A TROPHY
Daniel stared at the huge fish. A chill ran up his spine.
He suddenly felt really sad. It was almost like his grandpa had died again. Daniel knew it was a strange way to feel, but he couldn’t help it.
“I’m sorry, Larry,” Daniel mumbled to the fish.
“What?” Brian asked. “What did you just say, Daniel?”
“Oh, nothing,” Daniel said. “Never mind. Let’s just go find the aisle that has the macaroni and cheese.”
Daniel’s heart thumped as he and Brian picked out their dinners. As they were about to check out, Daniel stopped. “Hang on,” he said to Brian. “There’s one more thing we need.”
Daniel led Brian back to the fish case. The butcher behind the counter asked, “Can I help you?”
Daniel pointed at the huge fish and said, “I’ll take that one.”
“The whole thing?” the butcher asked, frowning.
Daniel nodded.
The butcher shrugged. “All right, kid,” he said. “Whatever you say.”
A few minutes later, Daniel and Brian were on their way back to Brian’s. They were carrying the huge fish between them.
“Daniel, are we going to eat this fish?” Brian asked.
Daniel didn’t reply right away. He thought about what Grandpa Carl had said. “Larry is not someone’s trophy, and he’s definitely not someone’s dinner.”
“No,” Daniel told Brian. “We can’t eat him. And I’m going to make sure no one does.”
CHAPTER 10
SET THE FISH FREE
The next morning, Daniel knew what he had to do. He headed back out to Lake Werner for the second day of the fishing tournament.
His plan was pretty simple. He’d take the boat out into the middle of the lake. Then he would set the big fish free.
Daniel knew that the fish was already dead. It wasn’t like he was really letting the fish escape back into the wild.
However, he also knew that his grandpa would have wanted the fish to rest in the lake. Grandpa Carl would have hated the idea of the big fish being sold in a grocery store. He really would’ve hated knowing that Big Larry was on someone’s plate.
When he arrived at Lake Werner, Daniel put his grandpa’s hat on. Then he guided the boat out to the spot where his grandpa had caught Big Larry.
When he reached the spot, he knew it was time to throw back the big fish. Before he did anything, though, Daniel wanted to bait his line.
He dug through his fishing gear, but somehow, there wasn’t a lure to be found. He had lots of fishing line, and some spare hooks, but that was it.
No lures. Not even any broken ones.
Then Daniel realized that he had a spare. He reached up to his head and took off his grandpa’s hat.
Daniel baited his line with the lure from his grandpa’s hat. Then he carefully sent the line out and started pulling it in.
After all, he was still in a fishing tournament. And, he knew, that lure had caught a big fish before.
Then he reached into his bag and pulled out the frozen fish. He carefully started to unwrap it.
Just then, his fishing pole smacked against the side of the boat. The pole was climbing up the side of the boat, pulled by something on the other end.
Something had been hooked!
The pole was close to falling into the water when Daniel grabbed it. He held the pole and started to pull in the line. But the tug from whatever was on the other end was too strong.
Daniel remembered his grandpa’s story about the day he caught Big Larry.
“I let him tire himself out,” Grandpa had said. “And that’s when I started to pull him in. But he still had a lot of fight left.”
Daniel knew his grandpa’s advice was the way to go. He let the fish fight so that it would get tired.
After about 20 minutes, Daniel was able to start to pull the strong fish in. He glanced over his shoulder at the frozen pack in the boat. The big, dead fish was still there.
Daniel kept battling with the fish in the lake. Finally, he was able to pull the fish up next to the boat. He grabbed his net and waited.
Then the fish showed itself in the dark water. Daniel thought it was looking him right in the eye. It was the biggest fish Daniel had ever seen. It was even bigger than the one he’d bought at the store.
With one quick motion, Daniel scooped the fish with his net. He carefully unhooked it from the line. Then he dropped it into a tank of water. It was almost too big to fit.
As he dropped the fish, Daniel noticed something amazing. There was a yellow stripe that ran halfway down the fish’s side!
Daniel compared the picture of his grandpa with Big Larry to the fish.
It was him! It was definitely Big Larry. The fish from the grocery store may have been the same kind as Big Larry, but it wasn’t him.
Instantly, Daniel rushed to shore to get the huge fish weighed.
The tournament director peered into Daniel’s boat.
He yelled, “Wow, kid! You caught Big Larry! Anglers around here have been trying to catch him for years. How did you do it?”
Daniel smiled. “My grandpa helped,” he said.
CHAPTER 11
LETTING LARRY GO
Later that day, Daniel became his family’s first winner of the Lake Werner Fishing Tournament. After he’d had his picture taken with Big Larry, Daniel headed quietly back out on the lake.
In the middle of the lake, he turned off his boat’s motor.
First, he threw the frozen fish into the water. It didn’t deserve to be anyone’s dinner either.
Then Daniel grabbed the giant, living fish. He said goodbye to Big Larry and eased him into the lake.
The huge fish paused. He turned around. He seemed to look at Daniel one more time.
Then, with a strong swish of his powerful tail, Big Larry swam away.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Temple lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife and three children. He has written more than thirty books for children. Over the years, he has coached more than twenty kids’ soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He also loves visiting classrooms to talk about his writing.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day, from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school. When Sean isn’t working on his art, he works on a multimedia project called “OilCan Drive,” which combines music and art. He has a pet cactus named Jim.
GLOSSARY
angler (AYNG-lur)—someone who fishes
annual (AN-yoo-uhl)—something that happens once every year
bait (BATE)—food used to attract a fish so that it can be caught
dock (DOK)—a structure that sticks out into the water, from which people get in or out of boats
familiar (fuh-MIL-yur)—well-known or easily recognized
line (LINE)—a length of thin cord attached to a fishing rod
lure (LOOR)—an artificial bait made of plastic or metal, which looks like food to a fish. When the fish tries to eat the lure, it is caught.
mount (MOUNT)—to set in place for display
tournament (TUR-nuh-muhnt)—a contest in which a number of people try to win the top prize
trophy (TROH-fee)—a prize or award
GET STARTED FISHING!
Serious anglers can spend thousands of dollars on special fishing rods, different kinds of fishing line, all kinds of other equipment, plus a boat. But you don’t really need all of that to have fun fishing. All you need is a lake or stream that has fish in it, some basic equipment, and lots of patience!
Here’s what you need to get started.
Equipment: You will need a rod and reel with some fishing line. You will also need some hooks and sinkers. You can also get some bobbers. These little floaters sit on top of the water, and they bounce up and down when the fish are nibbling. When the bobber disappears underwater, you know you’ve caught something!
Lures: The best lures for kids to use are good old-fashioned worms! You can dig them up yourself or buy them from a bait store. You can also get some minnows to use as bait if you like. If you don’t want to use anything alive for bait, you can get some rubber worms or other plastic or metal lures.
Patience: Fishing takes time and lots and lots of patience. You need to be able to sit still for a while, or you’ll scare the fish away!
What you don’t need:
A boat: Fishing in a boat is fun, but it’s just as much fun to fish off a dock or from the shore of a lake. That way, if you get bored, you can always stop and take some breaks!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Why did Grandpa Carl and Daniel want to throw Big Larry back into the water after they caught him?
2. Grandpa Carl told Daniel that his scar was from a battle with Big Larry, but Grandma told Daniel that it was from the war. Why did Grandpa Carl make up a story about his scar?
3. If the big fish that Daniel caught was Big Larry, can you explain the smaller fish he found at the grocery store?
WRITING PROMPTS
1. Losing a loved one is difficult for anyone to handle. Have you ever had someone that you loved die? How did it make you feel?
2. Write a few paragraphs about one of your grandparents, living or dead. Include as many details as you can.
3. What’s your favorite hobby or recreational activity? Write about what you like to do, why you like it, and how you share your interest with other people.
OTHER BOOKS BY JAKE MADDOX
Nick has always loved camping, but his cousins don’t listen to his warnings about campfires and bears, and they make fun of everything Nick does. When Devin finds himself in real danger, can Nick save him in time?
When a police officer offers to bring Amir to a climbing wall outside of the city, Amir is thrilled. He meets William, who also loves climbing. But William doesn’t want to learn the right way to climb, and before long, he is in serious danger.
INTERNET SITES
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Impact Books are published by Stone Arch Books,
A Capstone Imprint
151 Good Counsel Drive, P.O. Box 669
Mankato, Minnesota 56002
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2009 by Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maddox, Jake.
Legend of the Lure / by Jake Maddox; illustrated by Sean Tiffany.
p. cm. — (Impact Books. A Jake Maddox Sports Story)
ISBN 978-1-4342-0783-8 (library binding)
ISBN 978-1-4342-0879-8 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-4342-8870-7 (ebook)
[1. Fishing—Fiction.] I. Tiffany, Sean, ill. II. Title.
PZ7.M25643Le 2009
[Fic]—dc22
2008004293
Summary: Daniel has always heard stories about Big Larry, and when his grandpa dies, he is determined to catch the big fish.
Art Director: Heather Kindseth
Graphic Designer: Kay Fraser
Jake Maddox, Legend of the Lure
