Todays Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul

[Guest guest]

Catch and Release

By Dee Berry

An old hurt lay buried between father and son, watered with silence,

fertilized by time. It grew strong, as such hurts do, when left neglected

by

forgiveness.

warily watched it grow between her husband and his father. She

was

there when it was planted and continually sought a way to uproot the ugly

old

thing.

The only balm she had found so far was , her son. Each man

showed

the child unrestrained love - as if the feelings they used to have for each

other needed an outlet, a beneficiary, an heir.

loved Grandpa Bill and his stories of growing up way back in the

woods. And for two weeks every summer, would take to Grandpa's

house by the lake.

There on the dock, Grandpa Bill and would sit, fishing from

sunup

until she called them in for supper. Yet, never let go out in

the

boat - he was too little, she'd say.

One summer, after much pleading by Grandpa Bill and ,

finally

agreed to let the boy go out on the boat. The one condition set was

that

would have to wait until after his seventh birthday later that month.

Ted never came along on the visits to his father's house. But

insisted get to know his grandpa, for regretted never knowing

her

own grandparents.

For 's birthday, Ted gave him his first fishing pole. It was

just a

lightweight rod with a foolproof reel, but couldn't wait to go out on

Grandpa Bill's lake.

Before the birthday dishes were done, had called Grandpa Bill and

arranged for to go out in the boat. When Ted found out, he was

furious!

" It's the boy's first fishing trip, , and I wanted to take him out

myself, " Ted said.

" Then go with them, " said, as she dried the last of the dishes.

" You know that's not possible, " Ted replied flatly.

threw down her dishtowel and turned on Ted. Glowering she said,

" I

know no such thing, Ted Wilkins! All I know is that wants nothing

more

than to go fishing with his grandpa and his father. What kind of man are

you to

let an old argument stop you from making your son happy? "

Ted's indignation deflated before 's logic. She had a point, and

it

struck him to the heart.

" Well, he won't let me on his property, let alone in the boat, " Ted

said

under his breath, as he turned away.

" He will after I'm through with him! " replied, as she headed for

the

phone.

It was a long conversation, but a fruitful one, as Grandpa Bill

reluctantly

agreed to let Ted join their party.

Their greeting, after so many years, was cool and conducted under the

watchful eye of - but one look at 's face set both men in their

place. The boy was positively glowing. This had been his secret birthday

wish!

They loaded the boat with enough fishing gear to sink the Titanic, as

each

man took his own tackle box of secrets. securely wrapped in a

bright orange life vest, which came all the way up to his nose when he sat

down

in the wide aluminum boat.

As released the bowline and pushed the boat away from the dock,

Ted

and Grandpa Bill called out, " Aren't you coming along? "

" No, fishing is a guy thing, " she replied, as she waved them off.

" Have

fun! "

Ted sat in the bow stubbornly facing due starboard, with in the

broad middle seat by the rods. Grandpa Bill ran the outboard, looking

everywhere but at the bow.

Each man took turns showing how to spinner fish for walleye, how

to

troll for trout, how to work a bass plug. But never once did either man

speak

to the other - only to .

They tried the rock banks, the deep shaded pools, the underwater

shelves,

even along the sheer granite wall. But after a full day they were

snookered,

not one fish among them. Finally they tried floating worms off the bottom

near

the reed-choked sandbar.

" This isn't what I thought it would be like, " pouted, as they

sat

rocking in silence. He could sense the tension between his father and his

grandpa, but he didn't understand it.

" Well, , some days are like this, " Ted explained.

Just then, 's line took off - in an instant both men were talking

to

him.

" Keep your pole up! " Grandpa shouted excitedly.

" Reel, Son, reel! " Ted said, with equal enthusiasm. " Check your drag. "

didn't have a clue what that meant. He'd never really caught

anything big enough to take out much line.

" Dad, reach over and check his drag, he doesn't know how, " Ted quickly

added.

The fish paused in his battle for freedom and Grandpa Bill reached over

the

struggling boy's hands. With practiced skill, he took the line between his

forefinger and thumb; one tug told him the drag was way too tight.

The old trout was not tiring; in fact he had other ideas. Angrily, he

rose

to the surface, jumping into the hot summer air some forty feet from the

boat.

He flashed a rainbow of silver and green, as the water flipped from his

powerful

body.

Then came the sound both men knew meant disaster - the twanging sorrow

of

line separating under too much strain.

Grandpa Bill still had a tentative hold on the line between his

fingers,

but not for long.

" Grab the line up the pole, Ted, " he shouted.

Ted dove for the rendered line whipping through the pole guides.

fell backward into the bottom of the boat, as the tension on the

pole suddenly ceased. Grandpa Bill grabbed the monofilament line and began

hauling it in hand over fist.

Bill took in as much line as he could before getting his hands caught

up in

knots, then Ted would take over until he, too, was entangled. By then his

father would be free to take over once more. Palms were cut and fingers

sliced

by the struggling line, yet each man continued without complaint, for it was

's first fish.

" I see him! Get the net, , get the net, " Ted hollered.

reached over the tipping boat's side and scooped the bright

green

net under the trout. But the fish was not done just yet.

With a powerful thrust of his tail, he jumped three feet straight up.

Thinking fast, stood on his seat and swirled the net after him,

catching

the fish mid-air like a butterfly!

Together, Ted and Bill grabbed 's life vest, hauling the boy

inboard

to safety.

The two men and the boy laughed hysterically, as a five-pound trout

slimed

the bottom of the boat. had caught his first fish - and set more

than

the boat to rights.

All the way home, the three relived their part in the triumph like old

friends.

was absolutely amazed when they neared the dock, for each of them

vied to recount the story. The cold distant manner was gone from their

voices,

as each man cut into the story to compliment the other for some daring act

in

the tale; while , his chest lifted with pride, held the stringer with

one

single, but very important, fish.

took a photo of the three of them, arms about each other, with

and his fish in the middle. All were grinning like they had caught the

biggest

fish in the world.

" Hey, Dad, let's go show him how to clean it, " Ted said, as they headed

for

the dock.

As they walked away, smiled to herself. All it had taken was one

boy

and one fish to make them a family again.