One summer William's father was home for five weeks and on one particular Friday he said to William, "How about you and me going fishing up to Big Lake." William looked at his father and said, "Really daddy?" "Sure. We will get up early and spend the weekend up there. Okay?" William jumped up and down and ran to his room. "Where are you going?" his father asked. "I have to get ready." Said William. In his room William looked in his toy box and pulled out a flashlight, his king toy and a hat. When his father came in he said, "You better get a jacket too. It can get cool there at night."
William's father went i9nto the garage and William followed him. His father opened a cabinet and grabbed the tent that was folded there. Then he picked out two fishing poles and a tackle box that held the hooks and bobbers. "I think that all we need now is our back packs and some food to put in them." Said William's father. When his mother came home William ran to her and said, "Were going fishing mommy." "We are not. You and daddy are. I am staying home and cleaning up the mess you made in your room." She said smiling at him. William said, "Gosh mommy. I'm sorry. I'll help clean it tonight a little." And so he did. Although he only put his toys away in the toy box. William couldn't fall asleep because he thought about the fishing trip in the morning. Slowly his eyes closed and then he dreamed about catching fish.
The next morning his father came into his room very early. William was still sleeping and his father woke him and said, "Come on William. We have to go." So William got out of bed and dressed in a hurry. He dressed so fast he put his shoes on the wrong feet and buttoned his shirt wrong. "Hold on William. Let me help." Said his father when he saw Williams shirt. When they were ready William and his father went out to the car. His father had packed everything the night before and the said good bye to William's mother and drove off. They stopped at a small restaurant along the way and William ate some pancakes and his father had coffee and a donut.
When they got to Big Lake William helped his father set up the tent and put their things inside. The lake was right there so they took their fishing poles and started fishing. William watched his father as he put a worm on the hook. William said, "Can I try daddy?" but his father said, "You can give me a worm and I will put it on the hook for you William. Okay?" "Okay daddy." And William reached into the bag of worms and grabbed one wiggling in his hands. "Ugh, this thing is slippery." Said William. And he gave it to his father. The day wore on and the fish didn't want to bite on the hooks. William was getting tired of just sitting there. He said to his father, "Daddy, when will I catch a fish?" his father laughed and said, "Well William, you have to ask the fish that. I don't know."
All of s sudden Williams there was a tug on Williams pole. "Daddy!" said William. "It's alright William. Just let him grab some more." "How do you know it's a him daddy?" said William. "That's just what you say sometimes William." There was another tug on the pole only a little harder this time. Then the pole bent down and William's father said, "That's it William. Now pull him in." and William raised his fishing pole up and out of the water came a fish stuck on his pole. "Wow. I got a fish daddy." Said William. The fish jumped up and down and tried to get away but William's father caught hold of Williams fish line and took the fish off. He showed it to William and then said, "Now we let him go again William." William looked at his father and said, "Why?" his father said, "If we keep him and don't eat him then that is cruel to the fish. We let him go so that he will live for someone else to catch him again later." William said he understood and his father put the fish back into the lake.
Their day went on and they caught a few more fish until the sun was low in the sky. That night William and his father slept in the tent and William dreamed of the fish and how he was so happy to be let go again. The next day after breakfast they cleaned up the camp grounds and put the tent away. When they came home it was getting dark and William went in to his mother and said, "Mommy, I caught a fish and then we let him go again because he wanted to be with his friends." His mother hugged him and then said, "You need a bath mister. You smell like fish." And so William's first fishing trip was a success. He was happy and so was his mother and father.