#4 of 20: Nightcrawlers

Adventure #4 is brought to you by Canadian Nightcrawlers.  What’s this all about (aboot), you ask?  Well, Chad challenged me to go fishing with him.  To someone outside of our home that may not seem like a big deal, but Chad knew it would not be an easy decision for me.  #1 Instant gratification is a must.  There can’t be any standing around waiting for a fish to bite.  You should drop the hook in the water and instantly be met with a school of fish competing for it.  #2 I like to believe that all of my meals grow on trees.  No harm should come to anything that I consume, therefore  I live in this blissful, naïve fantasy in which nothing is killed for my consumption.  And, finally, #3: Ewwww…worms and fish.

So, here’s how our adventure played out.  Thursday night we went to Cabela’s to purchase just the right hooks and bobbers and to scope out their live bait selection.  Sunday morning Chad eagerly headed out to Cabela’s to buy some fresh nightcrawlers.  When I asked him why he got so many, he kindly pointed out to me that they do not sell them by the individual worm.  What?  I had no reason to know that.

Chad loaded up the SUV with fishing poles, a tackle box, and a chair for me and we headed to a nearby lake to mark another adventure off the list.  My dutiful fishing caddy set up my chair and found just the right place for us to cast.  The weather was beautiful and I was ready.  Chad showed me how to put the worm on the hook and I quickly promoted him to caddy and bait manager.  No way was I doing that to that poor worm.

Chad cast the first worm and instantly got a bite.  I thought, “Wow!  I’ve been so mistaken.  They do eagerly jump on the hook.”  Even though the first one got away before he was reeled in, we were on the right track.  Chad cast it again and handed the pole to me.  Then nothing.  I waited.  Then nothing.  He cast it again.  Then nothing.  More waiting.  Impatience.

We decided to move to a different part of the lake and he cast a few more times for me before I finally landed a GIANT catfish.  See, I can at least grasp the theory of exaggeration for which this hobby is known.  I shrieked like a little girl as I reeled him in, named him George, and then let Chad toss him back in the water.

Knowing I was not long for this adventure, Chad suggested that we give it one more go.  Once again I caught a GIANT catfish.  This one was even more gigantic than the last.  One of the caveats for this adventure was that I had to touch the fish.  More shrieking ensued and then he went back into the water.  Truth be told, that poor fish was probably thrilled to get away from the crazy screaming lady on the shoreline.

As we packed up our gear, I was given the honor of freeing the rest of the worms.  And, as we headed back home, Chad asked me a question to which he already knew the answer, “Was the best part of your day releasing the worms?”  He knows me so well.