Sunday, October 12, 2008

Belated Birthday Gift


This year for his birthday, our friend Jim Hansen received a guided fishing trip from his wife Stefani. He invited several of his relatives for a day of male bonding. Tim was invited after one of them was unable to attend.

The deal was that you got a professional fisherman to take you by boat to prime fishing locations significantly increasing the probability you'd hook a big one.

The one and only fish caught that day... was at the end of Tim's line.

Jim did not weep openly at the lack of birthday catch nor did Tim didn't brag excessively of the trophy (except for the 5 x 7 he passed around church) still... the unfairness of the whole day lingered way past the cake and ice-cream.

Tim had snagged Jim's birthday fish.

Fast forward to yesterday... while I was out of town, Tim was watching the kids via cell phone while fishing with Jim on the Touchet River.

After driving a blind folded Jim to the remote favorite fishing spot, Tim explained in whispers the rules of secrecy, spoke the secret password and swore Jim to the oath of silence.

Tim had cast his line in the spot more than 50 times and was now prepared to bring another brother into the club. Jim was instructed to watch... and learn.

Imagine Tim's horror towards the end of the day when hanging off the end of Jim's hook thrashed the illusive 16 inch German Brown trout Tim had been trying to hook for years.

There is no picture of this prize -- a usual requirement for verification... so we cannot be completely sure it actually happened. The camera battery gave out as the shutter was capturing the image... or so they say.

I don't believe ANY fish story true without visual proof but Tim does make a good point quoting D&C 6:28 where "out of the mouth of two or three witnesses..."

Sweet payback for the stolen birthday gift.

3 comments:

Leslie said...

Love it! I've always loved fish tales.....great catch,errrrrr...Jim!

Anonymous said...

Jim has been flying high ever since! Now he wants to go again and again and again and again....you get the picture!

Life as a Greenstreet said...

LOL! Watching the kids via cell phone...remind me to never ask Tim to watch our kids. :)