onymous

佚名

Hewas11yearsoldandwentfishingeverychancehegotfromthedockathisfamilyscabinonanislandinthemiddleofaNewHamshirelake。

Onthedaybeforethebassseasonoened，heandhisfatherwerefishingearlyintheevening，catchingsunfishanderchwithworms。Thenhetiedonasmallsilverlure1andracticedcasting。Thelurestruckthewaterandcausedcoloredriles2inthesunset，thensilverrilesasthemoonroseoverthelake。

Whenhiseaole3doubledover，heknewsomethinghugewasontheotherend。Hisfatherwatchedwithadmirationastheboyskillfullyworkedthefishalongsidethedock。

Finally，heverygingerlyliftedtheexhaustedfishfromthewater。Itwasthelargestonehehadeverseen，butitwasabass。

Theboyandhisfatherlookedatthehandsomefish，gills4layingbackandforthinthemoonlight。Thefatherlitamatchandlookedathiswatch。Itwas10P。M。—twohoursbeforetheseasonoened。Helookedatthefish，thenattheboy。

"Youllhavetoutitback，son。

"hesaid。

"Dad！

"criedtheboy。

"Therewillbeotherfish。

"saidhisfather。

"Notasbigasthisone。

"criedtheboy。

Helookedaroundthelake。Nootherfishermenorboatswereanywherearoundinthemoonlight。Helookedagainathisfather。Eventhoughnoonehadseenthem，norcouldanyoneeverknowwhattimehecaughtthefish，theboycouldtellbytheclarityofhisfathersvoicethatthedecisionwasnotnegotiable。Heslowlyworkedthehookoutoftheliofthehugebassandlowereditintotheblackwater。

Thecreatureswisheditsowerfulbodyanddisaeared。Theboysusectedthathewouldneveragainseesuchagreatfish。

Thatwas34yearsago。Today，theboyisasuccessfularchitectinNewYorkCity。Hisfatherscabinisstillthereontheislandinthemiddleofthelake。Hetakeshisownsonanddaughtersfishingfromthesamedock。

Andhewasright。Hehasneveragaincaughtsuchamagnificentfishastheonehelandedthatnightlongago。Buthedoesseethatsamefishagainandagain—everytimehecomesuagainstaquestionofethics6。