The Fishing Trip(Kelli VonCannon) (Note that the author was 16 years old when she wrote this story.)


Arty was 7 years old, and one day decided to go fishing. He woke up pulled on his pants, slipped on a sweater, took a travel to China looking for both socks, and the last touches included his coat, boots, and cap. After eating and kissing his mom good bye he set off to go fishing. 'Gosh' he mumbled to himself, 'I'm going to catch the biggest fish of the sea!' (He was referring to the pond). He walked through forts (gates), fire breathing dragons (excited dogs), and traveled through mountains (hills). He went to places where only HE could imagine himself being.

When Arty got to the pond, sat his lunch, bait, cooler, and small pole down, he spotted another boy fishing as well. Arty knew the boy, Clancy. Clancy glared over at Arty constantly. "What are you staring at? Uh, um, Cootie-Boy!" Arty nodded at his remark, full of satisfaction to think that Clancy couldn't possibly respond to such a harsh name. "Well, I don't know yet Mr. Arty Smarty!" Clancy said proudly as he stuck out his tongue and wrinkled up his nose. Arty responded the only way he could think... tossed his small cork in the water and stuck his lower lip out slowly, keeping his small eyes on the bobbing cork. Suddenly Clancy yelled, "Ah-ha, jeeper, I've got a big one! C'mon Arty you can help me reel 'er in, that is if you're strong enough." Clancy smiled and giggled as Arty pushed him aside and began reeling the fish in, then the red and white cork bobbed up from the water and quickly the pole was snatched from his hands. "Looks like Mr. Arty Smarty lost MY bait! Gosh, I thought you were better at fishin' than this." Arty waddled back to his pole and settled back in again keeping a watch on his cork.

About 40 minutes later Clancy had 3 perch in his blue cooler and Arty had nothing. Disturbed, Arty reeled in his cork only to find that his worm was gone, Clancy pointed his finger and laughed, "Ole Arty cain't catch no fish! Gee, did you ever think your bait was gone? Ha...Ha...Ha..."

"Well I ain't aiming for those sissy ole small perch, I'm gonna catch a big one!"

Arty and Clancy didn't speak for a while after Arty's attempt to retaliate, until Clancy caught his 4th perch.
"Clancy, you got any lunch I'm starving?"
"Yeah, I guess I do- but, you'll get your yucky cooties on my sandwich!"
"No I won't Clancy. Please, here l-look." Arty leaned over the water and dipped his hands in the shallow pond water. "Here". Arty looked down at his own hands, all wet and some dirt on them. Not showing Clancy he wiped his hands on his jeans and wiped his nose with his sleeve, "Now can I have a bite?"
Clancy stared down at Arty's desperate hands and face, "Ok, ok, but just one bite. Ok, Clancy just one bite".
Arty smiled and held out his hands and took the sandwich, he slowly bit into it, and stuffed as much in his mouth as possible so he'd get more out of one bite. Arty reached up and wiped his mouth then returned to fishing, he sat for a long time rummaging his tongue through his mouth searching for bread that got stuck in his teeth.

When afternoon hit, the boys stripped off their layers of clothing. Lunchtime got closer and Arty hoped time would slow so he could even up with Clancy's 5 perch. Arty sat and watched, sat and watched. Clancy kept staring into his cooler with the 5 perch inside, then smiling while staring into Arty's empty cooler... Arty glanced at Clancy just for a moment, then his cork sank. The line went further and further out until finally Arty grabbed the pole and slowly began reeling the heavy fish in. The fight turned into a wrestling match as Arty turned and twisted the line, not only back into the pole but also around himself. Reeling...tugging, reeling...tugging, until finally Arty had a shark (bass) up on the bank. Smiling he dragged it to the cooler but only to find that it wouldn't fit in his small yellow cooler. He set it back down on the ground and smiled up at Clancy, "I knew I'd catch a big one EASY, no problem, except I need a new line and then as soon as possible I WILL BE BACK!"

The two boys packed it up. Carrying their poles, caps, coats, coolers, 5 perch, and the biggest fish of the sea, the two brothers went home.

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