than almost getting caught! Every angler has a great story about the one that got away. All these stories involve words like Moby Dick, Troutasaurus, Hawg, Pig, Jaws, Beast, Giants, or some other word that translates into Monster meanings. 

Fishermen love to fish but we intend to catch fish. Not just any, and all fish, but BIG, HUGE, HUMONGO, TROPHY fish. 

A Trophy Pig fish is all in the eyes, and mind of the beholder. A 3-inch Sunny may be the personal best fish for a little kid. A 1,000 lb. Bluefin Tuna may be the size needed for a Wicked Tuna angler. Most fishermen are satisfied with fish somewhere in between. 

What changes is when a fish is about to be caught, then it’s not. The line breaks, the net is too small, the tackle breaks, or one of a million things go wrong. The 10-inch fish immediately and immaculately grows in size. This growth can be measured in inches, pounds, length of the story, or just adjectives. 

I once hooked a Northern Pike on light tackle. I am talking about a 4 lb. test line, 5-foot UL rod, and a small UL reel. The hook up was accidental and unintentional. I was actually fishing for perch. Somehow, I managed to get the HUGE Pike alongside the boat. My buddy tried to net the Pike, but it wouldn’t quite fit. He lifted the gigantic pike out of the water and… the net folded in half, my line broke, and KONG escaped. 

The lost pike was certainly big but, in my mind, it grew several inches and pounds all at the same moment! We would have probably released the giant fish but… We needed a better net, bigger rod, stronger line, more luck, and… At the end of the day, we had a great BIG story about a Lunker we almost caught!

I wonder what that gigantic pike told his buddies. “You should’ve seen the fishermen that almost caught me. They were….

A lost fish story is like a house guest. They start to smell after 3 days! 

Montana Grant