This 19th century poem speaks the truth to which every fisherman can relate–our biggest fish will always be “the one that got away.”
When in the halcyon days of old, I was a little tyke,
I used to fish in pickerel ponds for minnows and the like;
And oh, the bitter sadness with which my soul was fraught
When I rambled home at nightfall with the puny string I’d caught!
And, oh, the indignation and the valor I’d display
When I claimed that all the biggest fish I’d caught had got away!
Sometimes it was the rusty hooks, sometimes the fragile lines,
And many times the treacherous reeds would foil my just designs;
But whether hooks or lines or reeds were actually to blame,
I kept right on at losing all the monsters just the same–
I never lost a little fish–yes, I am free to say
It always was the biggest fish I caught that got away.
And so it was, when later on, I felt ambition pass
From callow minnow joys to nobler greed for pike and bass;
I found it quite convenient, when the beauties wouldn’t bite
And I returned all bootless from the watery chase at night,
To feign a cheery aspect and recount in accents gay
How the biggest fish that I had caught had somehow got away.
And really, fish look bigger than they are before they’re caught–
When the pole is bent into a bow and the slender line is taut,
When a fellow feels his heart rise up like a doughnut in his throat
And he lunges in a frenzy up and down the leaky boat!
Oh, you who’ve been a-fishing will indorse me when I say
That it always is the biggest fish you catch that gets away!
‘Tis even so in other things–yes, in our greedy eyes
The biggest boon is some elusive, never-captured prize;
We angle for the honors and the sweets of human life–
Like fishermen we brave the seas that roll in endless strife;
And then at last, when all is done and we are spent and gray,
We own the biggest fish we’ve caught are those that got away.
I would not have it otherwise; ’tis better there should be
Much bigger fish than I have caught a-swimming in the sea;
For now some worthier one than I may angle for that game–
May by his arts entice, entrap and comprehend the same;
Which, having done, perchance he’ll bless the man who’s proud to say
That the biggest fish he ever caught were those that got away.
For everyone, from those who enjoy fishing as an occasional pastime to those who revel in the philosophies of one’s relationship with the water, rod, and reel, this book of quotable fishermen is the ultimate repository of fishing wisdom. From proverbs to professional tips to general words of insight, this collection of quotes is the go-to guide for anyone who loves some aspect of the wonderful world of fishing. Chapters includes: Some Hints About Why We Fish, Techniques and Strategies, When and Where We Fish, Big Fish, The Lighter Side and many others! Shop Now
