The Shark Story

There I Was...... a lonley soul in the middle of no where, floating on a one manned life raft made by the lowest bidder. I had been in this training they called "water survival" for a week now and this was the last event of the sylibus that will enable us to pass the course and go home. We had been hearing all week that they were going to let us parasail down to the water with a raft attached to our ass, and then "wait" as long as it takes to be rescued. So I caught a clue early on that we weren't just going to be there for fifteen minutes before the boats came to pick us up. Luckily, I was right because those three hours that I spent on that raft would make the history books for this small school in Pensacola, FL. The rumor was that we were going to be out there for no less than three hours, which meant I better bring everything so as not to die of bordem. So I went and picked up a few items from the local fishing shop. My inventory was six dead minows, a steel leader, and three hooks. I had already brought a fishing reel with me so luckily I didn't have to buy one of those. I didn't want to tell any of the instructors what I had on me in fear that they would consider it contraband, so I hid it away is some zip lock bags and stuffed them into my leg zipper pocket. So after I hit the water and secured the parachute, I began blowing up my tiny one manned life raft in hopes that I could relax and fish without anyone bothering me. Unfortunately, the other students were landing all around me and more or less laughing at me because they knew what I was planning. One in particular kept yelling out that there was no way that was going to work... but I didn't care. At least my time was spent doing something productive instead of just losing my voice! Once I got my life raft all blown up and ready to go, I got in and started baiting the hooks. A fishing pole would have been a little much to fit into my pockets, so I simply relied on only the reel, which was an open faced reel with 10 pound line on it. I had to be very careful not to put a hole in my raft with the hooks because then I would have been the laughing stock of the entire training command. Once I got the steel lead, the hooks, and the bait attached, I figured what the hell and threw it into the 35 foot deep blue abyss below. Once I felt it hit the bottom, I gave it a few cranks and then let it sit for the next half hour. After some time went by, I as actually starting to get discouraged. My arm was getting tired, and I figured I didn't have any more bait on there anyway. Afterall, how in the hell would I catch anything without a pole anyway?!? And then it happened. I felt a tug. It wasn't a nibble, or even a bite... it was a pure agressive TUG! So I did what any fisherman knows to do, I set the hook. I figured that this was my oportunity to prove all of those losers yelling at me that I was right and they were wrong. I couldn't lose this fish, there's no way I would lose this fish. So I took my time and was extremely careful not to pop the line. For the next twenty minutes or so, I had a lot of fun! I had no idea what was on the end of my line which made me even more anxious to bring him up. And then I thought I'd lost him. I felt another tug on the line which I thought was just enough force to snap the line. But it only took a couple of seconds to realize that he was in fact still on there... I did still have him and I could prove all those bastards wrong! So here we go, another chance to get him in the boat. I guarantee you I wasn't going to lose him this time. So I did the only thing that I could do, I just kept reeling him in, inch by inch. Finally, I could see a silhouette in the water. To me, it looked like a cat fish which I had meed a million times and also which I hated. So I sucked it up and said "well, at least I caught something!" But wait, catfish arent't that long, and certainly don't swim like that! What else could it be?!? So I just kept on reeling in and low and behold... I caught a Damn Shark!!! It's a freakin' shark!!! How in the hell did I catch a damn Shark!!! Obviously I wasn't going to put my fingers in his mouth to get him in the boat, and if I got him in the boat, what would stop him from eating a hole in it and me sinking to the bottom... although that would be extremely funny! So I only had one other option... I held the fishing line he was attached to and stared him in the eye's saying "either you or me is going to die today, and it ain't going to be me!" I stared him down for the next half hour waiting for those gills to stop moving so I could safely put him in the boat with me. When that glorious time happened, I raised him up and at the top of my lungs yelled out "How ya like them apples!!!" And showed him to the world. It was a good time and just goes to show you that no matter what anyone says or thinks, if you want to do it, just do it... who cares what they say or think!