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My Fishing Expedition

Well, before leaping puberty, we boys tend to look for an activity to bond with our fathers. Mine happened to be a fishing trip with my dad. Fishing can be a daunting task without appropriate guidance on how to do it. At the age of 8, I loved fishing and there was this time I had gone fishing ahead of my father. After several failed fishing attempts, my skin had turned red and I was smearing sunblock over my body when my dad arrived. My confidence shot as I stood ready to triumph over the fish and transcend into my manhood. The fish would be subjected to my wrath as I transcended into manhood, through its capture. However, this seemingly exciting experience was about to change my whole worldview while shaping my personality in regards to one of the most important aspects of life.

My eagerness to experience a successful transition from childhood to manhood overwhelmed me as I was deep into my thoughts. My dad’s voice brought me back to this world when he said “Son, we are at the spot. Draw your fishing rod and be ready to fish”. The engines of the boat had come to a halt when I grabbed the end of my fishing rod over the edge of the boat and released the bait on the hook into the water. I leaned back to wait for the big catch. Spasms of chills ran down my spine as anxiety took over once more. Then all of a sudden, I felt a sharp tug on the line. I jumped to my feet and yanked the pole out of its holder with vigor. As adrenaline rushed through my veins, I pulled the line out of the water hastily. I took a firm grip on the pole to resist the vigorous pull exerted by the fish in the water. The fish fought with all its strength to get off the hook but I needed that win at all costs.

It was seven minutes of struggle that forever stuck in my memory never to be forgotten. When the fish was finally out of the water and near the boat, I was full of joy from the achievement. My dad instructed me to net the fish which I did and placed it on the floor of the boat. I watched as the fish violently thrashed on the floor of the boat in the fight to grasp onto life. All the fight was in vain for life left the poor fish in a few minutes, leaving lots of blood sprayed from its mouth and gills. I pitied the fish as the life drained from it changing its color while choking in its blood. The scene was sickening. Although my success was met with praises from my dad, I was in a dilemma. My head kept revolving around the thoughts of the fish’s demise. It then struck me that I was the cause of this fish’s suffering for if I had not lowered my hook into the water, this fish would have lived.

Since that day, my views on many things such as fishing changed, retaining a strong conscience that molds my character. I learned that human beings have a horrible potential of making almost all creatures extinct. Take for instance poachers, when left uncontrolled, we would not have wildlife. Therefore it falls under us to take up the mantle of moral and social responsibility in everything we do to sustain life. The experience motivated me to pick up the leadership role of the wildlife club in high school to enlighten my fellow students about the dangers faced by different species and that they will most definitely need our protection. For that reason, I believe in fighting to impart humanitarian conscience in as many people as I can.

Outline

1. Introduction (build up and thesis) – paragraph 1
2. Rising action (the fishing experience) – paragraph 2
3. Climax (change of mind and heart) – paragraph 3
4. Falling action and resolution (lesson learnt and how it changed me) – Paragraph 4