Come gather around my friends

To hear my little tale

It is not about a tadpole

Nor about a great big whale

But it is a big fish story

When I was knee-high to my dad

Or at least I was a young one

Yes, I was just a lad.

We were on the river bank

Casting for some fish

“My fish must be the biggest,”

Was my fervent wish

Then all of a sudden

A fish pulled on my line

The rod was doubled over

The biggest fish, I knew was mine.

I reeled and reeled and reeled

But the fish kept pulling back

Line was going back and forth

But I never let it go slack

Then finally I saw it leap

It was a wondrous sight

I was going to land this fish

If it took all of my might.

It seemed like it took hours

To reel that big trout in

Until I finally saw it close

I could see its dorsal fin

The fish had battled mightily

But it was now within my reach

I pulled it slowly upward

Until it lay gasping on the beach.

I unhooked the fish’s lip

From my little hook

And then it kicked its tail

And before I had a chance to look

It wriggled down to the water

And tried to swim away

But I was not going to lose

That giant fish that day.

I jumped into the water

And grabbed that sneaky fish

It was the biggest one by far

I was going to get my wish

Then with one last mighty effort

That fish flipped its tail at me

I somehow lost my grip

And that fish was history.

I am sure that fish was huge

Just how big I cannot say

For it grows with each new telling

Of that fateful day

But of this I am certain

No bigger fish will come my way

For the biggest fish that ever lived

Is the one that got away.