This time last year I was defeated by a cunning and swift, but not this year. I spent the entire off season working on some new techniques (particularly my newly patented box-out maneuver) that the fish had no answer for.

I returned exactly one year later to the scene of my epic struggle with one goal: VENGEANCE.

Unlike previous years, I was prepared for total victory. Last year I managed to secure two moderate size trout (in my opinion if it’s of legal size I will be keeping it) but two more got away. By got away, I mean once on shore they leapt from my sturdy hands back into the safety of the water. This was a devastating blow considering I’ve probably never caught more than two fish in my life within the span of 6 months. So there I stood with what would have been a career best in a matter of hours slip through my fingers, literally. After the season ended I spent many of sleepless nights game-planning how to account for this weakness.

Enter the box-out Maneuver. My plan was once the trout was hooked I could bypass the net and shoot directly for the shore. Once on shore I would rapidly shift my objective from offense to aggressive defense. Thereby preventing the trout an opportunity to escape. My plan worked flawlessly. With minutes of the start of the 2005 season I had secured 4 trout, leaving me with a career high and one short of the legal limit.

Vengeance, Sweet Vengeance.