The Fishing Adventure

• Shaun Field, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2010

It was a cloudy day when Alfred and I decided to go fishing. We went to
Dad's shed, got the little boat and headed off to the river. We went back home to get the motor and to tell Mum we were going fishing. Mum said to be home by 5.00pm, she also mentioned that there had been rain up the river so there will probably be a run in the river tomorrow.

We grabbed the motor and rods and walked down to the river. Alfred put the motor on the boat and pushed the boat into the water, I started the motor and we took off to our favourite spot on Duck Pond River - a huge waterhole where we usually catch lot of fish.

We knew that about one kilometre downriver there was a waterfall with about a thirty metre drop. We had just thrown our lines in when it started to rain. We heard this thunderous noise and turned and looked around at a massive wall of water coming our way. I jumped up to start the motor but we were already on the huge wave. Alfred and I scrambled up to the bow of the boat to get the lifejackets.

"Alfred!" I yelled, "We are going to hit the waterfall soon! Quickly, get the rope from the front of the boat and give it to me!!" He got the rope and threw it to me, I tied a loop in the rope and gave Alfred the end of it6. I said, "Hang on tight!!" As the waterfall came closer I got the rope and told him to hang on super tight. I hooked the tree with the rope as we were going down the waterfall. I looked down and saw the boat smashed into a million pieces.

I yelled out to Alfred, "Are you still there?" He said, "Yes" We're going to have to jump because the tree we're on is very fragile. Alfred said, "I'm not letting go!"

I let go of the branch and knocked Alfred off, it was a hard fall. I grabbed onto a log and saw Alfred floating downstream. I managed to crawl out of the river and ran down looking for Alfred and sure enough there he was sitting on the bank playing with a porcupine.

I sat down and waited for Mum hopig she would come looking for us. Suddenly, I heard a loud whirring sound - a helicopter - it was Beau our next door neighbour.

He made sure we were okay and then he called Mum and told her where we were. Mum came and picked us up. When we got home, Dad was there, I told him we had lost the boat but he said it didn't matter because I had just won a brand new Top Ender boat!!!