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The Fishing Cousins Series

Magic Fishing Lure

By David Weber

One day during their family vacation up north in Hayward, Wisconsin, Dane and Luke's families decided to visit a flea market.

A lot of the items sold at the flea market are basically things you would see at a typical garage sale, but some are antiques and fork lore has it that some of these antiques might have magic powers.

Chapter 1: Flea Market

Dane and Luke made their way past what seemed like miles of endless tables that were covered with all sorts of house hold items.

Just when they were hoping to leave, they saw an old man sitting by himself way back in the corner with a small table that had only a few items on it.

Drawn to the table by curiosity, Dane and Luke both noticed this table had what looked like fishing lures.

Excited by their find, they hurried to the table.

When they arrived at the table, they were delighted to see that they were in fact fishing lures and they appeared to be very old and hand-made.

The old man was wrapping string around a lure that looked like a real dragon fly.

He paused and looked up at them with a smile and said, "I think you would like this lure the best."

He handed the dragon fly lure he was working on to Dane.

"What does it cost?" asked Dane.

"It's free, but remember to only use it if you are in danger. It has magical powers," responded the old man.

Dane and Luke laughed because they thought he was kidding.

They thanked him again and walked away looking for their parents.

Chapter 2: Monster Muskie

Early the next morning, Luke and Dane headed down to the boat dock to take their Grandpa's fishing boat out to a known Muskie hot spot.

Since they both passed boaters safety, they were allowed to take the boat out by themselves.

They flipped a coin and decided Luke would drive the boat out to the fishing spot and Dane would drive the boat back after fishing.

Their fishing plan was to catch as many pan fish as they could until 9 am, to help contribute to the traditional Wednesday night family fish fry, then head back for breakfast and fish for muskies later in the day.

Luke fired up the boat engine and very carefully trolled out of the no-wake harbor.

Once they were completely out of the harbor, Luke accelerated the boat to full speed out to their favorite fishing hot spot located just past "Snake Island."

Before they knew it, "Whizzzz, Whizzzz," they both cast out.

Going for pan-fish, Luke was trying "gulp" and Dane was trying grub worms.

It was a really calm morning, so calm, that they didn't even need to drop an anchor to stay in one place.

Suddenly, they felt something bump into their boat.

"What was that?" asked Dane in shocked disbelief.

"I'm not sure but whatever it was, it was big," said Luke.

They resumed fishing as the water became very calm again.

Then suddenly, the boat rocked as something underneath it, bumped against it.

"I think that is a huge fish!" shouted Dane.

Without wasting a moment, Dane and Luke switched to their new heavy Muskie poles that were already set up with steel leaders.

They quickly lowered their lures off both sides of the boat.

Chapter 3: The Big Catch

Thud! Their boat was struck again.

This time they knew for sure there was a large fish or creature swimming or lurking under their boat.

Dane and Luke waited patiently as they saw ripples in the water caused by a large creature lurking below them.

Suddenly Dane's pole yanked hard as the creature had taken the bait.

Dane had never felt so much force pulling against his pole.

He pulled and reeled with all his might, but this mighty creature wasn't giving up.

As Dane fought on, he could feel himself being pulled to the side of the boat.

"Luke, help me hold on to my new pole!" shouted Dane.

Before Luke could grab hold, Dane was pulled over the side of the boat and into the water!

"Dane!" yelled Luke in complete terror.

In the water, all Luke could see was splashing and occasionally some part of a huge fish that appeared to be easily 6 to 8 feet long.

All at once Dane's head popped up out of the water and he said, "I'm not letting go of my new pole, try the magic dragon fly lure!"

Then Dane vanished under the water again.

As fast as Luke could, he changed out his lure for the Magic Dragonfly lure.

"Whizzzz," Luke cast into the approximate place where Dane was last seen.

Then in a whipping motion, Luke started whipping the Magic Dragonfly back and forth like a fly fishing lure or a real dragonfly, flying above the water.

Chapter 4: The Creature is seen

Wasting no time, Luke continued to whip the dragonfly lure back and forth.

Then suddenly, with a huge splash in a giant arch, the eight foot long Muskie leapt from the water with Dane flying behind holding on to his pole with one hand and giving Luke a thumbs up with the other as he posed for what looked like a selfie.

Both the Muskie and Dane dove back into the dark red water of the Chippewa Flowage.

Luke continued to whip the magic Dragonfly lure back and forth, trying to attract the Muskies attention.

With another large splash, the eight foot long green, black and brown giant muskie leapt into the air.

In the brief instant, that the Muskie was in the air, Luke thought, "where is Dane?"

When the Muskie reached the peak of its arch, it caught the Magic Dragonfly in it's mouth and dove back in the water, breaking Luke's fishing line as it splashed back into the Chippewa Flowage.

"Oh no, the lure!" shouted luke.

Just then, Dane popped his head out of the water and yelled, "Quick grab the rope and help me out of here!"

He was treading water about fifteen feet from the boat.

Dane and Luke both knew he was not safe in the water with that large Muskie lurking.

As Luke tossed the safety rope out to Dane, he could see the dorsal fin on the giant Muskie's back, swimming straight toward Dane along the water's surface just like a shark.

Dane quickly grabbed the rope with one hand and held his new fishing pole in the other.

Luke pulled the rope in as fast as he could.

Luke could see the Muskie swimming even faster toward Dane and opening its giant mouth.

Once Dane reached the side of the boat, the Muskie was only two feet away.

As quick as he could, Dane climbed into the boat and the moment he landed on the floor of the boat, the Muskie leapt into the air over the boat and closed it's mouth trying to bite Dane.

Luke and Dane just looked at each other in shocked disbelief.

Since they were both soaking wet and hungry, they drove back to the cabin for breakfast and dry clothes.

Chapter 5: The Fishing Tale

While they ate breakfast on the cabin deck with the others, Luke and Dane told their fishing story.

Soon enough, breakfast was finished and the day was wasting away.

Luke and Dane looked at each other and laughed,

then they said at the same time,

"You wanna go fishing?"

The End

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Place your cursor in the center of the screen,

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then scroll down the page to read

If using an iPad, tap each text block as you read

The Fishing Cousins Series

Magic Fishing Lure

By David Weber

One day during their family vacation up north in Hayward, Wisconsin, Dane and Luke's families decided to visit a flea market.

A lot of the items sold at the flea market are basically things you would see at a typical garage sale, but some are antiques and fork lore has it that some of these antiques might have magic powers.

Chapter 1: Flea Market

Dane and Luke made their way past what seemed like miles of endless tables that were covered with all sorts of house hold items.

Just when they were hoping to leave, they saw an old man sitting by himself way back in the corner with a small table that had only a few items on it.

Drawn to the table by curiosity, Dane and Luke both noticed this table had what looked like fishing lures.

Excited by their find, they hurried to the table.

When they arrived at the table, they were delighted to see that they were in fact fishing lures and they appeared to be very old and hand-made.

The old man was wrapping string around a lure that looked like a real dragon fly.

He paused and looked up at them with a smile and said, "I think you would like this lure the best."

He handed the dragon fly lure he was working on to Dane.

"What does it cost?" asked Dane.

"It's free, but remember to only use it if you are in danger. It has magical powers," responded the old man.

Dane and Luke laughed because they thought he was kidding.

They thanked him again and walked away looking for their parents.

Chapter 2: Monster Muskie

Early the next morning, Luke and Dane headed down to the boat dock to take their Grandpa's fishing boat out to a known Muskie hot spot.

Since they both passed boaters safety, they were allowed to take the boat out by themselves.

They flipped a coin and decided Luke would drive the boat out to the fishing spot and Dane would drive the boat back after fishing.

Their fishing plan was to catch as many pan fish as they could until 9 am, to help contribute to the traditional Wednesday night family fish fry, then head back for breakfast and fish for muskies later in the day.

Luke fired up the boat engine and very carefully trolled out of the no-wake harbor.

Once they were completely out of the harbor, Luke accelerated the boat to full speed out to their favorite fishing hot spot located just past "Snake Island."

Before they knew it, "Whizzzz, Whizzzz," they both cast out.

Going for pan-fish, Luke was trying "gulp" and Dane was trying grub worms.

It was a really calm morning, so calm, that they didn't even need to drop an anchor to stay in one place.

Suddenly, they felt something bump into their boat.

"What was that?" asked Dane in shocked disbelief.

"I'm not sure but whatever it was, it was big," said Luke.

They resumed fishing as the water became very calm again.

Then suddenly, the boat rocked as something underneath it, bumped against it.

"I think that is a huge fish!" shouted Dane.

Without wasting a moment, Dane and Luke switched to their new heavy Muskie poles that were already set up with steel leaders.

They quickly lowered their lures off both sides of the boat.

Chapter 3: The Big Catch

Thud! Their boat was struck again.

This time they knew for sure there was a large fish or creature swimming or lurking under their boat.

Dane and Luke waited patiently as they saw ripples in the water caused by a large creature lurking below them.

Suddenly Dane's pole yanked hard as the creature had taken the bait.

Dane had never felt so much force pulling against his pole.

He pulled and reeled with all his might, but this mighty creature wasn't giving up.

As Dane fought on, he could feel himself being pulled to the side of the boat.

"Luke, help me hold on to my new pole!" shouted Dane.

Before Luke could grab hold, Dane was pulled over the side of the boat and into the water!

"Dane!" yelled Luke in complete terror.

In the water, all Luke could see was splashing and occasionally some part of a huge fish that appeared to be easily 6 to 8 feet long.

All at once Dane's head popped up out of the water and he said, "I'm not letting go of my new pole, try the magic dragon fly lure!"

Then Dane vanished under the water again.

As fast as Luke could, he changed out his lure for the Magic Dragonfly lure.

"Whizzzz," Luke cast into the approximate place where Dane was last seen.

Then in a whipping motion, Luke started whipping the Magic Dragonfly back and forth like a fly fishing lure or a real dragonfly, flying above the water.

Chapter 4: The Creature is seen

Wasting no time, Luke continued to whip the dragonfly lure back and forth.

Then suddenly, with a huge splash in a giant arch, the eight foot long Muskie leapt from the water with Dane flying behind holding on to his pole with one hand and giving Luke a thumbs up with the other as he posed for what looked like a selfie.

Both the Muskie and Dane dove back into the dark red water of the Chippewa Flowage.

Luke continued to whip the magic Dragonfly lure back and forth, trying to attract the Muskies attention.

With another large splash, the eight foot long green, black and brown giant muskie leapt into the air.

In the brief instant, that the Muskie was in the air, Luke thought, "where is Dane?"

When the Muskie reached the peak of its arch, it caught the Magic Dragonfly in it's mouth and dove back in the water, breaking Luke's fishing line as it splashed back into the Chippewa Flowage.

"Oh no, the lure!" shouted luke.

Just then, Dane popped his head out of the water and yelled, "Quick grab the rope and help me out of here!"

He was treading water about fifteen feet from the boat.

Dane and Luke both knew he was not safe in the water with that large Muskie lurking.

As Luke tossed the safety rope out to Dane, he could see the dorsal fin on the giant Muskie's back, swimming straight toward Dane along the water's surface just like a shark.

Dane quickly grabbed the rope with one hand and held his new fishing pole in the other.

Luke pulled the rope in as fast as he could.

Luke could see the Muskie swimming even faster toward Dane and opening its giant mouth.

Once Dane reached the side of the boat, the Muskie was only two feet away.

As quick as he could, Dane climbed into the boat and the moment he landed on the floor of the boat, the Muskie leapt into the air over the boat and closed it's mouth trying to bite Dane.

Luke and Dane just looked at each other in shocked disbelief.

Since they were both soaking wet and hungry, they drove back to the cabin for breakfast and dry clothes.

Chapter 5: The Fishing Tale

While they ate breakfast on the cabin deck with the others, Luke and Dane told their fishing story.

Soon enough, breakfast was finished and the day was wasting away.