An old fisherman, known for his exaggerated stories, was sitting by the lake, patiently waiting for a bite. A young, enthusiastic city boy approached him, eager to learn the secrets of fishing.
“Excuse me, sir,” the boy said, “I’ve heard you’re the best fisherman around. What’s your secret to catching such big fish?”
The old man squinted at the horizon. “Well, son, it’s all about patience. And knowing your fish. Take last week, for example. I hooked a fish so big, it pulled my boat halfway across the lake before I could even get a good look at it!”
The boy’s eyes widened. “Wow! How big was it?”
The fisherman paused, thinking. “It was so big, son, that when I finally reeled it in, it filled the entire boat! I barely had room to sit.”
The boy was amazed. “That’s incredible! What kind of fish was it?”
The old man leaned in conspiratorially. “It was a giant catfish, son. Biggest one I ever saw. Must’ve weighed… oh, I don’t know, at least 300 pounds!”
The boy’s jaw dropped. “300 pounds?! That’s huge! Did you take a picture?”
The fisherman shook his head sadly. “Couldn’t, son. My phone was dead. But I tell you, it was a magnificent creature.”
Just then, another old man, a friend of the fisherman, walked by. He overheard the end of the conversation.
“Hey, Frank,” the friend chuckled, “still telling that story about the giant catfish?”
The fisherman, Frank, nodded. “Yep! Just telling this young man about the 300-pounder I caught last week.”
The friend smiled at the boy. “Don’t listen to him, son. He always exaggerates. That fish he’s talking about? It only weighed 20 pounds.“
Frank glared at his friend. “Yeah, but that was after I cleaned it!“