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    Sam the Shad
    Sam the Shad
    Sam the Shad
    Ebook60 pages59 minutes

    Sam the Shad

    By Carl Reader

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    About this ebook

    When his son is caught in the Delaware River, Sam, a shad, deals with Al, a human, to allow himself to be caught every year for the town's annual prize for the biggest fish. In other tales, Sam recounts his adventures in the seven seas - Al learns of Sam's love affairs and his fight with a great white shark. Fish and man go drinking, fight evil and learn the lessons of a lifelong friendship.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCarl Reader
    Release dateApr 2, 2010
    ISBN9781452350851
    Sam the Shad
    Author

    Carl Reader

    Carl Reader trained as a journalist at Temple University and has worked as a reporter, photographer and editor in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Montana. He's published short stories in literary magazines and on the Internet and has self-published a children's Christmas story called THE TWELFTH ELF OF KINDNESS.That book was partially published in Russia under the Sister Cities program. He's also self-published a novella called THE PERSECUTION OF WILLIAM PENN, which has been well-received in several college libraries. He works as a professional photographer and freelance writer.

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      Book preview

      Sam the Shad - Carl Reader

      Sam the Shad

      By

      Carl Reader

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2010 Carl Reader

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be

      re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with

      another person, please obtain an additional copy for each person you share it

      with. If you’re reading this book and did not obtain it, or it was not obtained

      for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and obtain your

      own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      All characters in these stories are purely fictional.

      Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is strictly coincidental.

      Table of Contents

      Sam the Shad

      Love in the Water

      The Struggle

      On the Town

      Honor

      Sam the Shad

      Everyone asks me how I won the Lambertville Shad Fishing Contest for seventeen years in a row, and now I can answer: Sam. For all those years that I was pulling the biggest shad out of the river I was notoriously tight lipped (as all fisherman are) about how I did it. That was not because I wanted to skunk the competition, but because I wanted to stay out of the local loony bin.

      Sam, he's how I won. I caught the same big fish every year, and it was Sam. Not only that, but it was Sam's idea to cheat the local judges.

      I don't mean to deny my responsibility. I'll give back every prize I ever won. I'll even promise not to fish anymore  not that I feel much like going out on the river these days anyway. Ever since Sam disappeared there doesn't seem to be a point to it.

      It all started thirty years ago. Back then, I wasn't the fisherman I am today. Aside from that, the river was a polluted mess, sometimes yielding not a single shad in season. I had no reputation. In fact, I could count the number of fish I caught on one hand, without using my thumb   or three of my other fingers.

      That's right, I had caught one fish. It was a measly, scrawny little thing, a shad that wasn't far removed from being roe. I pulled him from the river and got so excited that I immediately cast again, thinking my luck had changed and I was on a run. Lo and behold, as soon as my hook hit the water it was gobbled up by the goldarnist biggest shad I had ever seen, a fish as big as a five year old boy. I mean, this fish was a museum piece.

      Not only that, but he was swimming toward me, as though he wanted to be caught. I reeled in as quickly as I could, glad to accommodate him, and pulled him from the water. He was such a load that I threw my back out, and stood there bent over in pain. The pain gave way to astonishment as the fish spat out the hook and stood up on his back fins, glaring at me.

      Where's my son? he asked.

      Y your s son? I stammered. I had never talked to a fish before, although I had cursed many of them.

      Yeah, my son. That little guy you just pulled from the river on his first run up home. I know you got him. Now where is he?

      H he's in my creel.

      Yo, Sam junior, the fish called out to the creel. In response, the little fish in there flopped around. Don't worry, I'll get you out in a minute.

      The pain in my back eased, and I straightened up. The fish turned to me again, and lifted a flipper toward me.

      You! I'll make a deal with you. I want my son back, he said. He's my sole surviving relation.

      A deal?

      Yeah, a deal. What's the matter? You ain't never made no deal before?

      Not with a fish.

      Ah, we're wastin' time here. Sam junior don't breath too good out of water. This is the deal I propose. You listening?

      Y yes.

      You put my son back in the river like you should have, and I'll hop up on that fish scale in town and win the contest for you. What do you say? Sound good?

      I had no doubt that this fish would win the prize, but was a little hesitant, and sure I was going crazy.

      I don't know ... I said.

      All right, I'll up the ante, the fish said, looking desperately at the creel. Throw my son back and I'll win the prize for you every year you fish out here.

      Deal, I said, knowing I would be crazy if I let a deal like that go by.

      I carried my creel to the water's edge, opened it and tilted it and let the little fish flop back into the water.

      "Let

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