Any that know me, know I have a passion to fish. It has just been something that has intrigued me. Trying every tactic that I could think of to catch big fish. It was never to gain glory from people, all though that is what comes from other people that love to fish. To me is was being in the right place at the right time, and taking every thing I had learned on my own, and what I had learned from others, and capture that fish that had grown large by out smarting all others.

In my passion, when fish were biting I would forget everything else. My job, family, friends that did not fish, and the most valued person in my life, my wife would take second place in my life. If I had a spare moment and I thought or even heard that I might catch a big fish, everything else would have to wait.

I had fishing gear that I had pieced together over the years, and gear that I had settled for because I could not spend what my heart desired to spend. I was after all a blue collar worker in a white collar neighborhood, with a wife that was a stay home mom, the best in the business, I might add. The price of what the fishing world called good equipment was out of my reach.

I had placed God, and His Son, first in my life. As I was coming to an understanding of the knowledge of God, and what I had right to in the world, because of what Jesus did at Calvary, I realized that the best the world had to offer could be mine. Not only could I have the best things in the world, I would be protected from the thief, that cometh not but to steal, kill, and destroy, if I would put God first in all I set out to do.

My wife can be the first to tell you, my passion for God is the greatest thing in my life. She will also tell you that when I get a chance to fish, I get so anxious that, at times I seem to lose control. She might even go as far as to tell you, that when it comes to fishing, I can not make rational decisions. And when I brought home my new state of the art Ugly Stick that was over one hundred dollars, and a reel to match, another one hundred dollars, I might not have had the family’s interest in mind.

As the boys grew older they would accompany me in my rush to fish. If I would hear that large pre spawn bass were biting at the Washington Sail Marina, or Walleye bass were at great falls, every spare moment I had, was in pursuit of Bubba. one day I had even begged my wife to accompany me, (to help watch the children) to the sail marina one afternoon. We even took along her mother and a picnic lunch and made a evening of it. As we backed the truck up to the parking space and unloaded six fishing poles, several lawn chairs, coolers, the two boys, wife and mother in-law, the sun was setting fast. Maybe just maybe I could get a couple of good cast in before dark, with the new fishing equipment, what a man will do to have a little pleasure in his life. After a few cast with the new pole, the kids were in the trees, and my wife was handing me poles to free and untangle. The sun had set and the time was up. I found it is what you must do, to please others first before you get your desire. Even if it was only a few cast it was worth it, after all it was a passion. We loaded up the truck with coolers, chairs, blankets, fishing gear, wife, mother in-law, and boys, after about an hour excursion, and rushed back home.

That was a friday evening, and Walleye bass were biting at great falls, so I decided saturday morning would be a great time for me to enjoy some fishing alone. I had told my wife I would be home by 9:30 am if I was there by daylight, If the fish were to bite I had figured twilight would be the time. I could also be home before the boys were up and about, and demanding attention. I arrived at Great falls park, being one of the first park guest of the day. The sun was rising and I was on a mission. I reached into the back of the truck and grab my fishing gear, but my Ugly Stick outfit was not there. A sick feeling came over me. I knew I had not unloaded the truck from the night before and the Ugly Stick must have been left at the Washington Sail Marina. I had thought of jumping back in the truck right away, rushing down to the marina and seeing if maybe I could retrieve my highest priced fishing gear. But then I would have missed this prime time to fish for Walleye. It would take more than a two hundred dollar fishing pole to lure me away from my passion. I stopped for a moment and ask the Lord what do I do in such a predicament. I came quickly to the conclusion to give it to God in prayer, knowing full well it was not His will for me to be stolen from. Because I believe God’s word so much I let it go and rushed down the trail to the Walleye fishing hole, I loved to visit. As I fished, this prayer, and how God would answer it, would ever come about? It consumed my thoughts and overcame my passion to fish, because I knew God was on the job and I had not any need to worry, but I now had a passion to know the miracle that was about to unfold. You see when God is this real in your life, when you pray in secret and do not doubt but only expect your answer, you know a miracle is about to happen, then the miracle becomes your passion.

I fished the morning and arrived home to the family, rising and told my wife what I had done. I asked her if she remembered what, I might have done with the Ugly Stick when loading the truck the night before. She hadn’t. We had always visited the grandparents on the weekends and this one was no different, I had put a side fishing, and when the family was ready we went and spent the day at my parents house. The day was exceptionally good weather. The only thoughts that were running through my mind were, God was really going to have to do an undeniable miracle, because the amount of people that would visit the Washington Sail Marina that day was going to be more than on others where the weather was not as good. Had I left the Ugly Stick against the truck and drove away, or had I left it laying in the grass by the picnic blanket, and how was it going to turn up? I knew it would but, how it would was actually making me excited. After spending the day at my parents, I told my wife, a few hours before dark, “You know I think when you pray you should put what you believe in motion, or act on what you believe is true.” She believed it as well. My mother asked what we were talking about. I proceeded to tell her, and her remarks were, “There are some things that you just have to accept and go on. Let it go and learn to accept your mistakes. You really don’t believe you can go down to the Washington Sail Marina, after a day like the one we have had, and expect to find your fishing pole that you left there last night and all day?” My answer was, “Well, yea I do.” Not only did I believe it, but I was about to drive down and see where it just might show up. Hoping against all odds that God was able to see this through.

We arrived at the Washington Sail Marina about a hour or so before dark. The Park was full of people picnicking and sailing, fishermen, and couples just enjoying the last minutes of the day. I first went to the parking spot we had, had the night before, just maybe the Ugly Stick was lying there. At this point, if I had just found it crushed in the parking lot , I would have counted it a miracle. I searched and nothing. My wife, boys, and I walked down to where we had, had our picnic the night before. Nothing. Still not discouraged I asked my wife, “Lets walk around to the river side of the marina and see the people learning to sail.” It was coming to a close to a beautiful day and we might as well take it in before the sun had set. As we approached the pier I could see out on the end of it was a friend of mine, a co-worker and fishing buddy. He was there seeing how the tide was running so he could get some idea what would be the best time of day to fish for the pre spawn bass. I told him about what I had done the night before and that I was just there to see if maybe I might find by some miracle my Ugly Stick. He looked at me with a grin from ear to ear and said, “I was here early this morning and I found your Ugly Stick leaning against a tree, I was going to leave it but I was almost sure it was yours, because you had showed it to me days before at work. I have it in the back of my truck, come over here and I will let you have it.”

Well, well, well, the world may call this coincidence. I know it was a prayer in secret and answered openly by God. To me undeniable.

After arriving home I was sure to call my mom and let her know, what I had done. It sounded something like, “I found my fishing pole, I found my fishing pole, I found my fishing pole.” In a teasing way.

To say the least this Ugly Stick fishing pole became sentimental to me. It was after all a victory over the devil, because I saw it as something that was stolen from me that I did not have to accept, and If I would stand in faith, pray and believe, I would be the victor over the thief, that cometh not but to steal kill and destroy. This would not be the last time I would have the chance to beat the devil with that Ugly Stick.