Lesson 21:Fishing with Sam

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

y Richard Cole
Illustrated by Sergio Giovine
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alarm clock
Sam wakes Daniel at 6 a.m.
Saturday: 6 a.m.
Daniel was sleeping peacefully. But a sudden, abrupt
knocking on his door woke him up.
“Danny, are you up yet?”
2

Daniel looked at his alarm clock. It was 6 a.m. Daniel
groaned and got out of bed. His stepbrother, Sam, was at his
door. Sam was the only person who called him “Danny,” which
annoyed Daniel. It made him feel like a little kid.
Daniel opened the bedroom door. Sam was dressed to go
fishing. Daniel could tell he was eager to leave.
“Sorry,” Daniel said, yawning. “I overslept. I’ll be ready in
ten minutes.”
“Well, hurry up,” Sam replied impatiently.
Daniel shut the door. He closed his eyes and wished he
could go back to sleep. It was Saturday. He didn’t even get up
this early for school. He wished that fishing was better later in
the day instead of early in the morning.
Daniel scrounged around his room for an old pair of jeans
and thought about Sam. Only two months ago, Daniel’s father
married Sam’s mother. Before that, Daniel spent nearly every
Saturday with his father. Sometimes they went fishing, hiking,
or even hit baseballs. Other times Daniel helped his father with
projects around his father’s home. Daniel loved the time they
spent together.
But now everything was different. Daniel now had to share
his weekends — and his father — with two more people. Sam’s
mom was nice. She always had a smile for Daniel and asked him
about school. But Sam had been bossing him around since the
day he moved in. Sam was 14 and one grade ahead of Daniel.
Sam was taller and better at sports than Daniel. Sam was also
very popular at school. Daniel wished he had Sam’s confidence.
3

Daniel wanted to find a way to prove himself to Sam,
but he didn’t know how. Sam seemed so good at everything.
How can I be better than Sam when he’s already perfect?
Daniel thought.
He stayed away from Sam as much as he could until
last week. Daniel’s father wanted the two boys to go fishing
together. Daniel could think of a million things he’d rather do
on a Saturday. Then Daniel decided it might be a good idea.
Daniel went fishing many times with his dad. Maybe he could
show Sam how much he knew about fishing. But then Sam
announced that they would be fly fishing. Fly fishing was very
different from the fishing Daniel had done with his father.
Daniel didn’t know anything about fly fishing.
Heading for the River
Daniel pulled on his boots. He wasn’t sure how he felt
about suddenly having an older brother. Daniel thought that
eventually, over time, he would get used to the idea. But for
now, he just wished things were the way they used to be.
Daniel hurried out the door. Sam was waiting for him
outside. The two boys walked along a trail in the woods. The
sun was just starting to come up. Daniel noticed the smell of
pine needles in the cool morning air. Sam carried the tackle box
and two fishing rods. Daniel carried a small cooler.
Daniel looked inside the cooler before they left. He
expected to see water and snacks. Instead, he saw ice and a large
knife for cleaning fish. “For the fish we catch,” Sam told him.
“You’ve cleaned fish before, right?”
4

“Sure,” said Daniel. Actually, Daniel had never cleaned
a fish before. He always threw the fish he caught back. But
Daniel didn’t want Sam to think that he didn’t know how to
clean a fish. He didn’t want to look weak in front of Sam.
Sam didn’t feel much like a brother to Daniel. Daniel felt
he had to prove himself to Sam. If he didn’t, Sam would think
he could always tell Daniel what to do.
Sam leads the way to the river.
fishing rods
tackle box
cooler
5

They followed the trail down to a flat area above the river.
Daniel liked walking through the woods. He began to feel better.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all, Daniel thought.
Five minutes later, Sam stopped. He began to get their
fishing poles ready. “Do you want to attach the leader and tippet
or should I?” Sam asked. Daniel had no idea what Sam was
talking about. Usually Daniel dug up worms and used them for
bait. But Sam had lures that looked like flies instead of worms.
Daniel didn’t know why. Sam obviously knew more about fly
fishing than Daniel knew about regular fishing. Sam thought
Daniel already knew about leaders and tippets.
“You can do it,” Daniel answered. His good feeling was
disappearing fast.
The boys set up their
fishing gear along the river.
6

Sam began attaching pieces of clear plastic to their fishing
lines. Daniel watched Sam’s hands move quickly. Sam seemed
like he could do it with his eyes closed. Daniel felt bad, like he
wasn’t as good as Sam at anything. He felt that way a lot around
Sam. Daniel began to look for small, flat rocks that he could skip
across the water.
A Lesson in Fly Fishing
“Do you think we’ll have better luck with a floating line
or a sink-tip?” Sam asked. Daniel didn’t know the difference.
He shrugged. “Whatever you think.” Daniel was starting to
feel really dumb — and a little angry. Why did I even come on this
fishing trip? he thought.
7

When Sam asked him to tie special knots on the lines,
Daniel threw up his hands. “I don’t know how,” Daniel blurted
in a loud voice. “I’ve never done this before.”
Sam took two lures out of the tackle box. “You said you
went fishing all the time.”
“Not fly fishing! I’ve never even heard of a leader and
tipple or a floating line and sink-tip!” Daniel exclaimed.
“A leader and tippet,” Sam corrected. Then, Sam looked
up at Daniel and sighed. “I’ll show you what I’m doing.”
Daniel knew that Sam was about to talk to him as if he were a
little kid.
“First, I attach the leader and tippet.
It’s a piece of plastic that hides your
line and makes your lure seem like
a real fly to a fish.” Sam held up
the lures.
Sam ties the leader and
tippet to his fishing pole.
8

“We use dry flies as bait. I tie them to the leaders and
tippets with knots. A floating line floats on the water and
attracts fish near the surface. A sink-tip sinks in the water.
These attract bigger fish that live in deeper water.”
Sam tied the knots and pulled them tight. “Got it? Is that
easy enough for you, Danny?”
“Yeah, sure.” Daniel turned away. Sam acted like
a jerk sometimes.
Sam lifted the two fishing rods and gave one to Daniel.
“Want me to show you how to cast? It’s a little tricky.” Before
Daniel could answer, Sam climbed down onto a large rock at
the edge of the river. The rock was slippery. Sam had to steady
himself to get into a stable position. “See, Danny, it’s like this,”
he called out. “The line goes behind your head, and then
forward, like you’re serving a tennis ball.”
Daniel watched Sam cast the line perfectly. Then Sam
began to talk about how important casting is to fly fishing. He
went on and on. He acted like he was some great oracle — the
great expert of fly fishing. Daniel stopped listening.
Watching Sam cast reminded Daniel of a fishing trip he
went on with his dad a few years ago. It was Daniel’s tenth
birthday, and his dad gave him a new fishing pole. They went
on their first fishing trip together. Daniel’s dad explained how
to cast. Daniel watched his dad several times and then tried it
by himself. Daniel had a feeling of exhilaration when his line
flew across the water and landed perfectly in the middle of the
pond. “You’re a natural,” his dad said.
9

Now, Daniel could still hear Sam talking. “You see, Danny,
you have to learn to think like a fish. If it’s a hot day, the fish
will go into water where it’s shady and cool. If it’s cold, like
today, they’ll swim into the shallow, sunny water where it’s
warmer. You see, the fish adapt to their environment in order
to survive.”
Daniel started getting bored. If I wanted a lesson about
fish and their environment, I’d read my science book, he thought.
Sam kept talking. “That’s where the fish find their breakfast.
Now, watch how my lure floats toward the fish.”
When Sam mentioned breakfast, Daniel’s stomach
growled. He wondered again why Sam didn’t bring any
snacks. He decided to go look for frogs to pass the time when
something pulled hard on Sam’s line. The rod bent, and Sam
grabbed it with both hands. “Hey! I think I’ve got
something!” Daniel looked to see what was
pulling on Sam’s line.
Daniel sees Sam
fall into the water.
10

Suddenly, Sam lost his balance and slipped on the large
rock. Before Daniel knew what was happening, Sam fell into
the water with a cry. The current pulled Sam downstream, and
Daniel lost sight of him. Daniel’s heart was pounding.
He spotted Sam in the water. Sam was soaking wet and
shivering. Sam held onto a smaller rock downstream while the
moving water pulled at him. Daniel didn’t see Sam’s fishing rod
anywhere. For the first time since Daniel had known him, Sam
looked scared.
“Are you okay?” Daniel called to Sam.
“The water’s over my head,” Sam yelled back.
Daniel looked at him with confusion. “It’s not very far.
Just swim for it!”
11

Sam swallowed. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Sam paused. “Because I’m not a good swimmer. I’m afraid
the current will pull me under.”
Daniel Springs Into Action
At first, Daniel did not understand what Sam had said.
Then his face filled with comprehension. Sam was scared.
But how could that be? Daniel was a very good swimmer. He
had taken lessons since the second grade. He even won third
place at the school’s swim meet last year. Finally, he thought
happily, there is something I’m better at than Sam. Then Daniel
looked at Sam’s worried face. Daniel realized that he shouldn’t
waste time with spiteful thoughts. Sam was in jeopardy — real
trouble — and needed Daniel’s help.
“I’ll be right back,” Daniel yelled. He searched for
something that Sam could grab onto. He saw sticks on the
ground, but he needed something that was strong enough
to hold Sam’s weight. Daniel spotted a pine tree with a long
branch hanging near the ground. He tried to break it off, but it
was too thick. Now what? Then Daniel remembered the knife in
the cooler.
He ran to the cooler and picked up the knife. He checked
to see that the blade was tight in its sheath and then rushed
back to the pine tree. He bent the branch down with his foot
and used the knife like a saw to cut through the thick limb.
He worked steadily and carefully. As he worked, he kept seeing
Sam’s frightened face in his mind.
12

So what if Sam knew more about fly fishing than he did?
That didn’t seem important now. Daniel could have just told
Sam he’d never been fly fishing from the start. Maybe they
would have gotten along better.
Daniel cut halfway through the branch, and it started to
break. He put the knife back in its sheath and dropped it to the
ground. Then Daniel broke off the branch and dragged it to the
edge of the river.
Daniel climbed onto the slippery rock where Sam had
fallen. For a moment, Daniel started to slip, too. Carefully, he
got down on his hands and knees. He moved the branch so
that it was hanging over the water. But it wasn’t close enough
for Sam to reach. Sam shook his head. “It’s not long enough,”
he shouted.
“Just push off from the rock and grab the branch. You can
do it,” Daniel added to give Sam confidence.
“I can’t let go of the rock and grab the branch at the
same time!”
“You have to,” Daniel said. “It’s the only way.”
“What if I miss the branch?” Sam asked. Sam’s face showed
doubt and fear. Daniel needed to convince Sam to reach for the
branch. Suddenly, the right words came to Daniel. He knew
what he needed to say.
“Trust me,” Daniel told Sam calmly. “I won’t let go.
I promise.”
13

14
branch

Something in Sam’s face changed. The doubt on his face
disappeared. He now looked very determined. Sam waited
a moment longer, then pushed away from the rock. Daniel
stretched the branch out as far as he could without losing
his balance. He saw Sam reach for it. Then Daniel felt Sam’s
weight pulling the branch down. Daniel fell to his stomach,
pulling with all his strength. Sam splashed wildly, trying to keep
his face from going underwater.
“Stop splashing!” Daniel yelled. He tried to pull Sam up,
but the branch didn’t move. If he could just pull Sam a little
closer to the rock . . .
“Kick,” he told Sam. “Start kicking your legs behind you.”
Sam kicked weakly, but he began to move slowly toward
Daniel. Daniel pulled the branch closer. Daniel began to sweat
from working so hard. It seemed to take Sam forever, but he
finally reached the large rock. Daniel held his hand down to
Sam. Sam grabbed it and slowly pulled himself out of the water.
Daniel leaned back and gave a sigh of relief. Daniel and
Sam climbed up the bank and fell onto the ground. Both boys
breathed hard. “That was close,” Sam panted. “I owe you one.”
Daniel tried not to show how pleased Sam’s words made
him feel. “No problem,” he said, hiding his smile.
Daniel uses a branch
to pull Sam to safety.
15

Finding a Brother
They lay on the ground for a moment in the
morning sun. They could hear the birds singing and
the water flowing. Sam sat up and looked at Daniel.
“I’ve never had a brother before. It’s a little weird.”
Daniel sat up and smiled, but he looked down
at the ground. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Sam picked up a stick from the ground and
began to break it into pieces. “Your dad is always
telling me how great you are. Since my mom and
I moved in, I guess I’ve been trying to impress you,”
Sam said.
Daniel couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
All this time Sam had been trying to impress him?
Then, for the first time, Daniel began to see things
through Sam’s eyes. Daniel understood that Sam did
not want to move into Daniel’s home any more than
Daniel wanted him to. Both boys were pushed into
a new family. Neither of them knew how to handle
the changes. Maybe we aren’t so different after all,
thought Daniel.
Daniel begins to see things
from Sam’s point of view.
16

“Let’s try fly fishing again next Saturday,” Daniel
suggested. “You can teach me more about leaders and tipples
and stuff.”
“Leaders and tippets,” Sam corrected. “Boy, you do have
a lot to learn!”
“Wait a minute. Maybe I should give you a few swimming
lessons first,” Daniel said. “I don’t want to have to rescue you
every time we go fishing.”
“It’s a deal!” Sam answered with a smile. Sam reached
out his hand to Daniel. Daniel and Sam shook hands to seal
their agreement, and something passed between them. It was
something Daniel had never felt before. So this is what it’s like
to have a brother, Daniel thought.
“Come on, Danny. Let’s gather up the fishing gear and
head back. I’m cold, and I’m hungry,” Sam said.
Daniel stood up and brushed himself off. “It’s Daniel,”
he corrected.
Brothers could be so annoying sometimes.
18

Responding
TARGET SKILL Compare and Contrast
How are Sam and Daniel alike? How are they
different? Copy the Venn diagram below.
Then list their similarities and differences
in the circles.
Sam Alike Daniel
Sam is older. ? Daniel is a
good swimmer.
? ? ?
Write About It
Text to Self Write a paragraph comparing and
contrasting Sam and Daniel. Use words that
describe the two characters in your paragraph.
19

TARGET VOCABULARY
abrupt
blurted
comprehension
eventually
exhilaration
jeopardy
oracle
scrounged
spiteful
stable
TARGET SKILL Compare and Contrast
Examine how two or more details or ideas are alike
and different.
TARGET STRATEGY Infer/Predict Use text clues
to figure out what the author means or what might
happen in the future.
GENRE Realistic Fiction is a present-day story with
events that could take place in real life.
Write About It
In a famous quotation, Aung San Suu Kyi said,
“Please use your freedom to promote ours.”
What freedoms do you value most? Why? Write
a letter to the editor of a Burmese newspaper
explaining the freedoms you have and why they
are important to you.
20

Level: U
DRA: 44
Genre:
Realistic Fiction
Strategy:
Infer/Predict
Skill:
Compare and Contrast
Word Count: 2,765
6.5.21
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
Online Leveled Books
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