Man vs. Wild

In this special man vs. wild edition, you'll catch of the real struggle, and what it must have been like to survive in primitive times. No camera men and support crew, just me and the brutal truth that is nature.

5:30 finds me on the side of the lake with my trusty rod and real, trolling for bass. Time passes and I have no success in catching the fish that will provide vital nutrients for my survival. After an hour and a half I decide to try for panfish or bluegills instead. I catch a couple small ones, but nothing that has enough meat on its bones to feed my hungry stomach. after obvserving the movement of some smaller panfish among the rocks in the shallows, I change techniques and let the bait drag and bounce slowly along the bottom rather than zip through the water. On my second cast I meet with great success. I reel in a gorgeous 9" panfish. That should go a long way towards keeping me alive. not having a chain or a bucket to secure the fish, I simply lay him on the grass far enough away from the water that he won't flop in. With those kinds of results, I've got to see if I can get another one to make a full meal out of it. Then I spot him. about 20 yards away, a heron is obviously eyeing my fish hungrily. He slowly stalks the fish, moving when he thinks I'm not looking. Twice I chase him away as he makes a dash for my precious dinner. Then it happens: several quick tugs on my line alert me that I've caught the rest of my dinner. Within seconds the fish is out of the water and on the bank. At that moment my heart lands in my stomach like a brick as I hear a squack and turn to see the Enemy scoop up the fish and take off across the lake. About 200 yards down the bank I watch as the heron gulps down the fish without so much as a please and thank you. The sun has set as I look bleakly at the 5 inch fish on my line, and with a sinking heart, realize that I will be going hungry tonight.