3 weeks to forever.

I met Mary on a dating site called All of the Fish. When we met in person there was something about Mary that seemed familiar.

Mary would tell me that she was depressed and wished for happiness. Personally, the only type of happiness I've experienced is while fishing at the river.

I thought Mary might enjoy some relaxation at the river. I explained how good energy could be drawn from the river. You're also able to release bad thoughts and feelings so they will be swept far away.

We were sitting on a sand bar chatting and enjoying the sun. I found two pieces of discarded shiny metal.

With some old fishing string I built a cross. I took it close to the edge of the river and I placed the cross in the sand.

Mary was sitting in front of the cross when she turned to me and said. I want to die but I cannot kill myself. Will you kill me and bury me on this river?

She was sitting in front of the cross and it began to shift the wind. The sun was bright and it reflected very brightly on the cross and I took notice.

My response to Mary was, sure I'll do that for you. Just make me a deal and give me 3 weeks.

I asked her if she liked to fish. She loved to fish. Her and her brothers went all the time.

I told Mary about my favorite pond. It was a walk-in pond with beautiful scenery and a lot of wildlife. Our first fishing date was set for the following Saturday.

I picked Mary up Saturday morning and off we went. When we arrived at the pond, I recommended she fish by the overflow. I knew that fish were abundant in that area.

I wanted to cast at the same time so we counted, one, two, three cast away! That was the birth of our signature opening cast.

It only took a few minutes and I had a crappie on the bank. I looked down the bank towards her.

She could not cast a fishing pole.

She thought that I was going to be upset with her and that made her sad. When her brothers took her fishing they coached her by screaming, yelling and making fun of her.

I asked her to sit down with me. I explained to her what fishing meant to me and where I learned to fish.

I will teach you the way I was taught.

It was still early. The rest of the day was dedicated to teaching Mary the basics of fishing. After she had tied her first hook she was in shock.

We're going to spend the whole day here as I promised her that she was going to catch her first fish.

We began working on proper casting techniques. I assured her one day that she could catch the fish of her lifetime.

There would be three stages she needed to follow.

Being a grasshopper like you is the beginning stage. A grasshopper can jump a little distance.

When you are ready for the cricket stage, a cricket can jump farther than a grasshopper but it can also sing.

A katydid can jump farther than both the grasshopper and the cricket, sing louder than the cricket, but it is only the katydid who knows how to fly.

Instantly she wanted to be a katydid. Okay now little grasshopper, it is time for you to catch your first finish.

I watched as Mary properly tied on a Jig that she picked out. She stood on the shoreline and casted a beautiful cast. She was so proud of herself.

After Mary started reeling in her jig she had a bite. Again she did everything perfect as she set the hook. Moments later her first fish was at her feet.

I let her know that the conservation department has a master angler award for anglers who catch a trophy fish.

Mary was now definitely hooked. She wanted a master angler award no matter what. I knew it was rare to receive one but I had a feeling about Mary.

It was the following weekend I took Mary to Cabela's to show her the giant catfish in their Aquarium.

She swore they were robots.

We continued fishing at ponds for almost a year perfecting her skills. And mine as well. I was confident that she was ready.

Most of our fishing is done at a place called happy holler. It is a conservation area that has multiple ponds along with a large lake.

Mary is learning that fishing is so much more than a fish. Be respectful of the environment and you will be rewarded, she learns.

She was learning to speak the language of the owl. She already had the language of the frogs down.

Fishing is about beauty and fellowship. We create lifelong memories with each other. Catching a fish is just a little bonus.

Mary had a beautiful voice and was an excellent singer. She had performed at Carnegie Hall as well as Broadway.

You need to sing to the fish to get them to bite sometimes. Just make up a fishing song and start singing. The fish love it when they are sung to.

At first Mary was not too fond of night fishing. All the different weird animal noises and sounds that you hear can be a bit frightening.

Mary familiarized herself with the animal sounds. She began to enjoy night fishing as she was learning the sounds of the night.

The time has come for my little grasshopper to jump over to the lake. That's where you will find your cricket.

One time on the way to the lake. Mary spotted an owl in the ditch. It did not look normal. We went ahead and went to the lake and did our fishing.

When we were leaving, the owl was still in the ditch. I pulled over because Mary of course could now speak fluent owl.

It was a big barn owl. I knew the danger of trying to deal with it.

But for Mary, I took my jacket off and laid it over the owl.

It was definitely sick or injured. I pick the owl up and put it in my truck in the seat between us.

We needed to call the conservation department. It was after business hours so we had to call the poachers division of conservation..

If we were caught with this owl we could both be facing a $10,000 fine and 10 years in prison.

I pulled over at the next pond. We put the owl by the pond so he could at least maybe get a drink.

We continue fishing in the lake and Mary is fitting right in.Sometimes it would rain and she didn't really like being in the rain.

The fish bite better in the rain and I told her the reasons why. The rain adds oxygen to the water which wakes up fish. The rain would wash bugs into the water and fish would go on a feeding frenzy.

Most importantly your voice is magnified by the ripples created by millions of raindrops. You'll be able to sing the fish in from miles away.

On July 4th 2016 we were at happy hollar lake, one of our favorite bodies of water.

After about 30 minutes of fishing, Mary hooks into a fish. This one feels big, she said.

Mary was like a professional fighting her fish. My first glimpse of her catch gave me goose bumps.

Mary caught a largemouth bass that weighed 6 lb and 7 oz. She did it! Her bass was well over the master angular award criteria for a fish.

She was so excited. She kept asking me, am I a cricket now, am I a cricket now. Oh please! I feel like a cricket, listen to me sing!

Mary was overwhelmed with happiness when I not only did I let her know that she was now a cricket, but she was the newest master angler award recipient.

About 2 hours went by and we had caught a few decent fish. Mary hooked into another fish and again, this one feels big too!

The first bass that she caught as a cricket and her second of the night waiting at 5 lb and 7 oz. She became the only double master angler I have ever met.

Mary was quick to give herself the nickname the bass Queen.

That night two friends experienced their once in a lifetime opportunity. I owe this 4th of July memory to a great fisherman, Mary, the bass Queen.

Mary's goal now was to achieve katydid status. I hope that she will achieve her goal.

You have never once fished in the river. The water is always moving and shifting. It will be a completely new learning process.

To become a katydid, you must master the river. If you're able to learn the tricks of the river it is the only place to catch your fish of a lifetime.

Mary understood what I was telling her and was eager to start the process. I own two really my fishing rods and reels I only use on the river.

Mary fell in love with one of them. Even though she had never used it, she would hold it and admire it. Now she gets to use it.

If you make it to katydid status, the rod and reel you're going to use and the one that you love will forever be yours. I vowed to her.

It takes a while of course but Mary starts getting used to the currents and how to cast down stream. She's learning quickly.

Mary is learning how to build proper campfires. She is learning how the river it's truly the boss. She has great respect for the river.

It was August 17th, 2017 and we went night fishing on the River. We do everything the right way. We go catch our own nightcrawlers.

We take the nightcrawlers to a local pond to catch some perch. The perch came along with us to the river. A catfish's favorite meal.

Again, the best bait is free bait provided by mother nature.

After we each get baited up with a perch, 1, 2, 3 cast away! 15 minutes later the fishing reel on the rod that she is using starts to scream.

I knew instantly andI grabbed my rod and reel and reeled it in. I looked at Mary and I let her know I was right here for her. This is your moment Bass Queen.

She had no idea what she was about to experience. She set the air to that rod as good as my grandpa would have. She did it perfectly.

No! No! No! it's going to pull me in the river Mary screamed. I told her no way! We've been training for years for this moment and this is your fish.

Mary was in the fight of her life. After 30 minutes she was begging me to take control of the rod and reel. She said that she could not do it.

I stood right by her side the entire time. I never once took hold of that rod and reel. I encouraged her. I coached her on what to do but no way was I taking this away from her.

She fought this fish for at least 90 minutes before it was close enough to the bank that I got a glimpse of it.

When she got it to the bank, I told Mary to close her eyes and I would get it out of the water for her. And I was scared.

After I picked it up from the edge of the bank, I laid it at her feet in front of her. You can open your eyes now.

Is that real?! That's one of the robots from Cabela's. You put it on my hook didn't you? Mary didn't realize that this fish was much bigger than what she thought were robots.

Time literally stands still. Mary is a place very few fishermen ever achieve. I am so happy she is experiencing this.

I personally have never seen a bigger fish pulled out of the river.

Mary grabbed me so tight, sunburn and all, she hugged me like a grizzly bear would. This river belongs to the bass queen tonight.

The celebration on that river bank that night will always be a priceless once in a lifetime memory that makes me cry today.

The fish scales that I had with us only weighed up to 50 lbs. We needed some bigger scales.

I have become friends with an Agent from our conservation department. I also knew a couple of fisher biologists.

Mary and I safely returned the family to the water on a rope. We're hoping that the rope would hold it.

I called my connection in the conservation department. He told me it would be with us in about 45 minutes.

Mary had no idea who was on their way. Just like he said, the Agent and three fisher biologists are heading our direction.

When they were getting close to us I told Mary that she may be in trouble for possessing such a big fish.

They are on the shore with us. The Fisher biologist removed the fish from the river. They weighed on an official scale in front of Mary. It was a 56 lb 4 oz blue cat catfish.

The conservation agent congratulated Mary and informed her that she had just earned a masters anglers award.

The time has come for Mary to make a decision. Her fish of a lifetime could either be officially tagged and released back into the water.

Or we could take it with us and eat it. I'm praying so hard that she makes the right decision. Mary looks at me and says may I please borrow your knife?

Mary reached down with my knife and cut the rope that was holding her best catch. She set her fish of a lifetime free to fight again.

There was a small crowd gathering. The conservation agent, fishery biologist and myself applaud her for the decision she made.

The amount of pride that covered that riverbank that night will never be duplicated.Three Missouri Master angler awards that she worked very hard for and she deserves everyone!

You know what Mary's next question was right? Am I a katydid, am I a katydid now, please tell me I made it to katydid?! I told her that we will see.

Of course she did, but this wasn't the time or place to tell her. Mary's graduation needs to be unique and memorable.

I absolutely could not come up with a special way to present the rod and reel that my best friend absolutely loved to her to become her own.

I could not come up with a proper commencement awarding her for what she had fought so hard to achieve and that was her katydid status.

Two weekends after Mary caught a Missouri River monster, we were fishing in a lake south of town. We're both catching catfish like we are professional tournament fishermen.

I was starting to feel guilty and bad, I thought about just telling her that the rod and reel that she's using right now is forever hers.

We are sitting about 10 ft apart from each other. That way we can communicate and still be able to do quality fishing.

Mary begins to scream at the top of her lungs. Oh my god! There's something on your rod! It's getting closer to me!

I thought for sure some sort of crazy water snake or maybe a crawdad or some creature had come to visit her. I went to Mary to have a look.

What I saw can only happen to two people who fish for all the right reasons. What was crawling up Mary's rod was rarely seen in nature, a katydid.

My eyes begin to water because Mary was chosen by a katydid to become a katydid. I could not imagine a more impactful graduation for my best friend.

What happened was a gift from the fishing heavens. There was no other way I could explain it.

After presenting Mary officially with her new rod and reel, I let her know that she will forever be my katydid.

Mary now loved her life and was happy to admit that. I don't ever want to die because now I have fishing! And fishing translates to living.

A 3-week process when I requested that Mary give me 3 weeks turned into a 5-year unforgettable friendship.

A bond built around fishing, tall tales, learning and growth, even reinventing yourself is an unbreakable bond.

Mary took flight just like a katydid in her personal life. She is now in a healthy happy relationship and has her children. I am so happy for her and proud of her!

From time to time we speak to each other. The stories I would tell on the banks is something she loved. The last message she sent me was from KU hospital.

My best friend was life flighted to KU because of a massive stroke that she had suffered.there because he had a massive stroke. I began sharing more stories with her.

Mary shared with me that after reading one of my stories she was able to smile from that awful hospital bed.

Mary, I want you to know that this story is our notebook. We built this story together. You are my very best friend / Bass Queen / katydid and no one will ever take t

hat away from us.

I am so happy for you that you have found happiness. Maybe one of these days, you can take me out and teach me how to become a Missouri master angler. Much love my friend.

1 2 3 cast away!