The Tale of Ian & the Cherry Bomb

In the heart of Burgh le Marsh, nestled beside serene lakes, arrived fishermen named Ian and Lee. They had fished these waters many a time. Ian and Lee would set out with their worn-out fishing equipment, casting their lines into the still lake, hoping for a big catch. But day after day, the same thing happened—small, wriggling Toby Fish barely the size of their hand would nibble at their bait (if you managed to catch a Toby Fish, be careful—they think they are tough. They would wriggle and growl at you, and you would probably lose a finger).

"What's the use?" Ian would grumble as he tossed the tiny Toby Fish back into the lake. "I want something bigger, something worth my time."

The other fishermen on the lake, content with their small catches, would chuckle and say, “Fish is fish,” as they put their little fish back in the lake. But Ian had bigger dreams. He imagined catching the large, elusive carp that lurked deep in the lake—the kind of fish that would turn heads and make all the other fishermen especially Lee envious. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, the bigger fish seemed to avoid him.

One Saturday afternoon, as Ian sat at lake side with a can of beer in his hand, a thought struck him. He’d noticed how the small Toby Fish always swarmed when he tossed crumbs from his sandwich into the water, but it wasn’t enough to keep the bigger fish interested. Maybe, he thought, if there was a way to tempt the larger fish to come closer and linger longer, he might finally get his prize.

Inspired, Ian got to work. Over the next few weeks, he spent every free moment in his garage, experimenting with different designs. He tried various shapes and materials, hoping to create something that would not only attract the tiny, overconfident Toby Fish but also bring in the larger ones from the deeper parts of the lake.

After many attempts, Ian finally built something special. It was a round, floating device that you could alter the depth to feed the fish at different depths to hopefully attract fish from all over the lake. To make it easy to spot on the water, he made it round in shape and painted it bright red, with the line running straight through the middle of it, making the whole thing look exactly like a giant cherry floating on the lake’s surface.

He grinned at his creation. "I’ll call it the Cherry Bomb," he said with pride.

Early(ish) the next morning (more like 9.30 because Ian and Lee has a skin full of ale the night before) Ian and Lee staggered to the lake the mist was still rising off the water they set up there fishing equipment and they casted out, Ian lowered the Cherry Bomb into the lake. It bobbed on the surface, bright red against the calm, glassy water. Ian waited, watching the ripples spread from his invention.

At first, the small Toby Fish appeared, as they always did, darting around pretending to be hard, nibbling at the bait around the cherry bomb. Their exaggerated attempts at looking tough amused Ian, but as the minutes passed, something incredible happened. From the deeper, darker parts of the lake, larger fish began to approach. Ian’s heart pounded with excitement as he saw some massive carp circling the Cherry Bomb, drawn in by bait.

The cherry bomb disappeared in front of Ians eyes, Ian felt a heavy tug on the line. The fight was on! After what felt like an eternity of reeling, pulling, and struggling, Ian finally hauled a huge carp to his landing net. It was the biggest fish he’d ever seen—far larger than anything he’d ever caught before.

From that day forward, Ian became the talk of Burgh le Marsh. No longer did he return from the lake with a string of tiny Toby Fish. Instead, his net was often full of large carp and other impressive catches, all thanks to his clever invention. The other fishermen were curious, and many asked Ian about his secret. Proud but generous, Ian showed them his Cherry Bomb and explained how it worked.

Though some tried to copy his design, no one had quite the same knack as Ian. He had a way with the lake, a deep understanding of the fish and the water, and the Cherry Bomb was the perfect tool to bring out the best of his skills. Soon, Ian was known far and wide as the cherry bomb guru in the fisherman world.

And so, Ian’s frustrations with the small Toby Fish became a thing of the past. With the Cherry Bomb floating in the lake, he knew he would always reel in a catch worth talking about. As he often said with a smile, “Sometimes, you’ve got to think like a fish. And nothing tempts a fish more than a little treat.”

So there you have it I hope you enjoyed Ians story one day you might get to meet him more likely you will see him on tv on dragons den where all the dragons will all want a piece of Ians cherry bombs.”