D Wetherell "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" is a short story about a boy's conflict between his summer crush Sheila Mant and his love for bass fishing. The boy was enchanted with Sheila. " to me she appeared unutterably suave, the epitome of sophistication" (Wetherell 192). By mid August, the boy had gained enough confidence to ask Sheila to accompany him to a concert in his canoe. As he prepared the canoe he automatically mounted his fishing pole to vessel. "I say automatically, because I never went anywhere that summer without a fishing rod" (Wetherell 192). As he waited for Sheila; the night of the date; he unconsciously dropped the lure into the river. After he had picked Sheila up and started on their way she commented on how fishing was dumb. The boy didn't want to appear stupid and tried to conceal his fishing gear. When he moved the rod, the sudden jerk of the lure tempted a bass to bit. "Four things occurred to me at once. One, that it was a bass. Two, that it was a big bass. Three that it was the biggest bass I had ever hooked. Four, that Sheila must not know" (Wetherell 194). The boy fought with himself on what to do. But as he looked up at Sheila, he was enchanted by her and made his decision to cut the line. That night Sheila went home with someone else and to this day the boy regretted what happened that night on the river. .
A typical dilemma; being true to yourself while trying to gain the approval of someone else. When Sheila commented on fishing being stupid the boy suppressed his feeling in order not seem dorky. If he had been himself he probably would've realized they had nothing in common and would've been able to do what he really loved, catch the bass. .
