'It's the First Day of My Whole Life!': Boy Catches First Fish on Lake Champlain

David Freiheit was possibly the proudest dad in Canada as he watched his young son reel in his first catch while they were out fishing on Lake Champlain, Quebec, on July 12.

Footage shot by Freiheit shows young Ethan in the bow of a canoe with a fishing rod firmly tucked under his arm as he battles to land the fish.

When Freiheit asks if the fish is “pulling hard,” Ethan exclaims: “Yeah! It’s fighting me! It’s the first day of my whole life!” After what looks like a near getaway for the fish, Ethan successfully pulls it in far enough for his dad to trap it in a net and lift it out of the water, splashing them both in what Freiheit calls the “fish bath shower.”

“That was my first fish,” Ethan says as Freiheit unhooks the pike for his son to release back into the lake. “That makes me cry.”

After holding his prize, Ethan throws the pike into the water and immediately washes his hands, leaving his dad’s offer of a high-five hanging until the pike slime is rinsed off. Credit: David Freiheit via Storyful