It was a bitterly cold December day in 2016 (just 5 or 10 degrees) when Marlin, his brother, and a friend headed north to fly fish for steelhead. Marlin had years of experience and was excited to show off a little.
But pride has a way of humbling us. While demonstrating how it’s done, Marlin stepped in a deep hole and fell face-first upstream. His waders instantly filled with freezing river water. Soaked, freezing, and embarrassed, he had to trudge back to the truck while his brother and friend enjoyed a great day catching fish.
Marlin didn’t get to fish at all that day, but he walked away with a memorable lesson.These short, heartfelt Minutes with Marlin deliver quick doses of wisdom, faith, humility, and encouragement—perfect for busy homestead days when we need a gentle reminder of what really matters.
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Transcripts
Marlin Miller:
It is December of 2016. It is a beautiful day but it is blistery cold. I’m talking like five or 10 degrees. My brother, a friend of mine and I are in waders with 35 layers of clothes. We’re going to go fishing with a fly rod for steelhead up north. We get out there. It is beautiful. I have been fly fishing at this point for years, for probably eight or 10 years. I’ve never fallen ever. I’ve never gone down in a river and my brother and my friend that I brought up have never done this at all. And in the back of my mind, I was thinking, “Dog gone, this is a great chance for me to kind of show off.” And that’s what was in my head at the time. It was a big ego thing for me for some reason. And I remember I was trying to show them a great day and how much fun it can be to get out into the river.
I did not expect to step in a hole and fall facing upstream. My waiters immediately are full of freezing cold water. I am just blitz cold in a split second. I’m actually thankful because that hole could have busted my ankle pretty bad, but I get out of the river. I am horribly embarrassed. I am freezing. I head back to the truck. I’m trying to warm up. I didn’t get to go fishing at all the whole day and there were big fish being caught right there and the guys had a great day. I, not so much. Here’s the point. Some people talk about being careful what you say because you might have to eat your words. There are times that you drink them. Okay. Be careful. A little bit of humility can go a long way.
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