It is a special day in the small town of Thorshafen on the Baltic Sea: The annual fishing competition takes place at the lake just behind the dikes. By chance, the narrator participates and meets Anja. Fishing together creates a bond but also makes one tired. A spot hidden by reeds invites them to rest until suddenly the fishing line tightens. Which fish has bitten, perhaps a pike or even a catfish, the ruler of the lake? At the end of the day, all the residents of Thorshafen celebrate together: nature, life, the fish, the sea, and of course love, while it remains a secret how the teacher, Mrs. Laura, manages to be crowned fish queen. With this final story, Siegfried Lenz has given his readers a wonderful gift that transcends his death.