Mermen who present to fish to lone fishermen out on the waters when they are all by themselves as a courting ritual.
It's a hot summer day and the sun is beaming down on you in your tiny flat top boat. Your skin was heated to an uncomfortable degree and the only thing saving you was your years out in weather like this and the sweat dripping down our body. You adjusted your cap as the line hit the water and tried to squint away the brightness.
You look away from the glimmering water and see that you have a small ring of sweat around you on the plastic flooring. Your shirt was sticking to your skin. You can't imagine how you smell right now. As you stare at the patterns of perspiration, you hear a splash. Thinking it's a fish, your eyes dart back up and you ready your reel. Instead of a prize catch, you see a pair of dark eyes staring back at you.
It smiles at you, fins perking up as a matching tail waves behind. When hearing all about the tales of Mers and sirens you expected bright colors, bioluminescence, unnatural beauty as the folklore presented them to be. Instead, there was a masculine man with woody colored hair and dark pupil filled eyes. His tail and even skin was colored almost exactly like a Largemouth Bass, even down to the patterns.
It was making odd clicks and squeals that you could not understand, but it seemed excited based on its body language and that smile going from ear to ear. You kneel down and stare at eye level before fishing out your phone.
He dives. You curse yourself for being too slow when suddenly the surface tension breeches again and the biggest, fattest Walleye was flung onto the boat. You nearly lost your balance as the boat shook, your arms flail until the boat finally stabilizes. It squeals and its tail swishes more violently in the water, roaring up foam as it looks at you and points to the fish.
When you prod at the fish, it flaps its thick body as the Mer's noises get louder still until you pick up the fish with a grunt. The excited creature lashes the water to foam and throws itself on the boat before pulling you into a hug. You are crushed against his wet skin as you are forced to fit against the curves of its body. It's face nuzzles into your neck as you spread your body out to prevent the watercraft from capsizing.