In the book Essential Essays, in the story "The Incomplete Angler" by Brian Green, what is the thesis statement in the first paragraph?

In chapter 15 of Essential Essays, "Narration," the authors explain how to write a good narrative paper. They state that the opening paragraph of the narrative should act as a thesis, describing the overall theme and points of the story. From there the student should write the story's events in chronological order. They should conclude with a paragraph that reiterates the point of the story.
They write a narrative of the short story "The Incomplete Angler" as their first example. The introduction, or thesis as they call it, is as follows:

While visiting a kind and well-meaning friend in Sarnia, I revealed myself to be an avid, if not very good sports fisherman. My friend confessed that he found fishing slightly less enthralling than watching algae grow his swimming pool, but he had a pal who was a fishing fanatic. A phone call later, I was to be the special guest of 'Ol' Jack' on an all-day fishing expedition to the Thames River the very next day. It has take me four years to recover sufficiently from this adventure to tell you about it.

The statement fulfils all the main aims of the introductory paragraph as outlined by the authors on page 134. It introduces the scene and the major characters. In this case the characters are the narrator, Ol'Jack and the narrator's friend and the scene or scenes are Sarnia and the fishing expedition to the Thames River.