A Fish?

I have had a request to paint a fish for a young boy. He loves to fish and apparently is very good at it, especially for his age. Here's my dilemma: Perhaps he would prefer a very realistic fish that looks like a close-up photograph of a fish that he caught or would like to catch, with every scale defined and every detail perfectly in place, but that's not how I like to paint. Immediately, I think...fish...hmmm...how can I make it different, unique, and stylized? Where's the twist, the umph, the pizazz? How will this fish be different from all other fishes out there? I think of the brightly colored tropical fish in coral reefs, or even in aquariums, I think of colorful swordfish and the whole world of deep-sea fishing, but I don't think of just a plain old gray fish with a white belly and a black eye, or at least I try not to. I think of swirls representing water. I think of brush strokes that give the fish movement and personality. So, here I must find a happy medium that will satisfy both the boy and myself. Wish me luck!