Hang On, Let Me Adjust The Drag!

I used to fish a lot. I spent many hours on the water in the summer. I love to fish. The species really do not  matter. Spending time fishing for Bluegill, Largemouth bass, Catfish, and Trout is very relaxing. Especially catfishing very little skill or cost involved. All one has to do is get some simple tackle and bait and go out and sit on a river bank or the shore of a lake and wait. As recent last summer,  Melissa and I would fill a cooler with beverages and snacks like Oreo's, Funyouns, and Beef Jerky and off we would go. Some summer days were almost like being at the beach with a small transistor radio stuck between two camp chairs watching for a tale-tale sign of a rod bending over as a fish would take the bait. Then  hang on for the fight. For many years, I chased Largemouth Bass. As a sport, bass fishing is a multi-million dollar industry with people spending loads of money on tackle, lures, and boats. I figured out  a long time ago that a person can can catch the same fish with a johnboat and a lawn chair as a person that has invested thousands of dollars in a state of the art bass boat. I have used live bait and artificial lures to catch the big one. Spent time with family and friends and countless hours cleaning fish afterwards. Fishing taught me patience and to enjoy being out in nature. For several years I had to tell people that I had caught some trophies in my time. Some people would look at me and I could see the look in their eyes like here comes some fish story.

 

These fish hang proudly on my wall. After being in storage in my sisters basement for four years. They made the trip north this summer. They need to be retouched but on a cold winter day they hold dreams of days to come.