September 13, 2002
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FISH STORY
Mitch‘s question, about the species of fish I’m holding in the pic in the previous blog, jogged my memory of that day. I sat here and looked at the pic and marveled over how SMALL I was.
I caught that fish all by myself. I baited my own hook, cast the line, watched for nibbles, and when I saw the red and white bobber go down, I lifted the tip of the rod and set the hook in the fish’s mouth. And I was so little!
I wasn’t all by myself. My mother and father were in the little rowboat with me. We were on the San Joaquin River, near Manteca, CA. Mama seldom even wet a hook, didn’t like to fish. She just went along in order not to be left alone when we went fishing. She used to peel apples and cut them in wedges for us as we fished.
When I started reeling that fish in, Daddy started encouraging and admonishing me: “You can do it. Hang on tight. Don’t let him take your rod.” I worked the big (to me) fish nearly up to the boat several times and had to let him run out and then play him back again. Finally, he gave up and let me reel him in. I was used to little perch and small catfish that I could just lift over the side of the boat on the hook, but the striped bass was too big. The tip of my rod was bent over. Daddy looked over the side and saw how big it was, grabbed the gaff hook and flipped it aboard.
Looking at my picture now, I see a little girl, barely twice the height of the fish I hold. Sitting in that boat, though, playing that fish, I was a big girl. I can still feel how it felt to be so big when I was so little. It’s a little bit weird, that feeling.
Comments (15)
That’s pretty cool! My only fishing experience was with cub scouts… We went to an artificial pond specifically built for fishing, and I didn’t catch anything that whole day. Although I did someone else’s hook caught in my jacket, that was fun
very beautiful …..
Hello Kathy….Happy Friday and thanks for subbing. Have a great weekend and don’t be a stranger.
- WFH
wow, that is pretty neat!
I miss fishing with my Granddad.
sounds like a pretty good memory, though. i admire, again, that you can call it up with such detail. the apples. the bobber. the river. i hope this is filed cleanly in a “happy memory” spot.
when i fished with my dad, i was the smallest person on the planet, or so i thought. he made me feel small, anyway. lately, after getting to know him again, we went fishing and i seemed to tower over him. i guess ‘big’ and ‘little’ are as concrete as time….
How funny…
My job is to drive to Manteca every night.
mmmm… I used to fish with my grandfather all the time when I was little. That’s a wonderful little story. (And to update: I am making some progress with the tapes…will write you soon and give you a “report” , lol.) Much love to you guys!
Fishing is a healthy outlet in my opinion.
that big ole fish just made you look small
Don’t go fishing on sundays
Great fish story
I know it is a wonderful feeling as I’ve watched the smiles and pride come from my little grandchildren when they have pulled any in.
Your childhood pics are so lovely!
I have a fish story kinda like that
Might have to tell it.