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A bad day fishin' beats a good day at work!
Keith loves to fish, though he doesn't get to go nearly so often
as he would like. But, at least once or twice a year, he and a
couple of buddies pack up their gear and head out for "the great
fishing expedition". The destination varies, depending on
whims, vacation schedules, rumors, weather, and so on. The small
finger lakes in north-eastern Ohio, the Santee Cooper reservoir
lakes in South Carolina, rocky shallows off of Canadian islands in
Lake Erie, and various points on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan
have all been visited multiple times. On our "to do" list is tuna
fishing off the coast of Baja, Mexico, and maybe tarpon in the
Everglades.
Sometimes, especially on the smaller lakes, the guys rent a cabin
and a pontoon boat, and just spend a few days and nights catching
panfish, channel cats, and the occasional bass, eating and drinking
entirely too much, and recounting tales of ex-girlfriends, fast cars,
good books, clueless bosses, new fishing tackle, old
friends, and manly adventures.
Other times, when in pursuit of specific prey such as, say, monster
blue catfish, hybrid stripers, or large salmon, they'll hire a guide
and charter a boat for at least one of the days, but the eating,
drinking, and story telling typically remain the same. When not engaged
in one of those activities, they spend their time nursing hangovers,
recovering equipment that's been dropped in the lake, cursing at lines
snagged in trees or stumps, removing hooks from fingers or other body
parts, fending off mosquitos, turtles, poison ivy, raccoons, and other
local flora and fauna, and trying to figure out how to get the lantern
ignited or the engine started.
(Did you know that it's actually possible to completely submerge the
deck of a pontoon boat that's running at full speed in the middle of
the night?)
By tradition, dinner after the first day's fishing is the fresh catch.
Salmon is marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic, and broiled
on a grill. Catfish is soaked in buttermilk, dipped in cornmeal, and
pan fried in peanut oil. Others are prepared as the mood strikes us.
Add some fried or roasted potatoes, cornbread or biscuits, a vegetable
or salad, and a couple of cold beers, and you've got one hellava meal.
It just doesn't get any better than that.
Additional fish we catch are cleaned, fileted, and packed in plastic
bags to be taken home and frozen. Once we have enough for everyone, we
go to catch-and-release for the remainder of the trip. Great fun is
had by all, and after several days of sun, water, tall tales, and
scintillating repartee, the mighty fishermen return home tired,
sunburned, and happy.
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Copyright © MMXXII by William K. Brummett. All rights reserved.
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