| The incident that Im about to describe happened | | | | made out of wood, so they were pretty heavy. This |
| when I was ten years old, yet I remember it like it was | | | | heft combined with the way we cast, (we held the |
| yesterday because it was such a remarkable event. I | | | | rods like baseball bats, then swung them overhand |
| used to do most of my fishing as a child on Lake | | | | letting go of the line when the tip of the rod was at its |
| Oswego, near Portland, Oregon. | | | | highest point) allowed us to launch the lures 30 yards |
| My grandparents lived on the lake because my | | | | out into the lake. Casting was usally one of the |
| grandfather loved to fish and drive his boat. My brother | | | | highlights of the day. To my brother and I, casting was |
| and I would swim and pilot the rowboat or even drive | | | | nearly as good a time as throwing rocks! |
| the motorboat. Last, but not least, we would also fish. | | | | One day while I was casting, there was an extra big |
| Most of the time we would catch Perch and once in a | | | | splash as my lure hit the water. I can still see that |
| while we would catch a Blue Gale. At night; sometimes | | | | splash in my minds eye even though it happened over |
| after dark, we would hang our line close to shore and | | | | 40 years ago. As soon as the splash subsided, I |
| catch a catfish. | | | | realized that something was resisting as I tried to real in |
| These days you have to be a multi-millionaire to afford | | | | my line. |
| to live on the lake, but back in the 50s and 60s it | | | | What had most likely happened was that the lure had |
| was mostly blue collar people who were like my | | | | landed right above the bass. The bass must have |
| grandfather and for one reason or another wanted to | | | | instinctively struck at the lure. The lure did its job of |
| live on the water. | | | | hooking the bass and I reeled him in. I was completely |
| After we would swim for awhile, it was time for a | | | | caught off guard. He actually broke water a couple of |
| rest, so our grandfather would get out his fishing | | | | times as I reeled him in, but what seemed like forever |
| equipment. My brother and I usually fished with a worm | | | | to me, was probably just a couple of minutes. |
| and a bobber. This involved sitting around and waiting, | | | | My grandfather ran into his basement and looked |
| so it got boring real fast. Our grandfather would be | | | | around until he found his fish scale, so he could weigh |
| forced to break out the casting rods. | | | | my bass. It came out to one and a half pounds. Surely, |
| My brother and I loved to cast. We never really | | | | I thought, this can't be right. I thought that it would be 40 |
| thought that we would catch any fish because the | | | | or 50 pounds at least, but my grandfather assured me |
| triple hooks were just dangling from the lures with no | | | | that one and half pounds was big for that lake. |
| worms to hide them. We both thought that you had to | | | | That was the only time that I have ever caught a bass |
| use worms if you wanted to catch fish. | | | | in that manner, but the experience taught me to |
| The lures that my grandfather had were made for | | | | always expect the unexpected while you are fishing. |
| bass, were three to five inches long and were all | | | | |