Fishing with the Technician

In the early years if I had a slow day with nothing to do sometimes I'd go fishing and ask the the tech (or techs) if they wanted to go with me. One day Chuck and I were sitting in the office staring at each other. I didn't want to go out and sell because we had some big jobs starting in a couple days, and anything new would have to wait a while. All the parts where ordered. Site had been surveyed. Office had been swept. Trucks had been cleaned out and organized. We just ran out of busy work.

I asked, "You wanna go fishing?" Chuck was out the door and digging his fishing gear out of the trunk of his car before I could get out of my chair. We stopped by my house to grab my minnow bucket a couple rods, and a throw net.

My minnow bucket is a 55 gallon plastic sugar barrel with holes drilled in it all the way around about a foot from the open top of the barrel. We would net a few shad for bait, and then use a 5 gallon bucket to periodically add fresh water. The excess water would run out the holes, and drain out the drain holes in the truck bed.

At our first fishing spot we got all rigged up. Chuck beat me to the water with a balloon rigged minnow, but not by much. As he tossed out past a canal pump a fellow pulled up on the road behind us and bellow in that obnoxious tone people have when they think they are talking to stupid hicks. "BWA HA HA HA. THERE AIN'T NO FISH IN THERE!"

I just turned and flicked my bait towards the water. Just then Chuck exclaimed, "GOT ONE!" and before he had his fish out of the water I had one on as well.

I lifted mine up out water and turned to guy in the truck to say, "see there are," but I never got to say it. I just got a glimpse of him red faced, clenched jawed, and white knuckling the steering wheel as he stomped on the gas spinning tires out of there.

Very funny ending Bob!!!

Fishing for me was something I did as a kid but mostly because my Dad couldn't get enough. Maybe due to fact I really don't like the taste of fish. No matter I caught fish so others could enjoy.

As for a fish story..... My Mom and Dad would rent a cabin in Canada on Lower Beverly Lake. They would at the end of the week place their order for the next year to rent a specific cabin. Otherwise there would nothing available. One year after my 4 brothers and I were out of the house and married we scheduled a trip north with Mom and Dad for week on the lake. There were 5 vehicles, 6 flotation devices and 23 humans going caravan style up I-81 to Canada.

One morning Dad wanted to go across the lake to a special spot to get a big bass. So him and I loaded up the 16 foot alum with outboard and headed across the lake. Halfway there we noticed this large bird above us going the same direction. It was maybe up 150' or so. As it got out ahead of the boat it folded back its wings and dived towards the water. S-P-L-A-S-H-!-!-! Then it started beating it wings and came up with a big bass in it's talons. The turned the fish to reduce wind drag. It was a Osprey. Beautiful bird. As it flew off to have breakfast my Dad says "Wow!! That would have been great to get on the movie camera." We both looked at the camera bag sitting between us, and just laughed. There was absolutely no time to set it up.

We continued on to that special fishing hole. But nothing beat what we just observed. It was the talk of the day!!!

Les