6/24/2005

Memories of fishing

I have great memories of pleasurable times fishing I had as a kid. When I was just a little one, my Dad would rent rowboats and take me and my family fishing, I loved fishing with Dad. As I got older, about 9, Dad rented a cottage for a week on Lake St. Clair, and the cabin came with a rowboat for us to use. I remember rowing out by myself, feeling so strong and and in control of it. I would anchor out and try to fish for a while and looking down into the water to see any fish swimming by. I loved the feeling of being all by myself and in charge of where I go and how far.

Dad took us many places on vacation. Many times it was just a cottage on the lake, and one time we rented a little trailer and we went around Lake Superior through Canada and back through the upper penninsula of Michigan. The lakes and parks were magnificent! We have my Mother's relatives in Canada, and many times we visited them. One Aunt had a cottage on an island in the French River, nestled between huge rocks. It was great to swim and camp there and we had great fun. I cried when we had to leave, I didn't want it to end. That was the life for me!

My Aunt had a lot with a garage only by a small inland lake, and I could see lots of fish swimming around just below the small dock she had. I got a piece of fishing line with a hook and baited it with a piece of balogny from our picnic. I laid on the dock and lowered the line to the fish. I could see when the fish bit and caught by hand a mess of perch, bullheads, (that I would throw back), and many small bluegill. I had a bucket full of fish that Dad cooked later.

I almost drowned in that lake, because I was not a good swimmer, and I walked in water up to my neck. The man from next door pulled up with his motor boat pretty fast toward the shore and the wake knocked me off my feet. I was under water for what seemed like forever with my hands over my face trying to keep the water out. The man in the boat pulled me up by my hair choking, and sputtering water that had gotten in my lungs. My Dad walked in and got me, and carried me to the shore. It's such a bad feeling having water in your lungs, it burns like crazy. After that I learned quickly the swim well. I wanted so bad to be able to swim out to the deep part to a raft they had made for diving off of, and it wasn't very long when I was able to do just that.

Later, Dad bought a small speedboat, and one summer we took the boat to a cabin on Lake St. Clair. One day, early in the morning, Dad let me take the boat on the lake all by myself. It was a beautiful, warm morning and the water was still as glass. We had all taken boating classes from the coast guard, and I knew the rules of boating. I left the dock slowly and made my way out to deeper water. When I got out far enough, I pushed the gas as far as it would go, and glided with ease across the water, the wind blowing through my hair and loving every minute of it! It was the greatest feeling! I buzzed all around the bay feeling like the queen of the world for a while.

Later that same week, a big storm hit the lake in the night. It broke the lines the boat was tied up with and luckily washed the boat onto the shore and filled the boat with water. We were able to bail all the water out and get it floating again, with no damage to the hull. That was exciting and scary at the same time. Good thing it didn't wash the boat out to sea!

Through the years, I got to be a good fisher. I usually always got the most, or the bigest fishes. We had great luck catching anything in those days, but lately you can fish all day and were lucky to catch a one. My biggest was a 10 lb. carp, the best fish was a 6 1/2 lb. Walley, that was 26 inches long, it had a huge belly and hung between my hands. It was the best eating fish I ever ate! I knew the Lake pretty well, and could find all the landmarks. My husband even depends on me to find our way when we go out.

One winter my Dad took me out ice fishing, and rented a ice shanty. The place drove us far out onto the ice in a stripped down truck to where our shanty was. They had little gas heaters inside that make it cozy, and when you were inside in the dark, you could see to the bottom. It was like watching the fish swim around on TV. The outside light lit up the water and you were able to watch them when they took the bait. What fun!

My husband and I have had many small and larger boats over the years, and we really loved fishing and boating and so did our girls. We had many good times with them, and they were avid fishers too.

We have a boat now, a 24 foot cabin cruiser, but the fun has kind of been taken out of it with my illnesses, and have not been able to enjoy it much. My legs are still too weak to pull myself out of it, and he has to help boost me up to get back on the high dock.

The cost of the dockage and winter storage fees and some repairs we've had to make have really cut into our pockets. That's too bad. My husband really wants to enjoy it more at least one summer more, and maybe then we might give it up.

Does anyone else have good memories like this? Please tell me about yours.

5 comments:

♥Caroline♥ said...

The best times we had was picnicing and fishing! Sleeping in the car while parked by the water. That was good sleeping!
Catching lots of fish. Remember when Me and my sister came home with a pail full! That was lots of fun.

I have to say other than the fishing...the swimming at metro is my fondest memory.

wendy said...

I remmber my dad saving me from drowning near the boat,thanks dad
The fish look so puzzled I was thier.

I remmber when I said I got a bite ,I got a bite,a musquote bite!They looked dissapointed thought it was a fish'

I remmber sleeping at and waking up to the smell of brunt me.and one have a eeg?I was on fire.

marshmellows yum at the hot coals.

I remmber when I caught a fish and watching it and than barly hooking it in it mouth but I slig shoot it up on shore.boy that poor fish ,I put it back without needing to take a hook out of it"s mouth.


Dad love sleeping on the boat and I really neever slept.to sea sick and the snoring of bears,,

One time Dad wanted to see how fast his going to fly and I was in side sleeping under and I bounce up and down hitting my head and trying to caught a falling cooler I was fish bate.


Don't get caught in a storm when your sick because your stuck out thier because to many boats want in ,I think I was winny wendy than..If it got to bad and I was really sick we went to this restant that you can park your boat,great place.

I was the youngest and did a lot with them and my spoiledness .I like to go back and do it again.It was nice have my mom and dad thier all the time..

I was the best fisherman I was the first to caught a fish,and the most..love to caught the frogs too..and snakes,nice to see the kids into that..matthew wants a frog and a turtle.He's only 5 I'm just waiting to move......

I remmber this guy caughting so many and throwwing them in the water not the pond poor frogs didn't now to come back to shore.mean guy.took all the frogs..

wendy said...

the best thing my sister did was teach me to swim.

wendy said...

don't get caught out thier in a stm to many boats wantting in.ten feet from shore i Could swim to it,but my dad did let me.If it got to bad on me we went to this resterant by the water and ate thier and got out of the rain.It was packed I didn't care it was nice being thier that was the best,even if it cost dear dad a arm and a leg to eat thier.miss it so much,don't know what Iwas thinking when leaving the nest?

Mallard said...

I remember my very elderly grandpa rowing a small dinghy out into a lake on NSW's Central Coast to go fishing with me when I was about 8-ish - the trip must have almost killed him in upon reflection! But it's a nice memory. I caught a 'garfish' (all teeth!) and it bit me on the finger - that's a good memory.
Cyalayta
Mal :o)