I shirked my household chores today.
First a latte. Then I wrangled the canoe on top of the car. And a second latte. I was ready to go fish. At a lake with plentiful, large and easy Bass. At least that’s what I was told.
So a short drive ensues. Unload the canoe. Make sure coffee cup doesn’t tip over as I launch the canoe. And I start fishing. And I catch some fish. Small Bluegills. A Sunfish. But they’re fish.
And there are the turtles. The lake is so clear I can see them several feet under me. Or swimming next to me. They don’t seem at all bothered by me or my boat.
I started wondering about the tales of Bass. No sign of them. I head over to the other side of the lake. Wind kept blowing me into shore. And I see them. Big Bass. They’re hugging the shore in a mess of lily pads. But I try.
Flies get hung up on lily pads. Bass ignore the poppers. I get frustrated. Then as I’m ready to call it quits, I get a bite. A fish took my popper.
Rod up. Line tight. Slowly bring the fish in to me. Then I see it. A huge Bass! Calm down. Just keep bringing it in. Grab the net. Just keep the line tight. A little closer. And ... snap! The line breaks and the fish is gone. Some slightly foul words may have drifted across the lake.
Go home. Have a BLT.
Vow to never buy cheap bacon again.
Mow lawn. Fix lawn mower. Finish mowing lawn. Pick some wild blackberries. And then head over to another lake. More Bluegills. Sunfish. Take a picture of what may be biggest of the evening - it was. And it certainly wasn’t that big. And at 7 pm, the lake goes quiet. Everyone scurries into their cabins to watch the ball game and I have the lake to myself.
I stay out too late. It’s dark. But the Loons come out. I have three trailing behind me. They’re chasing fish just at the surface. Again, they don’t seem to mind me and the boat. So I watch them.
A good day.