THAT WAS LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR HASN'T TURNED OUT TOO WELL FOR US. WE WENT TO LAKE TARLETON AND DIDN'T
CATCH A THING. WENT TO LONG POND, FRENCH POND AND BACK TO LAKE TARLETON. CHUCKS GRANDDAUGHTER WENT
WITH US. CHUCK MADE ME COME ALONG BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE EMBARRASSED WHEN SHE
CAUGHT A FISH. WHICH SHE DID ... A BASS. WE WENT BACK TO LAKE TARLETON, LAST WEEK AND DIDN'T CATCH ANYHING
BUT DID GET CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE WHEN A THUNDERSTORM BLEW IN.
.AND I DO MEAN BLEW IN. NEVER SEEN IT RAIN SO HARD, SO QUICK. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR DID THE BEST IT COULD BUT I
DOUBTED WE WERE EVER GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE BOAT LAUNCH. I COULD SEE THE WATER LEVEL RISING IN THE BOAT
AND I KNEW, FOR SURE, WE WERE GOING TO BECOME A SUBMARINE! IT RAINED IN SUCH SHEETS THAT WHEN THE RAIN HIT
THE WATER IT WOULD CAUSE A WAVE!!!
WE FINALLY DID MAKE IT TO SHORE AND CHUCK RAN FOR THE TRUCK. I ADMIT I WAS A BIT APREHENSIVE ABOUT UNDOING
THE BATTERIES! WE PULLED THE BOAT OVER THE TRAILER AND CHUCK STARTED TO PULL IT OUT OF THE WATER. I SAY
STARTED BECAUSE JUST THEN A WAVE OF RAIN AND WATER HIT THE SIDE OF THE BOAT AND TIPPED IT OFF THE TRAILER,
SPILLING OUT EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE DECIDED TO TELL PEOPLE WE GO FOR THERAPY INSTEAD OF FISHING, FROM NOW ON. YOU SEE, NO ONE EXPECTS
TO SEE PROOF WHEN YOU HAVE COME BACK FROM THERAPY. STALWART CHARACTERS THAT WE ARE; WE DECIDED TO GO
ON OUR FIRST THERAPY TRIP, AND GUESS WHAT??? WE CAUGHT A COUPLE OF FISH! I SAY WE, ACTUALLY CHUCK CAUGHT
THEM BOTH. I DID HAVE ONE SUBSTANTIAL STRIKE, HOWEVER.
WE STOPPED AT THE PIERMONT CORNER STORE FOR TURKEY GRINDERS, DRINKS, ETC. THE GRINDERS AT THE PIERMONT
CORNER STORE ARE THE VERY BEST!!! THEY ALSO HAVE AN ICE CREAM WINDOW THAT KEEPS VERY BUSY!!! BY THE WAY,
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GOING FISHING TO GET A PIERMONT STORE GRINDER. BUT, IT SURE HAS HELPED US PASS THE
TIME, LATELY....
LET'S SEE, I QUESS I SHOULD DESCRIBE THE CATCH OF THE DAY ... THE FIRST ONE WAS A REAL FIGHTER. A PERCH THAT
MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST 5" LONG. A REAL MONSTER. I MANNED THE NET. THE SECOND ONE WAS A KILLER BASS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT REALLY WAS. I CAN ONLY ESTIMATE. CHUCK GOT IT OFF THE HOOK AND LAYED IT SIDEWISE
IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND AND IT'S TAIL DID DROOP OVER THE EDGE OF HIS HAND ... A LITTLE.
I THOUGHT CHUCK WAS VERY COMPOSED WHEN HE CALMLY SAID, " YEAH, BUT LOOK AT THE SIZE OF MY HAND!"
ALL WAS NOT LOST. WE HAVE SEEN THE MOOSE AGAIN AND HE HAS GROWN SIGNIFIGANTLY. AND THE LOON FAMILY WAS
OUT IN FORCE WITH THEIR NEW LITTLE ONE. THEY WERE TEACHING IT HOW TO FISH. A GREY HERON WAS PERCHED ON
TOP OF A TREE STUMP AND GEESE WERE IN THE MARSH, ON THE WAY HOME.
SEEING THE BALD EAGLE, THE OSPREY, AND OTHER WILD LIFE SEEM TO MAKE A MISERABLE NIGHT OF FISHING (THERAPY)
A GOOD EXPERIENCE...... TRY IT!
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
2006
This year of fishing, and tall tales, started off as it ended last year! We went fishing on the Wells River and
didn't catch a thing except very lame legs from climbing up and down the river bank. And, as usual, we had an
altercation! I didn't want to go until I was sure it was legal for 2 NH fisher dudes to drown worms in a Vermont River.
Chuck said it was Okay ... everything is OKAY with Chuck until we get caught. This time he was right.
We can fish in a Vermont river that empties into the Connecticut and can fish up to the first bridge.
He showed me in print, in the NH fishing law book! We then tried fishing off No Man's Island and didn't catch
a thing. But I did find what I think was the foundation to the walk bridge that used to go to the dance hall on
the island, until it washed away in the 27 flood. Then we tried under the covered bridge spanning the
Ammonoosuc River, near the Legion Home. Didn't catch anything , but Chuck had fun playing with Salmon
that were jumping out of the water all around his line; sometimes 2 or 3 at a time. I, of course, didn't believe
his tall tale until I came up closer to where he was fishing and watched. Seeing is believing. I watched for a
while and then we left and haven't fished since, because of the daily rain and high water!!!
One good note ... my fish will cost me less this year, even if I don't catch any. I now have a permenant license.
Only had to wait 68 years! I was sure they would change the law to 70 just before I replied. But, they didn't.
Chuck said that was too bad, because that would have given me something more to complain about!!!
Like I ever complain. Boy, this cold damp weather really makes these old bones ache!!!
2007
This year started off with a bang, for me. I went to Patten's Sporting Goods, in North Haverhill, to do a bit of
shopping. I don't know much about trolling, casting, etc... I just know how to drown worms! I looked a a lot
of lures and finally bought one for bass. I noticed it wasn't spinning in the water, beside the boat, and Chuck
informed me it wasn't supposed to, it was a spoon and not a spinner! He gets kinda impatient with me. He
thinks I'm fish stupid!
Anyway, a few minutes later I caught a 14-15" rainbow trout. So much for you experts!!! I just liked the way
the spinner, I mean the SPOON, looked.
Night after night we had to go fishing, even after a thunder storm! Chuck was determined to catch one bigger
than mine. He has a bit of a maucho ego problem. A couple of nights ago he wasn't getting any action so he
reeled in his line to see it the spinner was tangled. He said the end of his pole wasn't jigging. That's
fisherman lingo. On the end of the line a Bass, about 2.5 inches long. Even Chuck got a laugh out of that! Ha caught another one on the way to the dock, a few minutes later. This one was a whopping 3 incher!
I guess we are about done fishing for another year. Chuch did catch a good sized rainbow the other night. Not a big as mine, but very close. All I caught was a small bass. Chuck will be going to Michigan soon to fish for salmon. After catching a few whoppers he'll be content, for the winter!!