The King of the Pier
| Little D’s Dad pulled him in a rusty wagon to the end of a long fishing pier on South Carolina’s Grand Strand. The wagon bounced hard when the wheels rolled over the slats of warped decking on the old structure. During the bumpy ride, Little D marveled at the fishermen as they yanked snapper blues and small whiting over the rails. The fish seemed to get bigger as he rolled closer to the T that capped the end of the wooden pier. The tourists knew that the biggest fish would be caught by the anglers fishing from the T, so that's where they gathered to watch and wait for a big one to hit. The T was also the unofficial home of the Pier Pro's, considered the very best fishermen in the county. The tight knit group would allow no one near the rail to fish beside them. Anyone who tried that was crowded and squeezed from his position. If you weren't a Pier Pro, all you could do was watch. The leader of this elite group was a crusty old codger they called "The King". Everyone knew him, and if you didn't, you looked for the man with the longest fishing pole and the biggest spinning reel. The brightest jewel in his crown made of rusty hooks was the state record he held for landing the largest king mackerel ever - a monster that tipped the scales a few ounces over two-hundred pounds. Little D watched and shouted with excitement when he saw the Pier Pros heave their baits great distances. He got so loud that his dad whispered to him that the men were very serious about fishing and that he needed to be quiet and not scare the fish. It wasn’t long before a Pier Pro’s rod doubled over with a huge mackerel. The battle lasted for several minutes before the five-foot king mackerel was landed. The crowd of tourists gathered to snap pictures of the large slimy fish. Little D stood in his wagon to get a better view. From that day on, he fantasized about catching a big mackerel and breaking the pier record. He even dreamed that a picture of him holding his record fish would adorn the front page of the Horry County Gazette. After many years, Little D returned to the T at the end of the pier to accomplish his lifelong dream. As was tradition, he was pushed aside by the Pier Pros and forced to fish from the side of the platform like the other tourists. “MAD” wasn’t close to describing his feelings, but he vowed to return the next morning. The next day, he arrived before anyone else and took a standing place at the T. He had with him, the right heavy duty off shore tackle to catch a record fish. When the Pier Pros arrived, again they tried to herd him away, but Little D stood his ground. Finally, “The King” asked him, “Are you fishing for sharks?” Little D answered, “No, I’m fishing for bluefin tuna.” The King didn’t think that was funny and said, "I know you’re shark fishing! There isn't a tuna within a hundred miles of this old pier.” Little D kept right on fishing. His silence angered “The King” who said, "I'm calling the sheriff. It's illegal in Horry County to fish for sharks off this pier.” Little D continued to fish. Then, he saw a sheriff's deputy walking toward him. He thought to himself, "That son of a gun really did call the cops, didn't he? I'll get even with him.” As the deputy approached, Little D’s fishing pole bent double. He set the hook and held on while the fish took the line. “The King” shouted, "He has a big shark on the other end of the line, and that's against the law!” Little D battled the fish while a large crowd of tourist gathered to watch. He was feeling pretty good about things, but he still wasn’t sure what was on his line. As the battle played on, “The King” kept telling the deputy that he knew it was a big shark, like a man-eating tiger or a hammerhead. Regardless, he wanted Little D arrested as soon as the fish was identified. The deputy waited until the fish was close, then he pulled his handcuffs from his belt. Someone offered to gaff the fish, while three onlookers helped pull it up to the pier. The crowd gasped when they saw its size. They shouted and cheered as it flipped, flopped and swished its big tail on the T at the end of the pier. The sheriff’s deputy returned his handcuffs to his shiny black belt. Little D’s big fish was not a shark, or a bluefin, or a yellowfin tuna. It was a gigantic king mackerel that broke the old record by fifty pounds. The next morning a “Bigger” D was seen fishing side by side with the Pier Pro’s at the T. The newspaper headlines read, “The King of Kings – “Big D” Lands World Record” Merry Christmas and be reminded that small fish have………LARGE TALES! Captain Gus Gustafson is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, an accomplished author and a Professional Sport Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his Web site at http://www.fishingwithgus.com/ , or e-mail him at Gus@lakenorman.com or call 704-617-6812. |
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| November 2007 |