Lugs
Lugs had owned a fishing vessel since he was a teenager. He loved boats and fishing was his passion. When he wasn't working, he spent untold hours bobbing around the intracoastal waterway or somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, he spent more sea time turning wrenches than he did turning the handles of fishing reels. No one knew his real name. They called him "Lugs," as in "Lug Nut," the feisty speedway mascot. Everyone could smell Lugs from a mile away. He reeked of oil and gas fumes. No self-respecting fish would come near a hook baited by the dirty hands of this foul smelling fisherman. He was also forgetful. Occasionally, he would forget to bring ice, bait or even tackle for a fishing trip. But never once, did he fail to leave the dock without his tool box. Inside the box were enough tools to refloat the Titanic. The question wasn't how many fish he would catch, but whether or not his boat would start, or run long enough to get to and from the fishing grounds. On most occasions, it would sputter for a while, stop once or twice, restart, and stop again. Lugs was in his glory when this happened. While his fishing companions fretted about being lost at sea, Lugs would joyfully open his beloved tool box. Selecting the correct tool was like choosing the right lure from a tackle box. Once his selection was made, he would begin to work on the mechanical malfunction. Sometimes it took a long time, but he always managed to get the motor restarted. One particular day, storm clouds were forming on the horizon when Lugs headed out to sea. He was accompanied by a youngster named Toby, and his dad. Toby was excited since only the week before he had caught a sailfish, a dolphin and a king mackerel all on another boat. The boat reached the fishing grounds about the time the storm arrived. Dark clouds filled the sky and the wind blew with the fury of a hurricane. Lugs and crew found themselves in the middle of a very violent storm. Lightning filled the sky and caused the compass to spin counter clockwise. The hair on Toby's head was standing straight up in spite of the fact that it was soaking wet. It was eerie and he was scared! Lugs turned the vessel around, but he couldn't see land through the pelting rain. He put the bow into the crashing seas and hoped for the best. And guess what? The motor died. Within minutes, the wind, sea and rain were too much for the disabled craft and it began to fill with water. That was when Toby suggested that Lugs call the Coast Guard and advise them of their danger. Thank goodness the radio worked. Lugs issued a Mayday. The Coast Guard responded with this retort: "Position noted. Rescue operations will commence when the storm abates. Is there a message you would like to relay to relatives ashore?" The youngster said, "Please call my Mom and tell her I'm not dead yet." As luck would have it, the compass finally stopped spinning and the storm subsided. Lugs' was able to restart the motor and they made it safely to shore without further mishap. When Toby and his dad left, they heard Lugs say, "It's always a good trip when you make it back." Be reminded that small fish have ...............LARGE TALES Capt. Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his website, Fishin' with Capt. Gus! at http://www.fishingwithgus.com/ or call him at 704-617-6812. For additional information, e-mail |
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| June 2007 |