The Lucky Fishing Rod
| The lucky fishing rod had been in the family for generations. Pop-Pop told of using it when he was a boy. He claimed it was given to him by Ernest Hemingway. More than likely, Pop-Pop found it in the trash at the county landfill where he played with his friends. Regardless, the rod was a beauty. It was custom wrapped in purple and yellow, with the emblem of a leaping lunker embedded in its wooden handle. To hear Pop-Pop tell it, he caught big fish every time he used the rod. Once, he caught a state record green trout. On another occasion, he landed a fish so big that it had to be pulled from the water with a tow truck. The lucky rod, a little worse for wear, is still in the family. It now belongs to Bo, Pop's grandson. It wasn't too long ago that Bo added another notch to the rod's handle when he caught a world record redmouth bass. The bass was over a hundred pounds. The redmouth pulled so hard that Bo was sure the old rod would break, so he took plenty of time landing the trophy. Newspapers showed his picture on the front page and mentioned that he caught the big fish on the lucky rod. Joy quickly turned to sorrow when the lucky old rod was discovered missing. It had hung from a rusty nail in the tool shed for more than fifty years. A reward was posted, but no one claimed it. As you might have guessed, Bo's fishing prowess took a nose dive. Instead of catching big fish every trip, he came home skunked. In the meantime, a new star emerged on the fishing scene. The unknown became a hero by winning tournament after tournament. The newcomer even caught a redmouth bass big enough to beat Bo's record. "That's impossible" thought Bo. No one could catch so many big fish without the help of Pop-Pop's lucky rod. Bo confronted the likely rod poacher who contended that he found the rod in a garbage can. Bo asked the filcher to return it. Instead, he challenged Bo to a fish-off. The winner would gain sole possession of the lucky rod. Bo knew he was at a disadvantage, but he had to get his rod back. The fish-off was heralded as the biggest sporting event of the season. The headlines read, "One Fish, One Rod." The small lake near town was lined with spectators. A gun shot signaled the start of the contest. It wasn't long before both anglers had a hook up. They pulled and pulled, each knowing that he had the winning fish. It was then that they realized they were hooked to the same big fish. The fish pulled so hard that the lucky rod slipped from the bandit's hand, hitting the water with a huge splash. Bo now had total control of the fish and brought it to the bank. He was declared the winner, but without the lucky rod to claim as his prize. Bo never believed that his granddad's rod was lost, only missing. Early the next morning he answered a knock at the door. Standing on the steps was a young boy, holding a reward poster in one hand, and the lucky rod in the other. The boy said he saw the wooden rod handle bobbing in the lake while he was playing with his model sailboat. There must have been some magic in that old rod the boy found. The next day Bo caught another world record redmouth bass Be reminded that small fish................... have large tales! Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association and a full time Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' with Gus! at http://www.fishingwithgus.com/ or call 704 617 6812. For additional information, e-mail him at Gus@LakeNorman.com. |
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| January 2007 |