Monday, June 5, 2017

Fish tales

In this weeks Truth or Fiction challenge I will share with you a few fish tales, tales of fishing trips I shared with some family members, I love my family and I love fishing, so I may as well tell you about both;
Fish tales Jimmy fishing
1 - My Granddaddy loved fishing, and I remember driving him up to Ute Lake in Logan, NM for a fishing trip a long while back.

We fished from the bank and caught very little, I'm not sure how serious we were about catching anything, but one thing Granddad was serious about was the boat that continued to circle around and come in close enough to shore making a huge wake that splashed everything in the water almost into our faces.

Granddaddy waved to the man driving the boat and shouted "We are trying to fish here", to only see him make a circle and laugh as he splashed the water upon us once again, Granddaddy reeled in his line and took the hook off, I thought for a minute that this guy had ran us off.

Granddaddy smiled and took the biggest lead sinker I have ever seen in my life out of his tackle box, he attached the sinker to his line and walked back toward the water, he was standing there pretending he was fishing when this guy made another run past us in his boat.

Granddaddy just stood there and smiled as the boat came in close, just as the boat splashed him once again Granddaddy cast his line, I know the man driving the boat was shocked when the sinker bounced off the back of his head, Granddads aim was amazing and we never saw that boat again.

We laughed the rest of the day, and it was impressive to watch my Granddaddy teach a man a lesson about messing with an old man, with a simple Zebco rod and reel, a large sinker, and an accurate cast.

2 - I was about seven years old and my brother Norm a year younger, when our Dad took us fishing at Sumner Lake near Ft Sumner, NM, we went down below the dam where there are known to this day to be large catfish.

It was a hot day and like kids are known to do we were more interested in playing than fishing, there are huge rocks lining the back side of the dam and we were climbing all over them.

Dad was getting aggravated and wanted us to fish with him, he had caught nothing so far but now had a fish on his line, we ran to watch him reel in his catch, it was a nice sized catfish and Dad showed us how to put it on a stringer, and how to properly hold a catfish.

Norm and I weren't interested in this lesson, we wanted to be fishing so we grabbed our fishing poles and tried at the same time to get Dad to bait our hooks.

Finally he got our lines baited, cast in, and both of us safely seated, he had just picked up his pole when I got a bite, I remember having a hard time reeling it in and Dad had to help me land my catch, it was a nice catfish just a little bigger than the one Dad had caught.

I was laughing and teasing Dad about how my fish was bigger than his, he added my fish to the stringer and finally got his own line back in the water, I was now more interested in the fish on the stringer.

I picked up the end of the stringer and started walking around the edge of the water, over the rocks "taking the fish for a walk" I'm not sure what happened next but all of a sudden I am in the water, I remember not being able to touch the bottom, everything sounded muffled and I was still holding the stringer.

I felt a tug on my arm and I was lifted from the water, Dad looked me right in the eyes and gave me a solid swat on my rear, the only swat I ever remember getting from him, and somehow during all of this commotion I lost the stringer.

3 - When we were teenagers, my Brother Norm loved trout fishing, I was never much for walking the streams nor was I ever impressed with the pan size trout he brought home, I always joked that I could catch bigger fish without working so hard.

I usually fished for either Catfish or Bass, but Norm was adamant that Trout fishing was the greatest and that he had brought home more fish by weight than I ever had, I challenged that I could catch more than him any day, no matter what type of fishing.

With that said a bet was made, a six pack of beer for the winner, which would mean a trip to the bootleggers because nobody else would sell to us, "you boys are too young" yes we had heard this before.

Norm and I drove up above Walhalla, SC to the Chattooga River, this river borders South Carolina and Georgia, the Walhalla Fish Hatchery is also nearby, this fact makes the Chatooga Norm's favorite fishing spot.

Norms first cast with his little spinning rod landed a nice pansized rainbow trout, I was secretly impressed and two trout later I could see that I may have to make a trip to the bootleggers.

By the end of the day I had actually started catching fish, we were now pretty even with our catches and Norm was getting aggravated with me being so close to besting him, he said there was a spot he wanted to try and started walking towards the falls.

I reeled my line in and had to jog to catch him, we hiked off into the woods and began climbing a trail that went around and above the falls, "Where the hell are you going?" I asked, "to a spot I want to try, it's hard to get to and not many people know about it" he said.

At the top of the falls we broke through the undergrowth, and there was a pool of water that seemed isolated from the rest of the world, Norm tied a trout fly onto his line, one that kind of looked like a wasp to me, I still had a hook with corn on it so I made a cast before he could.

Norm tossed his line across the pool toward a dark area underneath some tree limbs, as he worked the fly I saw the water ripple just behind it, Norm broke into a grin, I was still using the corn set up when Norm made a second cast into the same spot, the fly floated slowly and Norm worked the line to keep it moving.

Suddenly the water exploded where his fly had been and the line straightened out, Norm calmly allowed it to run and then set the hook, it took quite a while but he landed the most beautiful and large brook trout I have ever seen.

I bet this fish was five pounds if it was an ounce, and I was speechless, Norm said "I guess this makes me the winner" I nodded my head, he slowly knelt down to gently release his catch and walked away.

Two of these tales are true and one is a complete fish story from start to finish, which of these do you believe is False:

1 - Granddaddy teaches the boater a lesson.


2 - Jimmy swims with the fishes and gets a swat.


3 - Norm releases his prize catch and wins the bet.

As always the ones choosing the False story as the correct answer will be added to the True Winners section.

What is your favorite seafood dish or type of fish to eat?

42 comments:

  1. I think number one is false. It was an irresponsile and dangerous thing to do and I don't think any self respecting grandpa would do that most especially with a child present.

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    1. Good morning Delores, I see you feel strongly about this one, if it helps any I was the one driving ;)

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  2. I too think #1 is false, but I like your Grandpa's style if he did do this. Serves the clod right.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Hi Sandee, you would like to see more folks have their attention grabbed like this sometimes.

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  3. Any story that has to do with fishing is false or at the very least augmented. So all of these are fish stories to some extent. My grandpa would not have been beyond tossing a sinker and giving an a-hole a scare, so that one is true, a five pound brookie is really huge, so no. I say your dad would have swatted you as soon as you played with the stringer to keep you from falling in, so # 3 is the fishiest of the fish stories.

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    1. Welcome back Joe, I hope your vacation was a blast.

      Yes sir I see you have put a lot of thought into this one, and a true statement you made is that all fish stories are false to some extent.

      Good to see you my friend.

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  4. I'll go with #3, purely for the reason of two many details ...

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    1. It appears I may have gotten long winded on that one, I like your reasoning.

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  5. I'm choosing #1 because it's hard to believe an adult would circle around a boat and splash other people. Then again, there are some mighty rude folks out there!

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    1. Hey Bijoux, there are all types of people out there, you are correct there.

      Good to see you Lady.

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  6. I very much want #1 to be true, but alas, I'm afraid it isn't.
    So it's #1 for me...
    They are all great stories and memories. Also, a great bit of writing Jimmy.

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    1. Thank you Pat, I appreciate you my friend.

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  7. All of the above?? Ok I kind of want #1 to be true so I am letting that one stay true. Two is iffy but I can't imagine letting a 5 pounder go so I am picking 3 as false.

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    1. Hey Patti, Joe suggested all of them too, even though they are fish stories I wouldn't do that to you ha ha.

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  8. I'd say number 1 is false but I like all these stories.

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    1. Hi Denise, I'm glad you enjoyed each of the stories.

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  9. I, too, like all the stories but I think #1 is false because I don't think you can cast a line (which goes slow) and gauge its mark to hit a boater speeding by. I Thought it would sound truer thought if your grandfather was aiming to get the heavy sinker and line tangled in the motor blades but missed and hit the guy instead.

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    1. Hello Jean, I always look forward to you joining in, we will have to see if Granddaddys aim was false on Wednesday.

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  10. #1 sounds like a false one to me, but I'm terrible at this.

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    1. Welcome home Stephen, it sounds as if you had a good trip abroad my friend.

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  11. This is a tough one. I want to pick #1, but I won't. I believe that people can be jerks like that boater, and I believe that your grandpa COULD aim well enough to cast his sinker and clobber that guy. I just don't think he WOULD. Still...I'll go along with this one being true.

    #3 DOES have lots of detail, sometimes the mark of a falsehood. But I'm not picking it, either. Some stories just take longer to tell.

    I'm choosing #2 as the FALSE story. If you were under water all the way, and couldn't feel the bottom, your dad would have jumped in there to save you. Not reached for your arm as you were sinking.

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    1. Hey Val, you make good points with all of the tales, one thing for sure with you picking a different one than everyone else is that I didn't stump all of you this week, but still which one was truly false remains to be seen.

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  12. I'm a vegetarian so I don't eat fish. I went fishing once in middle school at a friend's lake house. But all we did was throw them back in the water.

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    1. Hey Adam, a lot of fishermen are strictly catch and release sportsmen, like in the picture I posted, that little guy swam away right after the picture was taken, I was surprised he even hit on my spinner to begin with.

      Our Daughter is also a vegetarian and I am impressed with how many restaurants are furnishing vegetarian menus now, she does question the waitresses to make sure everything is correct before ordering though.

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  13. Replies
    1. Hey Fran, which one do you think it is ;)

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  14. Hey Jimmy, I'll go with the first one being false. I think anyone rude enough to splash a grandpa and his grandkids fishing would be even more of a jerk if he got hit in the head with a sinker. The story wouldn't have ended there.

    And if it's not that, it's something else. I'm positive.

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    1. Hey Abby, "And if it's not that, it's something else. I'm positive." You may be on to something there ha ha.

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  15. I think you're pulling our leg on ALL of them :)

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    1. Hi Rick, fish stories tend to go that way, but one is truly false, really it is.

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  16. Gee, they all sound a bit fishy to me. I'll go with #3 being the false one.

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    1. Hi River, I'm beginning to feel that no one believes my fish stories ha ha.

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  17. I have no idea, Jimmy, so I am abstaining. I will be interested to see who gets the right answer, though.

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    1. Good morning Valerie, I guess that you can abstain if you like, I'm just happy to see you here.

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  18. I'm terribly gullible and have no idea. But I'll guess that (1) is the whopper.

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    1. Hello Bryan, good to see you my friend, it appears the majority of everyone is leaning towards that one also, I will reveal the answer tomorrow morning.

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  19. I think number 1 is the false one. And, guess what, catfish is my favorite fish.

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    1. Hi Inger, catfish is a good meat, have had quite a few over the years.

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  20. Maybe number 1? Warm greetings.

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    1. Good morning and welcome to our place, I am glad to have you join in today.

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  21. I'm not guessing...but my favorite fish is salmon! For quick dinners, I buy the pre-marinated frozen fillets, put them on fresh spinach, and pop them in the microwave.

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    1. I like salmon also, we cook it on the grill, the pre-marinated fillets sound good.

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Thanks for stopping by, jump in and tell me what you think, or just say Hi, I really appreciate your comments.