Back when I was very young, maybe age 6 or so, the first fishing I did was with my grandfather, Ga, and cousins, Tripp and Andrew. We started off with a cane pole and crickets in the pond behind my cousins' house. We spent many afternoons and evenings out there catching a mess of bream so Ga could fry them up. Eventually, Ga moved on to the next world, Tripp lost interest in fishing for awhile, and it was just Andrew and I left fishing together. After a few years of fishing with Zebco 303's and Shakespeare's, we switched over to fly rods and started chasing those Bluegills with poppers and nymphs. The pull of larger fish drew us to the beach with surf-casting gear, cast nets, and coolers. From around age 12 to 17, we mainly fished the surf for Reds and other bigger saltwater species. The pond became an after-thought. We did not fish it much, just a little here and there. Eventually after high school, my cousin moved to the big city to work with sound for music and television. It is sad to say but we had not fished together since then.
Fast forward 15 years - just before getting married, I moved home to Charleston for a short spell to begin nursing school. I began fishing this pond again and found that it was better than I remembered! This pond is really a series of lakes, ponds, and canals that link together on a Lowcountry barrier island. I found many other access points and fished it a lot. It used to be loaded with small Bluegills and the occasional Shellcracker. Now, I began catching nice Largemouth, big Bluegills, fat Red Ears, and the occasional pesky Alligator. It was such a thrill to return to a place that holds so many fond childhood memories and to find that it was in better shape than I remembered. This pond holds a special place in my heart. Now that I live in Nashville, I try to fish the old pond every time I get home.
I return home last weekend to attend Andrew's wedding. A few weeks out I checked the tides to see about some grass Redfish. The tides sucked. Really small and getting smaller the entire week I was there. I wasn't even sure if I would get a chance to get out. In the back of my mind I thought it would be cool to fish with Andrew again if time allotted. However, knowing how busy wedding weekends can be, I did not hold much hope that my old friend would have any time to get out fishing. I was wrong. Turns out, he really wanted to go and was planning on squeezing in an afternoon despite the hectic preparations for the big day. With the tides as they were, I brought my freshwater gear as a back up to my saltwater gear in case the Reds just weren't an option.
High tide was at 1050. Andrew got caught up in last minute errands and did not get to my house until 1030. I knew we'd be too late to catch high tide. He really wanted to try for Reds anyways, so we paddled out to his favorite flat only to find it high and dry. I knew in the back of my head these tides were too small to have a big window and since we were late we had definitely missed the short slot. Andrew was bummed, but I had the old pond in my back pocket. I mentioned this as an alternative. He was totally down to try out the old hole again. We hauled the canoe the short distance between the boat ramp and the pond, dropped it in the water, and proceeded to have a fabulous afternoon catching Bluegills and Bucketmouths. As proper, the groom showed me up and stuck the nicest fish. This was afternoon I won't forget. I don't know the next time we will have a chance to fish again, but for a few hours - it was just like old times, maybe even a bit better.
If you're ever in the Lowcountry, go to Sweatman's. It's worth the drive.
MMMM ... pulled pork and hash ... mmmm
Time and tides wait for no one.
Fancy trailer system. We only had one small mishap.
Muscle memory
Hooked up
Pretty happy with the back up plan
I was the king of little bucks
Cool colors
Goofy look, nice feesh
See ya next time old friend
On the way back through Western North Carolina, my wife and I stopped by the camp where we met. I had a hunch we could catch some Lady Slippers and some Trillium. I was right. These are such cool flowers.
As we past over the Pigeon between Asheville and Knoxville, it sounded as if it was raining. Nope, just a twilight hatch of black caddis, yellow sallies, and sulphurs. It was so thick I had to pull over and clean the windshield just to see.
I had really wanted to fish the Musky tournament last weekend. However, family trumps fishing. It works out great when that family includes a little fishing time too.
Thanks for checking out my post. Time for Smallmouth!
Topic: Fishing with the Groom (Read 2986 times)