TIME
TO KILL
Earl
Pergola woke up from a deep sleep to discover a freshly fallen snow. He wiped
the sleep from his eyes to trot down stairs to come to grips with a
fresh,
hot cup of coffee.
He walked over to his frozen dining room window to view the heavy falling snow. Earl put a couple logs in the piping hot wood-burning stove, and after that went to his stereo to put in some easy listening jazz to fit the mood he is feeling. Then he strolled back to the window so he could look out the window at the snow-covered footprints made by the children. He took a sip of coffee he set on the windowsill and decided to puff on his pipe he prepared after fixing coffee. Being hypnotized by the falling snow, Earl goes into a deep ponder. Watching the snowfall on the white, snow covered ground, which swirled around with the wind; Earl started to go fishing in his mind.
A
thought brought him to the Fort Niagara launch ramp on an early spring morning
where Earl caught and then had mounted a 2 pound 1 oz. Perch. A big orange ball
rose out of the water in the east, his flannel coat protecting him from the
chill, the sound of the boat trailer wheels sliding into the icy water, and the
smell of the fumes of a started motor all clicked in his mind.
Earl
motored out to the front of the Coast Guard Station that day and anchored his
boat on the edge of the rushing current, as the debris swirled around in the
calm eddy. This is where the 2 pound 1 ounce Perch was netted, caught on a
minnow rigged on one of those two hook crappie rigs, which catches two fish at
the same time with ease. That day Earl kept this rig busy with two perch being
caught at the same time for hours. The sound of the toaster rang aloud enough to
startle Earl from his deep thoughts about his 2 pound 1 ounce perch and the day
he had.
Laying
his smoldered pipe in the ashtray sitting on the wooden windowsill, he walked
his way into the kitchen where the hot toast waited to be buttered. He poured
himself another cup of steamy hot coffee, and taking his coffee, and toast over
to the kitchen table to read the Sunday's newspaper to catch up on the weeks
fishing news with Joe Ognibene's outdoor column.
Cleaning
up a small mess in the kitchen, Earl found his way to the couch after putting
wood on the fire, then turned off the music and tuned into NFL Sunday on TV.
Having some time to spare until football, Earl notices a fishing plaque on the
living room wall. Although the plaque read a 2 pound 2 ounce perch; it is a 2
pound 1 ounce perch that has earned the plaque. He did not win any money with
that fish, but then he remembered the one he did win with.
Earl
fished the old Industrial/Commercial Fishing League some year’s back and
placed first in the bullhead category.
He recalled the events leading up to that catch. It was one of those days in early spring where the rain could have put out the fires in Hell. This did not stop Earl from his bullhead fishing outing at 4-Mile Creek. It is very damp, and cold, but Earl sees it worth the effort to carry cover and dry wood to battle with nature's unforgiving night.
All set up at his choice spot, Earl fought with his first bullhead to start this rainy spring evening. A second cast was with Earl's favorite part of a cut-up smelt, the head. An hour passed until his bobber danced on the water's surface, and then disappeared below, into the water. The fight started when Earl set his hook on what was to become the winning fish for the Bullhead category in the Fishing League
This
deep thought brought him into a dozing state of mind lying very patiently on the
couch, for the NFL Sunday kick off to start.
Being,
caught up in the excitement of his thought, the TV interrupted it. NFL Sunday
started with a bang!
THE END
Women are to blame for most of the lying fishermen do. They insist on asking questions
Fishy says, "Always practice good
catch and release"
And if you click on him he will take you back to my Fishing Short Stories Home
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