ROCKWALL, TX (May 14, 2014) Last summer I discovered a hot spot, a honey hole, a bastion of bass and bream. Every plug I tossed, fly I cast, and worm I flipped seemed to get hit and the most beautiful fat bass and bream fought on the end of my line and nearly high-fived and smiled for the pictures when I lifted them out of the water. It was going to be a great summer; I had found the best spot in Rockwall for my kids and I to fish and have some fun. Then, it came to a sudden screech when one Sunday morning in the 6 am dark, my headlights illuminated a new sign reading, “No Fishing.”
Say it ain’t so, Joe! I couldn’t understand it. I had picked up all my gear, even cleaned up trash that wasn’t mine because I love the beauty of the water, savor every splash, smell, and all I hoped for was the opportunity to hook some hogs and toss them back for later fun, and now, that fun was gone.
I represent a small group here in Rockwall. We vary in age from kid to high schooler to adult. We are pond hoppers, puddle jumpers, feverish fishermen. We aren’t vandals, in fact, we care about the land, and will do whatever we can to protect it, keep it clean. We are not arsonists or poisoners of H2O (God forbid the thought). I’d argue that we could be your best friend and one of the biggest benefits to your stocked tanks. We just have one major flaw: we love to fish.
I know, there are bad folks out there, I get that. I grew up in a city riddled with drug deals and violent crime; I’ve had thieves at my door and pilferers of my property. But most of us have no desire to get anywhere near your home, in fact, once we see big ripples and hear splashing, your house is the last thing on our mind. Furthermore, most of these bodies of water we’re talking about are in the virtual open, not clearly connected to any one home, which is why so many of us have “trespassed.” I apologize, it wasn’t intentional, we just didn’t know who to ask and fish fever keeps us from thinking clearly. My point is we won’t hurt a flea, which is proven in our gentle handling of our catch. We want the fish to live! It’s more fun for another day (that is, unless you want us to do some harvesting, then they are quite tasty).
Last summer, my boys and their buddies found a great pond on the south side of town that housed some monsters. They noticed that all the folks living around the water were too busy to enjoy the blessings below the surface. So, they fished and had a great time. An hour or so later a police officer approached, said he’d been watching them for the last hour and was impressed with their behavior. He regrettably had to tell them to not come back because the neighborhood didn’t want them fishing in the pond even though they had caused no trouble and left no mess.
I know, a few bad apples spoil the bunch, but do you quit eating apples altogether? I would argue that if you took those apples and made apple pie, they’d go down quite well, and thus, we pond hoppers could make your water quite an attractive place.
First, we provide cool entertainment. Have you ever watched a guy fly fish? The rhythmic casting of the fly is almost hypnotic and brings peace to my soul each time I whip the line around my head. It could be a great sight after a stressful day in the office. Have you ever seen a bass angler hook and fight a big hog? It’s nothing but excitement, watching yank up on the rod, setting the hook on the hog.
Second, we could teach you and your family the ins and outs of all kinds of fishing. I’ve got tons of students who have rarely if ever wet a hook and I believe they would set down the video game controller more if they had the adventurous experience of catching a trophy. Just the other day, my first grade daughter reeled in 10 fish by herself, having the time of her life. She declared playing the computer couldn’t hold a light to the fun we had. Folks complain that kids don’t go on adventures anymore, well, we could help in that.
Third, we would be happy the shepherd your water: notify you if there are problems with your fish, pick up wind blown trash around the edges, and correct any others’ misbehaviors. I can’t stand to be around a pond and see packages of gummy bears and floating cans or guys wasting the beauty.
So, on behalf of other pond hoppers, I ask, can we go fishing? Your water is just sitting there, the bass are bored, and we could add to your already nice surroundings. Summer is nearly here…we just need the chance and we’d be happy to share the fun.
By Blue Ribbon News special contributor Scott Gill of Rockwall. a teacher, coach and author of Goliath Catfish. Follow his blog at scotttgill.tumblr.com.
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