This report is not about the fish; it’s about the people. I had the great pleasure of having an old friend and an elderly friend join me on Lake Michigan for a Wednesday afternoon that I’ll remember for a long time. Pictured in the driver’s seat of my boat is my good friend and neighbor Bill, who got me hooked on the Big Pond within a year after we moved to Wisconsin, back in 1989. He hosted me on numerous trips in his 18 foot Lund and taught me the ropes of big lake fishing. Our special friend joining us on this day was Wayne, a 92 year old gentleman who’s passion for fishing remains as strong as what it probably was in his younger years, best I can tell from the stories he’s told me about the good ole’days. I met Wayne a year back when he invited my family via Bill to use his in-ground pool anytime we want, cuz he loves to see kids around the place, and we’ve certainly taken him up on that. His wife passed away a few months later, and after bouncing back from the loss, Wayne went out and bought himself a brand new 16 foot alumacraft, to replace the older one he had. He hooks it up himself, trailers it over to Pine Lake locally, or to his cottage on Big Arbor Vitae, and when he fishes, he fishes all day. This man is one fit, tough guy, still able to act like a goofy kid,with a wry sense of humor, a wit that makes you listen very carefully lest you unwarily become the brunt of the joke, and full of splendid stories that will captivate your attention for hours. And when it came time to boat that first salmon 20 minutes into our trip, he insisted on standing up in the 3 foot rollers, to direct the fish into the net to make it easier on me. After boating a total of 3 fish, missing four other Drive-bys, and seeing the sun go down as darkness set in, we called it a day, and my only regret was that our time of sharing food, stories, and this silly passion of fishing, was ending….at least for this evening. Good Lord willing, I hope to be like Wayne when I grow up. 
July 20, 2006 at 9:19 pm
#1308107
