For the few who may read my blog, rest easy, I'm not always into the big picture or totally serious. Hence, this little diversion on my favorite pasttime - fishing. I started in farm ponds with my very patient Dad as coach. I can vaguely remember filling a bucket with very small bluegill who obligingly ate mealworms like there was no tomorrow. I also was chased by an angry mother swan away from her nest. At the same pond, I fell on my face in the mud trying to sneak up on a bullfrog who was blind in one eye. Evidently, his hearing was fine... My real introduction occurred fishing an old abandoned swimming pool at the country club which was between our house and my best friend Richard's. This old pool had a unique system which drew water from the adjacent creek to fill it. When members built a new clubhouse and pool, the old pool and clubhouse became the maintenance (lawnmowers, tractors, etc.)area. They left the water in the old pool, and somebody threw in some fish. Over the years, a good population of bluegill, bass, and catfish had developed (plus a few snapping turtles). Back then, you could buy a simple fishing rig of mono, hook, float, and sinker for a quarter. Fish it by hand or tie on the end of a cane pole. In Ky and Tenn at least, most hardware stores sold cane poles in the summertime. My father and I eventually started spending many Saturday mornings at a small local reservoir in a rowboat catching 40 or 50 handsize bluegill on mealworms. By then I was in about the 5th. grade. We also went bigtime about then and bought an old houseboat which we ran on the Ohio River for four or five years. Catfish could be caught overnight for breakfast next morning. By high school, my Dad was managing a pre-fab house manufacturing business. He went along on a build for three bankers who had a prefab put up at Lake Cumberland, in southcentral KY. Dad caught a nice rod and reel one weekend, and a five pound smallmouth the next. It wasn't long before he had Mom and me along. A couple of years later, we bought a lake cottage which eventually became their retirement home. I was totally addicted by this time to fishing, primarily for bass; but our venerable Whaler, which I now have here, made several trips to the Keys and Central Florida before retiring to coastal Georgia. I'm not a competitive fisherman; I do it for the enjoyment and love of just being out on the water. My wife, Beth, thinks it's a very boring way to pass the time, even though she enjoys boating. And the shame of it is that I can't honestly "guarantee" we'll get out there and catch fish (excitement!). So I want to improve my skill along those lines; maybe it's not too late to convert her. I hope some of you who were lucky enough to be borne with salt in your veins will condescend to share your fishing savvy with this saltwater novice. Finally, I firmly believe partners in marriage should have some leisure activities they enjoy together, as well as at least one unique to each alone. That's my prescription for keeping the peace. Gone fishin' Woody