October, and Fish

In the early light of morning at this time of year, the lower branches of the hopseed are still dark, but the higher leaves of the eucalyptus are illuminated.

This is a time of year past swimming weather, but so very clement: highs in the low 80's, night time temperatures in the high 50's. Cool to warm, warm to cool. Windows can stand open all day. In the mornings, and late evenings, I wear my threadbare Big Dogs knit jacket; I've had it so long and worn it so often that it feels like a second skin.

This morning we took me fishing. Bernie says that whether or not he gets a fishing license is immaterial -- either way, he catches no fish. But I did get a fishing license this past summer, and today was my opportunity to use it.

There was plenty of room in the car for my fishing gear, a couple of folding chairs, and Howie. While Bernie let Howie go nuts investigating all the new bushes and grasses and shoreline at the reservoir, I struggled to re-learn how to cast, after so many years of Not Fishing.

There is a kind of throwing-stick on the market, in which one places a tennis ball into a cup on the far end of the stick, and then whales the stick for monumental flings of said tennis balls. We have one for the dogs, of course, since tennis ball throwing is the core of their lives. Bernie and I took it along, but before it was in use, Howie was puffing at me like a maniac, eyes on my fishing rod. He had made the association: the fishing rod was an implement for flinging something. He was a darling pain in the ass, and Bernie had to take him off on a walk by themselves to allow me to re-acquaint myself with my lovely fishing rod.

Later in the day, we moved to a different spot on the lake/reservoir. Howie was done for the day. (He didn't think so.) I began to cast and retrieve, a few splitshot weights on the line, and a small earthworm on the hook. Pow! I had a hit, a relatively big one!

Had I the fishing acumen I used to, I would have left the fish diddle with the worm a little longer, then set the hook, and we would have had fish for din. As it was, I tried to reel the creature in too quickly, and it flipped itself right off the hook.

Ah, well, I got a bite, got close. I'll take that over doing laundry at home any day.