Uptonogood
PNW raised
I was reflecting on recent excellent narratives folks published and the partners who shared it with them. My thoughts when back to military duty in Mississippi and a guy named Frank. We got together over fishing and stumbled through largemouth bass and bluegills. We turned to gravel pit carp which were bigger and easier to catch.
After discharge it was a guy named Russ, a Cajun who got me lined up on bass and bluegills. His most memorable comment to me when I said I couldn’t wait to weigh a big bass he’d just caught. “He sire, you don’t want to weigh than fish. You’ll make a liar outta me, yeah!”. Russ was in the Marines.
Then three guys in coastal Georgia, an Army vet and a WWII sailor, turned me on to inshore fishing for redfish, seatrout, sheepshead and flounder. Over the years we literally caught hundreds of these fish. Another guy introduced me to offshore fishing for snapper, black sea as and grouper. He threw in king mackerel, too, when tides and bait schools were right.
Then I met a guy on the other Fly Fishing forum who took me under his wing. We caught SRT, salmon, bullheads, sole, etc. He was a Marine who died way too young. Some of your will remember Constur. I also starting investing heavily in fly tying because of Terry.
In present day, I met a guy down here in Florida that looks out for my 77 year old body while he puts us onto multitudes of
Seatrout and redfish. He’s a veteran of the Marine Corps. I learned years ago there’s no such thing as a “former” Marine.
Now, the interesting part: none of the guys I hunted with, NONE of them, served in any branch of the military. Crazy, eh?
After discharge it was a guy named Russ, a Cajun who got me lined up on bass and bluegills. His most memorable comment to me when I said I couldn’t wait to weigh a big bass he’d just caught. “He sire, you don’t want to weigh than fish. You’ll make a liar outta me, yeah!”. Russ was in the Marines.
Then three guys in coastal Georgia, an Army vet and a WWII sailor, turned me on to inshore fishing for redfish, seatrout, sheepshead and flounder. Over the years we literally caught hundreds of these fish. Another guy introduced me to offshore fishing for snapper, black sea as and grouper. He threw in king mackerel, too, when tides and bait schools were right.
Then I met a guy on the other Fly Fishing forum who took me under his wing. We caught SRT, salmon, bullheads, sole, etc. He was a Marine who died way too young. Some of your will remember Constur. I also starting investing heavily in fly tying because of Terry.
In present day, I met a guy down here in Florida that looks out for my 77 year old body while he puts us onto multitudes of
Seatrout and redfish. He’s a veteran of the Marine Corps. I learned years ago there’s no such thing as a “former” Marine.
Now, the interesting part: none of the guys I hunted with, NONE of them, served in any branch of the military. Crazy, eh?
