Hornfrog's fish story

I took some young folks down to the Bosque River, west of

Waco, Texas to do some fishing. One of my nephews was in

the group. All the kids had bought fancy and fairly high

priced fishing rods and tackle, etc. I brought the fishing kit

I had in my pocket which just has essentials in it. I did not

bring a rod and reel at all. The kids thought I was not going

to do any fishing because I had not brought a rod and reel.

When we got down to the river and settled on a good spot

they all started casting around. I pulled up a stout weed that

grows in this area, stripped it down to just the main stem and

rigged up a simple and very basic rig. Since the Bosque is

really just a small river and in many places not much more

than a creek, I could get my hook into the middle very easily.

Using a little feathered jig I quickly caught six nice (keeper size)

small mouth bass, two perch and four brim. I had a nice stringer

of fish and all pan size. Nothing big but "good eats." The kids

were amazed at this silly demonstration. They were catching

some fish but could not believe I had matched or out done each

of them with their fancy rigs. My nephew put up his rod and

fished with a rig I made up for him and he laughed every time

he caught something with my "poor boy" outfit.. He told, "Man,

I paid $80.00 for that rod and reel but I can catch the same fish

with this thing!" I took the jig off of mine, caught some small

grasshoppers beside the creek and did just as well with them.

The kids had never realized that fishing could really be done

and very simply with just some line, hooks, split shot sinkers,

etc., which could all be carried in a small container, a 35mm

film canister, in their pockets. That little session made my day!