A Man Called Fish

His name is Joe. Those who know him call him Fish. He is a 95-year-old World War II veteran. He has earned his nickname. Those who know him say when spring comes, the weather is good and the crappies are biting, Fish will be out there fishing.

It is early on a Memorial Day morning. Not many others are out on the water yet. The sun is rising over the forested hills surrounding the lake. Birds are beginning to sing. Crows are cawing at each other. Deer come to the edge of the water for a drink. On a distant hill, a turkey gobbles.

Fish is alone in the old aluminum boat he bought in 1960. His wife used to come with him. He tells folks she went home to heaven a few years ago. His kids and grandkids all fished with him from this boat. Some live in other states now. Others are just too busy with life. Sometimes, an old fishing buddy will go with him. Other times, he takes a young man from his church. Mostly, he goes by himself.

The boat is dented, scratched and patched, but he loves it. The same 25- horsepower Evinrude he put on it all those years ago still powers it across the water. There is no modern technology on this boat.

The sun reflects on the water as his wrinkled hands struggle to tie on a crappie jig. Fish has done this many times. It just takes a little longer to do it now. He still uses the same rod and reel his wife bought him long ago. He cast the jig to where he knows the crappie will be. It is not long before he catches his first crappie. It is clipped to his fish stringer and hung over the side of the boat.

A few hours later, the last crappie of his limit is reeled in and added to the stringer. Fish looks up and sees an eagle sitting on a limb. It is watching him. He smiles and thanks God for another day on the water He blessed him with.

Rather than starting the old boat and heading back to the boat ramp, he sits there. After all the years, he still wonders why he got to come back home from war when so many of his buddies did not. He has never talked much about what it was like fighting for all of us over there. No one knows what he saw. The blood. The wounds. The bodies. They do not hear the bombs, the bullets or the screaming. It is all hidden. A tear rolls down his cheek. He wipes it away and starts the old motor. I would bet this will not be the last fishing trip. He will be back as long as his health will let him.

When he gets home and pulls into his driveway, he stops to look at Old Glory proudly flying on a pole in his front yard. It is there every day, not just on Memorial Day. He cleans the fish and then fries a couple of them for lunch. He will tell you that you cannot beat fresh, fried crappie. The rest will go in the freezer with all the other crappie he has caught. They will be shared with friends from his church, especially his young fishing buddy.

Part of his afternoon on this Memorial Day is spent at the graves of his wife and son. He sits and talks to them both for an hour or two. He tells them he loves and misses them. The rest of the afternoon is spent at the local military cemetery. He will honor not only those who served and lost their lives during World War II but all wars. Standing in front of the graves of men he knew, he salutes each one. Then he says thank you, God bless you and wipes a tear from his eye. What will you be doing on the long Memorial Day weekend? Will you be camping, fishing, playing in the water or enjoying a backyard cookout? Take time to honor, in some way, the men and women who gave their lives so you have the freedom to do those things. Also, give thanks to those who fought for us and got to come home. Men like a man called Fish.

The Wisdom Of Old Boone

Whether it is fishing, hunting, hiking or camping, it is good to get away. Our lives are so fast paced. When you’re on the water with a fishing pole in your hands, in the woods with a bow or gun, sitting by a campfire or hiking up a hill, you can finally slow down. It is kind of like hitting the reset button.

Cooking Fish In A Dishwasher

Here is a different way of cooking the fish you catch that you might want to try, or maybe not. Take a freshly filleted fish and lay it on some heavy aluminum foil. Add a couple of dabs of butter and a splash of lemon juice. Maybe some fish seasoning to taste. Fold the foil tightly and place it on the upper rack of the dishwasher and run through one cycle, or two cycles if it is a large fish.

The dishwasher steam broils the fish in the foil. It is supposedly delicious. I do not know since my wife hasn’t let me try it yet. I told her this novel culinary concept was devised by former Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, and you can trust anything a politician tells you, can’t you?

Food For Thought