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Shakamak baseball defeats WRVOn Tuesday, the Shakamak baseball team defeated White River Valley 10-0 for their fourth straight win. The Lakers are 5-4, having scored 10 or more runs during the four game win streak, while the Wolverines are seeking their first win of the season...
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There's a snake in my boat!
Posted Friday, July 31, 2015, at 10:40 AM
Few things in my life compare to catching crappie and bluegill in the spring. The weather is great, the fish are biting, and after a long winter I'm in desperate need of a respite. I wish I had more time for spring fishing, but with all there is to do in the spring opportunities are often too few. There are mushrooms to find, turkeys to be hunted, gardens to till and plant, and youth baseball games to attend.
Such was my predicament this spring, as my plans to tag a turkey on opening morning didn't happen. In fact it wasn't until the penultimate day of turkey season that I tagged out. So after three weeks of turkey hunting grind, I managed to scratch out some time to panfish. I pulled the flyrod out of hiding and together with my wife, April, we headed for my favorite spot.
Arriving at the pond, it was clear to see I was in for a treat, as the shallows were teeming with bluegill. Looking up and down the shoreline one could see the surface rippling with bluegill's nesting activity mere inches below. I tied on a fly that resembled a small water bug and hooked up on my first cast. This continued the entire time I stayed, fish after fish came to hand. Looking back at the car and seeing April getting bored waiting on me, I made the decision that discretion was the better part of valor, and headed for home.
On the way home I knew it was time to call Richard, my father-in-law. I'm one of the lucky ones, blessed with truly great in-laws. They are accepting of me and have always been there whenever needed. Richard is a man much like myself. Any opportunity he has to be outdoors he takes. So with that in mind I called him up for fishing and he, of course, obliged.
It had been a couple of years since we had fished and his boat hadn't been used in that time. During this time it had been parked at the edge of the woods on his property. Excited for the trip the following day he pulled it into his garage, cleaned it up and loaded his fishing gear (take note that it was parked in his basement garage overnight.) Early the next morning he drove to my house, and after loading my equipment we were off for a day on the water.
Arriving at the lake we, put the boat in the water and were soon catching bluegill after bluegill, with an occasional crappie thrown in. After three hours of fishing and two laps around the lake we were worn out from all the action. So we decided to take a break and eat lunch, which my father-in-law always packs. He's good like that.
Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have one fear in this world... Snakes. It's unfortunate given the hobbies I choose to pursue, but there is no rationalizing or reasoning with a deep rooted primal emotion. The mere thought of a snake makes my skin crawl and blood run cold, much like the creature I loathe. Funny thing is I can remember the exact moment this fear began. I was 13 or 14 and stayed the night with a friend who had a pet boa constrictor. At first I was fascinated by the snake, but from a distance. During the night, as I was fast asleep, in a sleeping bag, my "friend" thought it would be funny to slip the snake into the sleeping bag with me. So there I am, waking up from a deep sleep, to something slithering around with me. I came out of that sleeping bag faster than a cheetah pounces an antelope. From that day on I was done with snakes. No more fascination.
So there I am, eating my sandwich, drinking a Coke, not a care in the world. I catch a movement out of the corner of my right eye, my instincts say it's a mouse, no big deal. I turn my head to get a better look and to my surprise a snake is crawling out of the storage compartment not even 18 inches from my leg! If there is one thing worse than a snake, it's a surprise snake in close proximity. Doing what any sane grown man would do I let out a shriek and jumped up onto the boat seat I had previously been seated on.
Richard started to get excited because he thought I had hooked a big fish, that is until he saw the panicked look on my face. Surprised by a snake, trapped in the middle of a lake, my day was done! Richard agreed and we promptly headed for shore. As soon as the boat made contact with land I launched myself for land in one direction as the snake launched itself ashore in the opposite direction, no doubt every bit as terrified as me.
After we arrived at home Richard thought it would be a good idea to flush the boat's interior with a garden hose. Sure enough, as the boat filled with water out came another snake the same size as the first. Having an experience like this it might be two more years before I can fish in that boat again. But on the other hand, we did catch a lot of fish...
Jon is a staff writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at (812) 847-4487, ext. 21. He can also be reached via email at jonpswaby@gmail.com.
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- -- Posted by localyokal2 on Fri, Jul 31, 2015, at 7:08 PM
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