In Search of Walter...

A newly svelt Jane Fonda tries to get her cranky, crotchety movie star father to love her in some meaningful way and all he really cares about is Walter.  In the movie On Golden Pond, Walter is giant trout that eludes the fishing hook time and time again, despite the daily efforts of Norman (Henry Fonda) to catch the big one. He trolls out in his little motor boat, fishing poll beside him and sits for hours waiting for Walter.

Skip ahead to real life. Me on Shasta lake with my hubby, two-day license in hand, for my first ever fishing excursion. He's been trying to get me to go with him for years, but the 4:00 a.m./freezing cold/wigglyworm vibe just never struck a chord.

"Should I take my knitting?" I ask innocently.

He looks at me like I just asked him who he wants to win the Superbowl this year. He grabs a couple of Buds for the ice chest...I grab my stylish sun hat, some iced hibiscus tea and a little bottle of hand sanitizer. He laughs and starts the boat.

"Want to drive?" he asks. I had only driven the boat a few times, but since we were going to be on the lake for four days, I'm thinking I better start perfecting my boating skills, if I'm going to become a fisherwoman.

I have to admit, there was something magical about being on the lake as the sun was coming up. In fact, the whole experience changed my view of fishing.  I was pretty sure that "trolling" for trout and salmon would be a total boring drag...but alas, I was proven wrong.

My new best friend...a Lorance fish finder.

"Wait for it..."

Obviously, there's a trick to putting along at less than 2 mph,

watching for the shallow parts, watching for fish below and watching your pole at the same time.

 



I guess there's some rhyme or reason as to why you use a certain tackle...

but this one was pretty, so I thought I'd use it.

Okay, so I didn't rig my own tackle and I can tell you, I wasn't about to

bait my own hook...

"EWE........." 

He told me it would be fun, but it's a lot of waiting and watching...

I should have brought my knitting...

What was that...did I see that pole do that "dipping" thing????

"Yank it fast", he says.

"Bring in some line."

"Is he still on?"

"He's gonna start going crazy when you get him near the boat!"

"Hang on, let me get the net under him!"

 

(...me, squealing with delight...)

 



My first ever fish caught on a trolling line.

Now I'M HOOKED!!!!!

 

By the end of our "Three Hour Tour", I caught three more.

 



Beginner's luck...or just that Laurel "magic"???

Needless to say, by the second day, I am ready at dawn...

 Bud's in the cooler, sporting baseball hat and fishing attire and

on a mission to catch Walter.

I drive the boat, negotiating the shallow parts, bait my own hook...

I still can't "whack" them in the head to "put them out of their misery" (???)

But I'm a fisherwoman looking for Walter.

 





 

I know he's out there somewhere.

 

Laurel. I understand, honey. I get it.