I stopped on a bike ride a few days ago and sat on this picnic table to look at the lake. Within a couple of minutes a man walking by with a white bucket, a tackle box and a fishing pole asked if I would share my table. He needed to rest as he had a bit of a walk to his car. I have noticed the many people fishing around the lake and was curious to hear if the fishing is good here. It turns out Fred was the guy to ask. He has been fishing for 66 years and mostly around this lake. It’s one of the best places around. He tallies each fish each catches on a silver steel counter and records bait and location in a little notebook. 2008 was his best year ever. Last year was rough with all the heat. He has a group of friends that share fishing stories and information. He was also a great source of information on the history and changes in the area and also on the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets on the lake. “I’ve seen a million of them’” he said.

A friend of his always said that the day he retired he would be joining Fred on the banks of the lake. On that day he came strolling down just as he said carrying a fishing pole. He had some heart troubles and passed away a couple years later. “He only got to fish for 2 years,” Fred recalls sadly.

He does keep track of the bait he uses but has become more convinced over the years that the fish will eat what’s in front of them when they are hungry. Fred comes here 4 or 5 days a week and said it’s always not if he will catch fish, but how many. “Tomorrow morning will great, rain is coming.”