Did I ever tell you about my Aunt Ida's tarpon fishin' fo-ray down to Texas? Waal, Aunt Ida got hooked on fishin' after her husband die, an' she spend lots a money an' even more time on the sport. She would travel most anywhere for a good time on the lake, the ocean, or the river. She dearly love to fish.
When Ida learn about the tarpon fishin' off Mustang Island in Texas, she would not rest easy 'til she had done thet. So she load her best gear in her Hupmobile an' drive on over to Texas. Now, the lady never in a hurry, an' it tuk her the better part a three week to get to Port Aransas. She say she have some "adventures" in Atlanta, 'n more'n em in N'Orleans. Well, she tuk the ferry over to the island and check herself into The Tarpon Inn. Then she make her arrangements for her fishin' excursion.
Now mought nigh ever'body goin' out is usin' a Farley boat, boat built right there in thet town, design exac'ly for the sort of fishin' thet was done in them waters. So what do you think happen the mornin' she arrive at the dock to hit the water? They was a crowd around this one boat, and a whole crew of men come walkin' down the dock pushin' a man in a wheelchair right down to the boat next to where Ida was standin'. You won't believe me, but as sure as my name is Jeptha Miller, hit were the President a th' Yew-nited States! Hit was! Ida were so excited she let out a screech, an' the man hear her, turn his head her way. He tol' his fellas to "go fetch the little lady." An' they did. Tuk her right over and innerduce her ta Mr. Roosevelt!
Well, sir, Ida were so atwitter that she like to not be able ta walk back over to her boat, an' it tuk her most the mornin' to settle down enough to be able to properly take care of what she go down there for.
But that is not all th' story. Ida catch two nice tarpon, an' when the boat come in, behol' Mr. Roosevelt's boat was comin' in, too. As he were taken from the boat, he holler over, "Ida, how was the fishin'?"
"Caught two, Mr. President. How'd you do?"
"Why," he says, "I caught several!"
They all go up for the weigh-in. Ida's bigger one go seventy-nine pound. The President's biggest were seventy-seven pound. "The Little Lady," he says, flashin' thet big ol' grin, "is the Champeen a th' Day!" Well, sir, Ida has always felt like the Champeen a th' World ever since thet day.
Aunt Ida sign a scale from her fish and pin it to the wall at the Tarpon Inn, alongside hundreds of others. If'n you go there today you might find her scale should you look hard enough. She write, "Ida great time in P.A. Texas."
©2014 David W. Lacy
7 comments:
What Ida talks about most in the future (meeting the president or catching the largest fish) will tell us whether or not she is a true fisherman (woman).
I love it. I love these stories.
Pearl
Vee, that would show her true colors. I once read an account of one of FDR's fishing excursions to Port Aransas. The President caught "several" tarpon. Someone observed that it was a miracle he caught anything, what with all the boats full of secret service men surrounding his boat.
Pearl, it delights me that you find pleasure in these tales. Thank you.
another deelitefull tail.
Tarpon fishing is fun. I tried it at the mouth of the Colorado River in Costa Rica.
Chuck, thanks. How was the fishing? As many hours as I have spent fishing in my lifetime ( a lot ) I have probably never caught anything that weighed more than six or seven pounds. Well, some catch, and some fish.
I hooked several huge ones and enjoyed the battles. The line kept breaking on me. Even got one to the boat, but it got away right there. It was borrowed gear and the next week I discovered that I was fighting these monsters with 4 lb test line. It was fun anyway.
Chuck, you got one to the boat on four-pound line is quite an accomplishment.
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