Visitor enjoys a ‘golden day’
Written by Len Harris
Article posted in the Richland Observer, Thursday, July 11, 2013
I was driving home and I saw a guy fishing in a trout FREE zone. It was nothing more than a ditch with some water in it. I saw he had Illinois plates and I decided he needed a little help. I stopped and talked to him. He was a beginner trout angler and this was his maiden voyage. We talked a while and we then went to a good stream in the area. He parked at the top end of his fishing point and he got in with me and I dropped him off at his beginning point after I gave him a couple panther martins. I got this e-mail from him:
“Dear Len,
Thank you for your help on Sunday. You gave me a terrific gift that I will always be grateful for. Before you said hello to me I had exactly 32 casts for trout in my life. You turned a day that would have been forgettable into one that I will remember for the rest of my life. A day that my father-in-law would describe as a ‘golden day.’ I hit the trifecta: one rainbow (first fish caught), two brook trout (one at 12 inches, last fish caught) and 33 brown trout. Nothing over 12 inches, but they are really fat. I missed more than I caught. I had cranes flyer 20 feet over my head and the barn swallows kept me company. No hassle from any bipeds. It was a terrific day and I hope I can return the favor. I saw the fish hit the spinner you gave me in that clear water and did not lose it, but I did have to get it out of a tree, barbed wire and a bush. This was a day that a boy living with his seven million closest friends could never have dreamed of. I am going upstream next time for a few for supper.
I hope you have a most excellent week and that our paths cross again.
Best regards,
Jim Schloss”
We Wisconsin folks are known for our friendliness and willingness to share.