California Fishing With a Fork

By C. MacDonald

All over California there are many happy, passionate kids and adults, who avidly catch a wide variety of fish daily. Even off the Golden State's Piers, I see people hauling in fish, often with a degree of ease. I noticed most children seem to love fishing, even those who catch them through the tales of Tom Sawyer.

When I was 10, I wanted to become a fisherman, at least enough to catch my own dinner. But whenever I went fishing, the slippery, little wigglers would never bite my hook.

No matter what bait I used or where I fished, the result was the same. Oh, there was the time I thought I had a 30-pound catfish (that looked 15-feet long from the bridge where I was fishing). But all the "cat" did was nibble my worm off the hook. I even once went to the Fair and threw ping pong balls at goldfish bowls. All you had to do was land a ball in the bowl to land a goldfish. Somehow, the goldfish was always a bounce to two out of reach.

Several times, I went to places that advertised, "Just drop your line in and the fish of your choice is for the taking." But they didn't bite my line.

Then came a 1950s trip to Ray's Resort, a rustic place in Philo, Mendocino County, which had its own river with an abundance of fish. One whole afternoon, I stayed on a rock perch by the stream, with my fishing pole, just gazing at a multitude of them swimming below.

Finally, I felt a tug at the end of the line. Surely, this was the moment I had been waiting for. After a mighty battle, I managed to pull up a two-foot long tree root.

Glancing at the sun, I figured there was about one hour left before the dinner horn would sound. Then I felt another tug on my line. Carefully raising the pole, I discovered a small fish at the end of the line. I let out a shriek and was the happiest kid around and showed my prize catch to everyone that would look.

My parents suggested that I take it to the cook to become for dinner. "It's a chub. Too small to cook," he said as my grin turned into a frown. I lost my enthusiasm for fishing but not fish. They are still one of my favorite meals, even though I do my fishing with a fork, instead of a hook.