As the Old Man put the fuel nozzle into the boat’s tank and began filling it, I looked over our gear. We’d packed our own lunch and used recycled milk jugs to freeze our own ice. Our bait was live catalpa worms that literally grew on trees. Our terminal tackle, if we’d thought to call it that, cost only a few dollars to make.
Still, as I peeled the price tag from the new deep cycle battery we’d bought, then checked to make sure the new trailer spare was somewhere to be found, I couldn’t help but think the fish we brought home were anything but free meals.
“How much do catfish cost at the grocery?” I asked.
“When I was your age, they didn’t sell catfish at the grocery,” he said.
“Yes sir, I know that, but they do now,” I went on. “Seems like catching them ourselves is pretty expensive.”
He put the cap back on the first fuel tank and began to fill the second.
“Well,” he began, “we bring home a lot more value than just something good to eat. We have the pride of doing for ourselves and the pleasure of having worked with our hands to make it happen. We’ve kept our skills and our knowledge of the lake sharp, because you never know when hard times might hit and going to the grocery won’t be an option. Also, we’ve enjoyed each other’s company more than we would have just going to the store.”
I let that sink in.
“Besides,” he said, “the fish we catch just plain taste better.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
