|
"
Remember When? " |
|
Smelt Fishing back in the 50’s and 60’s was a lot different than it is today. To begin with there were a lot of fish at that time. Just about anyone could catch a five gallon bucket full of smelts. And people just didn’t fish for fun, they fished to put food on the table. Back then, people didn’t ask for anything. They didn’t ask for food. They didn’t ask someone to pay their rent. They just asked for a job and boy did we ever work hard. And the reason we went smelting in the first place, is because it was after dark and after our work hours. First we had to go down to the shore and dig through the ice to get the sand worms. That was a lot different than going to the store and buying them. After everything was ready, the worms and the firewood, we would head for the smelt shanty on the ice. When we got there, we would start a fire in the little wood stove so as not to get cold. Then we would cut up the worms into little pieces. We would put iodine on them so the fish could see them. We always put ties on the lines so we could tell when we had a strike. It was quite a skill in itself to watch ten or fifteen lines. The fish always seem to come to the light of the smelt shanty. We spent many of long hours in the little smelt shanties. It always looked like a city on the ice. It was beautiful to look down the ice at all the little shanties. Back then, people were just beautiful country people, really down home people. Everyone knew each other and everyone would come around and visit each other at the shanties. We always had a sandwich to toast on the little wood stove and some coffee to share. People should live this style today. It really put people together. It was a nice way to bring your children up; to respect and enjoy one another. Back then, there were no drugs, no back stabbing and no one was jealous of one another. And no drunken driving laws, either. Often, I think way back to those days and it brings tears to my eyes and a deep sorrow to my heart. Remembering When . . . Pappy January 2000
|
|
All images and design Copyright © Fish-Maine '2000 |
