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Report From :
The Annual Minnow
Dunkers & Worm Swimmers
Black Fly Bass
Tournament
Today, as the sky turns bleak and a few snow flakes fill the air, I sit
here reminiscing of the Sixth Annual Black Fly Fishing Derby held back
in June. I can’t help but wonder why more members are not bringing
their children, grand-children and young prospective member invitees up to the club for a
great weekend of fun. In the early years of the contest we changed
the dates to the weekend after the opening of Bass Season , designated
by the state as a , “ Free Fishing Day”. This allows anyone in New
York State to fish ‘ free ‘ without a license on those days. As
far as we know, school has been out for a week or so and most
graduations do not conflict with the dates. Vice Chairman, Charlie
Moore has provided some nice gifts to be given to the younger winners,
and the likes of Dave Milliman and Dr. Fish have been more than willing
to share their ‘ best lures’ and ‘secret fishing holes’ …. ( well some
of them …. Others will always be kept as ‘ deep-dark-secrets ‘ ).
As for the lack of ‘ Adults ‘ or Adult prospective member invitees, I can understand the fear
and thoughts of humiliation you must feel in entering a contest that is
lop-sided with the wins of Mr. Dave Milliman and Fisherman Emeritus….
Dr. Fish ! Please, let me dispel those fears in saying ; “ We are
getting old , haggard, listless, and ‘ill of health’ !
Dementia and Arthritis have taken over and left us barely able to
get down to the dock. As an old fisherman once lamented, “ ………… our live
wells are running dry ! “ As for the Black Flys ….. so over
‘ rumored ‘ to be as big as sparrows and hungrier than alligators …. All
it has done is scare a bunch of ‘ City Slickers ‘ from using the
Adirondacks in the month of June. In the last (5) years I have not
seen one ( 1 ) “Black Fly” during the weekend of the contest !
With that said ………… for those of you that follow the ran tings of the
last 5 contests ……… let me update you on this past year. The
Spring 2006 issue of the “ Rap-Shaw News” reported that “ ….. “Dr. Fish”
was
‘returning’ for the 2006 season.
That was a little premature ! When the article was submitted, the
Bass Master’s Spring Circuit dates had not been published. As the
date neared for the Rap-Shaw contest, it found Dr. Fish enroot between
“ Lake of the Woods”, Minnesota and “ Lake Cumberland” in Kentucky.
Being the up-standing person that he is, through feverish e-mails and
many long distance ( roaming ) calls on his cell phone, he offered to
send two of his constituents in his place. This only infuriated
Mr. Milliman and was flatly ‘ refused ‘ by vice-chairman “ Jerry “ !
It was either Dr. Fish or “ NO One ! “ In order to make
things worse, Mr. Milliman refused to pick up Dr. Fish at the Fort Drum
Airport and Jerry refused to pay the shipping costs on Dr. Fish’s boat
that had to be trailered in by special carrier. Not to be defeated
(by pettiness) , Dr. Fish enlisted the help of a dear friend, “ Dynamite
Jack “ . ( * note * … Dynamite Jack has been expelled from all
public and private contests for the illicit and illegal use of
‘explosives’ in taking of fish ) . I leave the reader to only
guess …. “ Who won the 6th Annual Black Fly Derby ? “
What a year, What a Derby ! Jerry had arranged through member
Frank Rudolph, ( owner of the Stillwater Shop ) , to host a church
service on the island with a special “ Fisherman’s Prayer “ . This
was followed by an ‘outstanding’ breakfast for the members of the church
and fishing contestants. We had two young anglers, Danny and Brian
Bollen, entered in the contest with older brother, Danny taking
first prize in the youth division with a nice 14 inch small mouth bass.
Dr. Fish and ‘Dynamite Jack’, claimed to have boated over 35 legal bass
before 3:00 P.M. and attributed the ‘ bite ‘ to the church service and
powers from above.
There are many stories to tell about this particular derby but I’ll save
them for the Spring Issue. There is a proposal on the board that
might be of interest to younger contestants. It has been discussed
that we pair up a young contestant, ( with parental permission) , with
the likes of Mr. Milliman, ‘Dr. Fish’, ‘Miraculous Moore’ or
‘Dynamite Jack’ for a ½ day of “ tutelage “ in the fine art of winning
contests ! ( it has been brought to our attention that we
should make this contest …. “ ALL ABOUT
KIDS ! “ I open the door to
past participants, members and prospective member invitees such as the ‘ young ladies of the
Stoddard Clan’, Molly & Andrew Root, Brenden Cook, Casey & Morgan Davis,
Ashley Reichard and the Bollen brothers, to return to Rapshaw and
show the ‘ old ‘ fishing guides how it is suppose to be done …… ‘
youthful style’ ! Let’s make the Seventh Annual Derby one to
REMEMBER !
Dr. Fish |
