Wednesday, February 23, 2011

To Worm or Not to Worm

What a question, one I'd rather not become familiar with. Since my marriage to a great guy, his hobby is fishing, much to my dismay. For handling a fishing rod is fine with me, but the baiting part----Auughhhhhh.

Worms. They wiggle, are slimy, and just plain ugly. I'm not much for baiting my own hook for when I'm through with a worm ---well, you don't want to know what it looks like. Where I'm originally from (Missouri), fishing in the Mississippi or the Missouri Rivers is a weekend thing. One enjoyed by many fishermen and women. But in some states, it's all together different. In one particular city, you need a permit to dig for Worms. That's right, a permit.

In Smithtown, NY, there is a law from the Depression era that requires people who are digging for worms to obtain a permit. This law was originally to keep out-of-towners from tearing up the area looking for bloodworms. In addition to the permit, fishermen were required to disclose exactly where they were going to dig. The permit cost---fifty cents.

Today, much to the chagrin of the town clerk, this permit is outdated and has become a nuisance with only a few people who request the permit for old time sake. The officials in Smithtown hope to scrap this law in the next few months.

As I stated in the beginning, fishing is not my cup of tea. I would rather sit on the bank, read a good book with a cold glass of water, and kick back to enjoy the scenery. When hubby catches something whether it is a fish or an old shoe, I applaud his efforts and then relax in the shade. Ahhh, a good book, a comfortable chair, and the smell of the old outdoors, what else could you ask for on a fishing trip. Can you say, “fry them up.”

4 comments:

Heidiwriter said...

I'm in favor of sitting on the bank with a good book and a cold one too! Never got into fishing.

Betty Craker Henderson said...

My husband does not fish or hunt, thank goodness. I'm like Heidi...I READ. My family all liked to fish but I carried books to the river bank when I was a child and now I just stay in my armchair...with a book!

CJ Clark said...

Given a choice I'd read. But when we lived in Wyoming I really enjoyed ice fishing. I miss it. But, I have to agree with you on the worm thing. I usually get them on the hook the wrong way so when I cast, the worm goes I know not where. The line is empty!

Eunice Boeve said...

When I was a kid in Montana, my brother and I used to stream fish for trout. I love wading through the creeks and streams and didn't even mind fighting the brush, but I was never much for sitting and fishing. I love pan-fried trout. Sometimes we kids would get up early and catch a few fish and Mom would fry them for breakfast. Great with biscuits and jelly.