The Monster on the Wall part #7

We appreciated the run to deeper water,it only took a few minutes but just to relax was a big help--the wind sun and fighting fish had taken a bit of a toll on us.
We arrived at the spot and the Captain said that on the previous day they had raised a large sail but he didn't take the bait.We now had about thirty minutes to troll before we would head back to the docks.
The lines were put out and I was just sort of day dreaming when someone shouted, SAILFISH!!,I turned to locate him,and there he was,slashing through the water towards Roberts bait.Roberts rod plunged forward,he hollered but suddenly his line went slack.This awesome fish would not be deterred as he cut through the water towards my dads bait,again he missed!
The mate jerked the rod from my hand,quickly released the line from the outrigger,reeled in the slack positioning the bait directly in front of the trailing Blue Monster.The fish lunged as the mate set the hook solidly and all hell broke loose.He handed me the rod and I was jerked forward by a force and power like I had never felt--the reel screamed,like some demon from the underworld had been loosed.
The mate hollered --FISH ON--and my rod was bent double and it was all I could do to hang on--the mate said let him run--like I had anything to do with that--he tore 400 yards of line from my reel.
My huge fish blasted from the ocean high into the air in an incredible display and even from such a distance he looked huge and then my quarry made 4 more leaps into the afternoon Florida sky-dancing across the ocean--I really thought he would break free or he would cut the line with his tail.
My dream fish had taken 1200 feet of line and I had not yet retrieved any.He finally went deep and I began the hard work of retrieving line a few feet at a time. I would pull back on the rod with all my might and then push it forward winding in slack as quickly as I could-a chore repeated over and over-till my muscles were nearly shot.Everyone was shouting encouragement-and truthfully it was the hardest challenge I had ever had-to that point in my life--this fish was so strong.I was intent on the job at hand and oblivious to the transformation going on around me.The smaller swivel chairs had been removed and a large fighting chair was put into place in the center of the deck and I was moved to it. It was more comfortable had a big harness which was very comfortable and a large foot rest which really helped.MY hard work began to pay off as I reclaimed line lost in the start of battle. What had been a vivid childhood memory was a reality at the end of my line, 20 minutes had passed and the beautiful sail was nearing the boat--I found myself relaxing thinking I had survived the challenge--but my adversary had other ideas.He viewed the boat with his dark round eyes and began to create his own senario.The mate yelled "He's not ready yet" and then the huge predator charged away from the boat like a runaway freight train,tearing 300 yards of hard earned line from my reel and again capped this marvelous run with with skyward leaps showing amazing power.---more later I am tired The Codge

Monster on the Wall part # 6

The ride to the fishing grounds only took a few minutes.I quickly climbed down the ladder taking my place in the forward swivel chair facing aft on the starboard side. Aunt Gail took the chair opposite me.
Our lines were attached to out riggers, which ran our baits far to the sides. Dad and Roberts lines were trolled directly behind the boat.
I remember wondering how a fish could take a bait skipping so fast across the water. I would soon find out that it was no problem and would in just a few moments be introduced in grand style to blue water fishing.
We watched the ballyhoo skim across the surface,we were loaded up and it was time to get it on and we didn't have long to wait!
A LOUD SNAP--Cracked the air as Gails line released from the outrigger,the slack line disappeared,the sharp hook SLAMMED HOME,her rod bowed with the strain,she SCREAMED the drag WHINED--and the FIGHT was on!!!
The mate shouted instructions as she fought the unseen creature. I didn't get to watch her battle as a hungry Kingfish attacked my bait so fierce'ly that his momentum carried him 6 feet in the air,my line released from the outrigger and disappeared along with the fish beneath the waves.I now had my hands full with the strongest fish I had ever fought.We landed our fish,both Kings in the 15 pound range.
The afternoon had just begun and I had already caught the biggest fish of my life.
Everyone else soon joined in on the action which continued hot and heavy for the next 2 1/2 hours. The four of us boated 28 Kingfish,one Bonito and a pilot fish. I was exhilarated and exhausted and had clearly had the finest fishing day of my life,catching 9 of the Kings,the largest being about 20 pounds.
The excitement for the day was far from over. Robert had been trolling a live Blue runner baitfish in deep water and suddenly had a massive strike,it was a heavy fish.He fought the powerful denizen till he finally turned him toward the boat. Captain Adams shouted from the bridge that it was a big Wahoo maybe a 60 pounder.Our cheers were short lived however as a huge Porpoise took the Wahoo in his mouth and headed North at a blistering speed,the line melted from Roberts reel and then broke,its separation split the air like a rifle shot.
Whew--what a day--and then Captain Adams spoke the words that were music to my ears--" hey folks lets spend the last hour in deeper water and see if we can't raise a sailfish to a bait!

Third grade was really a year of discovery for me--we had moved to Edgewater Maryland part way through the second grade and I was so close to my school--I just had to walk across a field and one small road and I was there-
One day I was walking home and discovered a small package on the side of the road.The package had a horse's head on it--a Trojan horse.
I thought it was cool-cause I liked horse's--I walked in the door hollering--mom look what I found--what is it----and she went nuts hollering at me---"Where did you find that young man"--I said the side of the road--and I asked her again what is it--she thought for a minute and calmly said--they're jar lid covers for keeping things fresh--but these are dirty now I'm throwing them away--sounded good to me--that was that! Eric

We were on a class outing--Jimmy S--'s family invited our 3rd grade class out to their house at Turkey point--what a glorious day--and a bunch of us were riding home in the back of a pick up truck when behind us came a car full of older boys--all sticking their middle finger at us--yelling FU--to tell the truth I never saw the middle finger thing nor had ever heard that word before--one of the st. wise third graders told me what it meant--I was disgusted by what he said and have never forgotten that day--life is about learning--some good some bad.---Eric

The Bicycle

There was an incinerator across from our apartments--when I was a kid and one day I looked over and there was a burned up bicycle on top of the hill--tires burned off-seat burned off and fenders.
I didn't have a bicycle so I went over there-picked it up and straddled it-stood up on the metal things that used to have peddles and down the hill I went on that charred wreck of a bike--I crashed at the bottom but didn't care--wow was that fun--unbeknownst to me my dad had gotten home and was looking out the window at me--riding that burned up bicycle--and told mom--we gotta buy that boy a bike.
They went to Sears and came home with a beautiful red and white bicycle--a 26 incher----I was thrilled to death but I couldn't reach the peddles-they traded for a 24 incher-it had red and white tassles from the red handal bars--a beautiful bike--and to me it was like a fancy sportscar--and gave me the ability to travel---my dad and mom were so good to me---I had that wonderful bike till I was 16 years old-in Florida--and dad bought me another--an English racer--and after that a Lambretta 250 delux scooter-that would do 70 m.p.h-and after that a car he paid 35.00 for which I helped him rebuild and drove till I joined the Navy. Dad knew the importance of transportation to a young boy--I love and miss yall----Eric