by Mary Wakefield Buxton –
URBANNA —
When it comes to easing a workaholic attorney into retirement, I’ve been known to try many ploys. I’ve been trying for years to get my husband, Chip, to retire but he loves his work. Even at age 82 (soon to turn 83) the man just wants to spend his days solving legal issues with clients.
I’m not one to give up easily so while isolated in our Florida condo trying to evade COVID-19 germs while he dreamt of flying back to his Saluda office to see clients, I happened to look out on the lake in front of our building. There, basking in the sun, was the 12-foot alligator known as “Big Al” busy digesting last night’s dinner.
That’s when the idea hit me. All I needed to do to get Chip to enjoy retirement was introduce him to a new hobby! Fishing! How pleasant it would be with a lake out front filled with many exotic fish that were just waiting to strike bait.
Let’s go fishing! Of course, before we could fish, we would have to find a way to move Big Al along.
That’s when Clyde entered the picture, a man who has been fishing in Windstar for 10 years and knows every good fishing hole. Windstar is a community of about 700 acres and 15 lakes near the mouth of Naples Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. The lakes are connected by large culverts to Haldeman Creek, which flows into the bay thus creating brackish water which allows the mingling of both fresh water and saltwater fish. One can catch a tarpon or a bass, depending on luck, bait, and good advice of Clyde.
As already mentioned, the lakes also have alligators or, as Floridians call them, “gators,” and one must always keep guard. The first rule of fishing in Florida is never put hand or foot into the water.
Clyde told us how he learned this lesson. A fish he had caught had become enmeshed in reeds along the shore and he had stooped down to release it. Just as his hand entered the water up from the depths rose an alligator that snapped up the fish into its huge jaws.
“My hand was less than a foot away from his mouth!” Clyde reported. He added because one never knows where gators may be lurking, fishermen should throw fish back into the lake, never stoop down and simply release them in shallow water.
Friends had warned to be sure not to mention politics to Clyde because he held passionate views on one side of the aisle. Uh oh! I knew my husband held strong views too, but on the other. I worried my plan to introduce Chip to fishing would be ruined by arguments over which party was right and which party was wrong, a foolish waste of time.
The men planned to meet at 7:30 a.m. and I quickly begged off. I was content to watch the action from our lanai, which overlooked, as Clyde assured us, “the best fishing spot in Windstar.” I prayed the conversation would stay on only fish.
I heard Clyde explain our shoreline has a three-foot ledge running along the lakefront before dropping off to a seven-foot depth. The remains of a huge tree are submerged along that ledge offering the fish a perfect hiding place from prey. A fisherman merely casts out a line with either live minnow or shrimp and all kinds of fish can be caught.
Fish that are caught are thrown back into the lake, however, after they are measured, and a picture is taken. Chip is proud of a photo of his first fish, a bass that measured 18 inches. He caught nine fish his first day, including a 21-inch snook and Clyde many more including a five-pound, 24-inch catfish.
Fish are returned to the lakes because of high chemical runoff from fertilizers used on the surrounding 18-hole golf course. Many species are also protected by catch and release laws.
Clyde told us his very first day fishing at Windstar he hooked a “big one,” but lost it because his line snapped. He dashed up to his condo and retrieved another rod with heavier line then cast it out to the very same spot. Sure enough, the big fish bit again and this time, after quite a battle, Clyde reeled it in. It was a snook that measured 40 inches! Clyde said he never caught a snook that big again. The catch was the thrill of a lifetime.
Both Democrat and Republican had a wonderful day together — fishing, and not exchanging heated opinions about politics. If fishermen can do this, I guess the rest of us can too. Life is short. Wouldn’t it be great if we could stop the incessant proselytizing political dogma and just enjoy every moment of the day?
© 2021
