Do hope everyone has had a great weekend and are ready for the work week ahead.
I got to talk with my friend Diane Evans this evening. She was talking about fixing some salmon, and that got me to thinking about the catfish we called Charlie that was in our pond when I was at home.
I could spend hours fishing on the bank of that pond, the brilliant summer sunshine making the water glisten like the brilliance of a diamond, with little ripples or small waves on the water when the wind was blowing at a brisk pace.
Was it ever peaceful. Every now and then I would catch a perch or bluegill, or maybe Charlie or another catfish and yes, even a mud turtle. I haven’t fished any in several years, but hopefully I’ll get to do it again sometime.
I got to do some fishing back then at Mrs. Lola Henegar’s big pond. Had to be extra careful there because of the higher banks.
Of course back then I could walk down the road to her pond to enjoy an afternoon of fishing. A beautiful experience in my life to get to do that.
At our pond it seemed like we could always catch that Charlie with just a worm on the hook. He had more battle scars from hooks on his back than I have wrinkles on my face.
I’ll just let you ponder some about that statement to how many wrinkles I have. Hey, I’m just glad to still be around.
We thought of him as our pet. He weighed around three pounds. We always put him back in the water after we got the hook out of his mouth.
My brother drained the pond one year and there were so many fish that wound up going down through the pasture and into a creek that was on the property. I believe the water in the creek went into what is called Mountain Creek in Warren County.
Charlie was found in a lot of mud and was turned loose in a neighbors pond to live another day. Our pond never did hold water anymore. If it came a big rain, it would fill up for a little while but then go down.
If you have any news for the column, just give me a call at 615-563-4429.
“Think only about the things in heaven, not the things on earth. Your old sinful self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3)
Short Mountain Observations
Charlie the catfish

