This is the Old Yellow
Car
The Orange Sky
This is the Old Yellow
Car
Everything
takes a drastic change in time. The one thing that will not change with time is
memories. When an event occurs, it is an ever-lasting memory that never changes,
and a dream enhances it. Your experience is now a memory like the orange sky
that shows up during your memorable fishing outing.
It
is one of those days where you thank your lucky stars there is a breeze to help
you fight the scolding heat of the day. In any event, I wanted to go fishing
this particular day and I was just excessively tired to walk down the Lower
River Gorge. I was working at my fathers tackle store on Hyde Park Blvd. With a
quick thank you as the last customer of the day went out the door with his half
dozen egg sacks, and a dozen worms. While closing up, thoughts of an
air-conditioned building for dinner would help me escape the scorching heat.
I
had a commitment to meet the boys at the Friendly Tavern for some healthy grub.
The sweat poured out my body as I entered the cooled down building of the
Friendly. I finally met up with the boys at a corner booth where I gulped down a
tall glass of ice water. There we ordered our dinner from a very tall attractive
girl with short reddish hair who answered by the name of Sheila. As we were
indulging in our meal, I could not help to notice an elderly semi bald man
keeping cool with an interest in our conversation about our fish we lost on a
previous trip and how it was too hot to go fishing. A long time friend, Jack,
chewing on his cheeseburger, lost a huge crappie because the net he had was too
big a few days before. We were all sharing our experiences.
Now
I recognized the face of the ragged looking old man as he stood up to leave. He
was the one who rushed out the door with his half dozen egg sacks and the dozen
worms in a hurry to go fishing on a day hotter than the fourth of July. My eyes
followed him to his old yellow car after he paid for his meal.
The
following day was even hotter and the same balding old man come in but only
purchased a dozen worms. I just had to ask the question, "Where were you
headed on that unbearably hot day yesterday? ""Behind the Ramada above
the Falls", he explained. "I like to fish where the smooth current
turns to rapids, there are a lot of Rainbow trout laying in there." He went
on explaining about a rock he would cast to. Then the man went on telling me
about how the rock in the water made a "V" as it marks the spot to
start fishing the easy shore. As soon as I heard "easy shore access",
I quickly asked him "how close is the parking?" In this heat, the
walking distance is necessary to calculate. The questioning continued as the man
walked out the door to go fishing.
The
old man said the best times for fishing is in the early morning or late evening.
The next evening I decided to fish behind the Ramada Inn. I parked my van behind
the Ramada where a section of the parkway is closed to traffic. Being close to
fall, the unbearable heat of the day was finally cooling off.
I
walked over to the spot that was described by that man who drove the old yellow
car. The man said to cast up river in the smooth current until it met the mighty
rapids, where a rock made A 'V' appearance on the surface of the fast moving
water. It is that 'V' where the baited hook had to be, because the Rainbow Trout
laid, and waited for a healthy dinner to rest there. Just as soon as the bait
drifted to the rapids, I made another cast.
After
several casts without a hit, a quick change over were made from, an egg sack to
a worm. The sky turned orange when the sun set in a horizon surrounded by land,
water, and a silhouette of buildings. All of a sudden, under an orange sky a
fish is being fought. This will be a dream of mine, catching a fish under a
clear and beautiful orange sky.
Two
more Rainbows were fought in this scene, and the thought crossed my mind,
"no wonder that man showed interest in our conversation. What a perfect
spot on a hot day, or any day!"
Weeks
of fishing this spot went by, with most of the action occurring under the orange
sky. "The weather stayed cool."
THE
END 
Fishy says, "Always practice good
catch and release"
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