Some stories need to be revisited as plots thicken and new information arises.
Some of you might recall my Carpio Diem blog, about the massive, elusive carp that my cousin Roger, AKA “The Fish Whisperer”, saw at the Lake Mascoma house of his daughter and son-in-law, Claudia and John. I was sure it was just a fish story; something to get his kids riled up about and that would entertain (or frustrate) the eight of us visiting on the weekend.
There was a picture of Michael’s carp, but as far as Roger was concerned I though perhaps there was a whole lotta carp being slung.
And then I reported my cousin Michael had named his kayak “Carpio Diem” after the carp he’d caught when he first got the boat. There was a picture of Michael’s carp, but as far as Roger was concerned I though perhaps there was a whole lotta carp being slung.
I stand corrected.
Last week Roger joined his daughter’s family at the Lake Mascoma house, and early one morning pointed the bugger out to Claudia, who had to put on her polarized sunglasses to see the dark shadow of the fish in the bright, sun reflected water. He’d been chumming with balls of oatmeal that he’d hoped the fish would suck off the bottom of the lake close to the dock. When Claudia was disappointed not to be able to have a better view Roger decided to go and catch, as his brother Bob proclaimed, the damned ugly fish.
I saw a brief video of the struggle, and, quite frankly, I’m surprised Roger wasn’t totally tangled in fishing line and hauled off his feet based on the fight I saw. Well, actually, I guess I’m not surprised, because if anyone were going to catch the 32 inch El Carpio it would have been Roger. And it was catch and release, because they don’t make good sushi and Rog is a catch and release kinda guy.
Claudia and I joked about her father coming back as a carp after he dies, sort of like I have visitations from my dad in the form of a blue jay. Yup, I agree. And he’ll stick his head out of the water, spew out some conservative statement and then swim away.
That’s how we’ll know it’s him.
Yes! 🙂
Well told Deb. I think my dad would rather be a sleek, trout of some sort in his next life, rather than a bottom feeding “damned ugly fish”. Either way, I’ll brace myself for the conservative statements!!
I have to hand it to Roger. He is the quintessential outdoorsman. He is a true fish whisperer. He solved the mystery of the monster carp. I wonder what size carp he would have caught if he used chocolate chip cookie dough in lieu of oatmeal?
The Cookie Monster Carp, of course!
D.