ALLURING




I saw on tv the other day where a guy caught a treble fishing hook in his chin. The barb went all the way in on one of the three. He and his buddies freed him somewhat, but the part where it hooks was left in his chin. No mind: he took a drink of liquid pain reliever and continued fishing. After the outing, he had it removed at the hospital, proving fishermen are tough hombres.

I'm a very poor fisherman having never snagged one that weighed probably even one pound. What makes that declaration worse is I have devoted quite a few hours to the sport. But I've never understood lures either and why in the world a fish would swallow one. Movement I suppose, but as far as similarity to the real deal, I haven't seen that many. And why bother with color? If dogs can't see color, I'm sure fish can't.

Some lures are pretty detailed for art's sake. One of my bro-in-laws ties them himself and creates some good looking ones. A collector, he also has spent a lot of cash for unique lures. He has a display case in his family room and I like to look at them.

I never used a lure that I remember though a jig and spoon is rattling a memory. Maybe it was just good friend and fishing buddy Greg that used one. He was better than I, but not a whole lot. But we had some good times, spent some good college hours at SoIL ponds. Along with another good friend, Larry. Who was every bit as bad a fisherman as I.

Maybe instead of the lures we didn't use, it might have been our equipment. Cheap Zebco reels and cane poles. Not the reels on cane poles. Even we weren't that bad.

RICKY, TICKY, TACKY

I don't know Ricky Gervais. I don't know his heart. Even if I knew him, I wouldn't know his heart. I didn't watch one minute of the Golden Gloat Awards. I almost never do.

But what I do know is that in closing, he thanked God "for making me an atheist". Funny stuff? Not to me. That's sad.

I've never liked jokes about religion. Well, maybe a few golf stories about a Jew, a Catholic, and a Presbyterian. But any negative reference to God, the Trinity, or followers of Jesus have never appealed to me. Maybe because I learned at a young age that God will not be mocked.

As I said in the first paragraph, I don't know what Ricky's intent was, but I wasn't laughing when I read a review of the Gloats in the morning paper. And if he was serious, then he seriously need some prayers. I'll offer one up. Even if I think his remark was definitely uncalled for. Which I do.