| We can learn alot from kids.Last Friday,
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| | battle is on and James is reeling in with
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| which incidently was St. Jean Baptiste
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| | hopes of catching his first pond
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| Day in Quebec, was also the day we
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| | Shark.The bright green line yields
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| decided to have Grandpa's Pond day in
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| | another Smallmouth and I explain that the
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| Shady Cove, Oregon.Everything went off
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| | Sharks are tricky in these waters and
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| just as planned. In Shady Cove, anyway.A
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| | sometimes "grab" a smaller fish and pull
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| beautiful early summer day, this is the
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| | the old switcheroo trick, where they put
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| annual "take the kids fishing and make
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| | the small fish on while the line is being
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| sure they catch fish day", that we have
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| | reeled in.James is skeptical once
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| to help build interest and enthusiasm
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| | more.Here comes lesson number two.We
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| towards fishing for our little ones.The
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| | fishermen and budding fishermen, live for
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| pond is not large, and really is a
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| | the thought that the big one is out there
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| watering hole for the few head of cattle
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| | somewhere and as long as we have a chance
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| that roam the hillside on Grandpa Ray's
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| | to catch it--we will keep coming
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| mini ranch. At some point, a previous
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| | back.After a few"switcheroos" it is time
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| owner or large water spout, deposited
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| | to "venture" off to the great unknown.The
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| several Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, and who
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| | other side of the pond!!We grab a pole
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| knows what else into the tiny pond.There,
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| | and without so much as packing a lunch or
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| the fish have flourished, reproduced and
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| | snack, we head off like Tom Sawyer, Becky
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| turned the pond into a lovely little
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| | Thatcher and an old bald Huck Finn.Twenty
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| starting place for kids to learn to
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| | yards later we arrive at the wilds of the
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| fish.Truth be told, the adults like to
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| | other side of the pond.I explain to the
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| use it for a confidence builder also. The
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| | kids that I saw Shark bubbles over here,
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| fish don't get very big, and like an
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| | and we keep the Shark tale active.By now,
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| overcrowded meadow, it is nice to thin
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| | the kids interest has turned to building
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| the herd.Anyway, my five year old
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| | a "bridge" over the great Bovine river--
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| daughter and her school buddy James were
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| | which is a two foot irrigation ditch- and
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| excited and donned in fishing hats ready
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| | crossing back and forth to test its
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| to go fishing. A couple other lads,
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| | engineering. Then my daughter of course
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| Sterling & Saxon-- were supposed to
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| | wants to play "little house on the
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| attend but unfortunately their Dad must
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| | prairie" and starts doling out
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| have had some bad Oatmeal and decided to
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| | instructions for the homestead to James.
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| do some toilet trolling instead.I
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| | I rescue James by sending him on another
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| know--too much information!!Meanwhile
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| | adventure. He is to go solo on a mission
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| back at the pond...Grandpa had the worms
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| | back to Fort Fish Bucket, and bring back
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| ready and we had three poles ready to
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| | another nightcrawler. It is a trip
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| go.(for those of you who cringe at the
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| | fraught with dangers, like cow pies and
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| term"pole"-- it is acceptable when
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| | cockleburrs. I wish James well and soon
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| referring to kids fishing!!) Two of the
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| | he is sending messages back to our camp
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| poles were standard issue, fish tested,
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| | of his "leaping" over cow pies and
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| Fenwick "rods", the third was the little
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| | battles with hostile sticker bushes,
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| "Barbie" pole I bring out for my daughter
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| | which have apparently riddled his socks
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| each year--complete with Tiggger bobber
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| | with attachment. James returns from the
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| and bright green line.The kids are always
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| | frontier with a nightcrawler. MISSION
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| overly excited at first and can't wait to
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| | ACCOMPLISHED!!Sara, not wanting to be
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| get the lines in the water. Luckily, it
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| | left out of the great adventures, and
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| took all of thirty seconds to have the
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| | hearing of James harrowing tales of the
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| first nibbles and soon Tigger was "scuba
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| | trail, now wants to head to Fort Fish
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| diving" below the surface.I think the
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| | Bucket on a mission of her own. I let her
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| fish wait all year for us to show up
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| | know that the well being of our continued
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| too!Of course both my daughter and James
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| | stay out in the wilds of North pond
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| want to claim the first fish and they are
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| | country, will be determined on the
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| clamoring for the chance to reel in a six
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| | success of her trip to Fort Fish Bucket,
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| inch fish on the "Barbie-nator" fish
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| | and the return of further provisions, in
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| slaying machine. I appeal to James
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| | the form of a couple more nightcrawlers
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| manhood and the chauvinistic "ladies
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| | and a couple of hooks.With fore warnings
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| first" approach, and hand over the pole
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| | of the imminent cow pie dangers, Sara is
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| to my daughter.She loses the fish in the
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| | well prepared for the journey, and soon
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| weeds.Lesson number one is learned,
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| | is stocking up at Fort Fish Bucket. Her
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| sometimes the fish wins. Lesson number
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| | return is delayed, as there are bugs to
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| one "A" is also learned, --that it is
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| | observe, bullfrogs spotted on the water,
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| O.K. for a dad to look less than manly
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| | and flowers to pick. She finally returns
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| with a Barbie pole-- but not a five year
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| | to our outpost--sans hooks-- which must
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| old macho boy!!It didn't take long before
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| | have been lost along the trail. This
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| the next fish was dancing around with the
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| | limits our stay in the Northcountry, and
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| worm, and soon the kids were reeling in
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| | we soon head back to Fort Fish Bucket,
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| fish left and right and dropping them
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| | with a few more fish-- and tales of the
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| into the fish bucket. Well, I guess we
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| | wild.Lesson number three is for the
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| did most of the dropping into the bucket,
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| | adults.There is so much fun to be had
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| since the kids thought the fish should
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| | along the way, and the true joy of
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| just submit quietly when being removed
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| | fishing is ALL the things that go on, in
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| from the hook. The flopping and wiggling
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| | and around the act of fishing. The
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| of the fish induced happy shrieks and
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| | stories, the anticipation, the
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| giggles and once the fish were
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| | environment around you--all things that
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| "stabilized" into the fish bucket-- then
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| | can be overlooked when we are hell bent
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| it was O.K. to pet and observe the fish
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| | on CATCHING fish.We caught a MESS a fish
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| in a more controlled environment.Kids are
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| | that day and when we got back to the
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| pretty accepting at this age. They seem
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| | ranch--it was time for the cleaning and
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| to understand that it is O.K. to
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| | eating of our days catch. Lesson four, is
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| appreciate and find the fish "cute", as
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| | that you should wear gloves when cleaning
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| well as have them for dinner. They are
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| | those spiny sharp little Crappie and
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| fish afterall, and there is no worry of
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| | Bass-- or at least have some band aids
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| "endangered species" on Grandpa's
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| | ready.Lesson five, was that as fishermen
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| pond.Kids usually also have the attention
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| | and fisherwomen we should always have
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| span of a Cocker Spaniel at this age, so
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| | respect for the animals that give their
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| after about a half hour of catching
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| | lives up to sustain ours. The kids
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| fish,(and releasing the small ones) in
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| | enjoyed eating the fish as much as the
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| order to keep it interesting for them you
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| | catching, especially when you mixed 'em
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| have to get creative.The first thing I
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| | up with enough mashed taters. James even
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| do, is tell the kids that now we are
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| | wanted to bring some of his catch home so
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| going to try and catch the Shark that is
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| | his dad could have some.We talked of the
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| in the pond. James thinks this is really
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| | days successful fishing and James shared
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| COOL. He is a little skeptical, and more
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| | with us- tales of another fishing trip to
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| than sure that Sharks don't live in small
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| | Applegate lake--where he, his dad, and
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| ponds in Shady Cove Oregon-- but he is
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| | some friends caught some trout.Guess they
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| willing to go along with the "fish tale"
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| | weren't able to catch any Sharks
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| after I let him know that these are
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| | either!!A.J. Klott
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| "freshwater" Sharks. As I show him the
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| | Author, writer of fishing humor,and "fly
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| special technique I use to entice the
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| | tack" peddler.A.J. writes about the
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| "freshwater" Sharks from the murky deep-
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| | people,characters and modern day events
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| I cast into the reeds and as the bait
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| | that surround the fishing world. His
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| starts to circle I ask him if he thinks
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| | first book is due out in December of
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| that it might be a Shark nibble. The
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| | 2005.
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