GOING BACK

I grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York. Back in the 1950's the Department of Environmental Conservation had a program to encourage landowners to build what were referred to as "conservation ponds". If approved they would do a site assessment including watershed survey soil analysis etc to determine the suitability of the proposed location and they would pay half the cost of construction and stock the pond with largemouth bass and pumpkinseed sunfish for forage. We were approved and the pond dug and stocked.

My dad was not a fisherman by any stretch but realized myself and my siblings might like to fish so sent away to Sears Roebuck and Company (where most everything we owned came from) and took advantage of a deal (which was only how my dad bought anything) for a 100 piece collection of tackle for $11. As you might imagine every one of those 100 pieces was junk.

At 9 years old I read the instructions and mounted the spinning reel to a rod that was as stiff as a hickory branch and spooled it with line that was as thick and stiff as a hickory branch. I selected a silver spoon as my lure of choice. I didn't know anything about fisherman's knots but discovered if you tied about a dozen square knots in a row you could keep your lure on for a few casts. I took my first cast and with the rod and line being so stiff and the lure so light it went about 19"

Being a quick thinker I realized more weight was required so looking in the tackle box at the remaining 96 pieces of tackle I saw what I later identified as a casting plug. I cut off about 18" of line and using the multiple square method tentatively tied the plug to one of the treble hooks on the spoon. With the added weight I made a decent cast and caught a 10" bass on the spoon trailed with a casting plug (feel free to use this little known method).

The thrill I felt was indescribable and led to a lifetime of chasing the next bite. Now 63 years later I returned to that pond with better tackle and technique. I took a cast and first thing caught a real nice pumkinseed sunfish. The next cast produced a bass about the size as the first fish I ever caught. The thrill is still there. Nobody has ever added fish to that pond and apparently it has never been overfished. In fact my niece caught a nice 5lb bass out of there a couple weeks ago. A testament to the the science and the resilience of nature.


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Still looking for that pond to fish.

good write up Kunes:cheers2

Good story. Brought memories of our old farm pond that I used to fish growing up.

Not quite the same but...I live on the Savannah River chain lakes and even though I can be on Lake Russell in 10 minutes I would rather make the 35 min. to 1 hr drive to fish Clark Hill. That's the lake I cut my teeth on as a teenager and to this day it is still my favorite. Sure...I can catch fish on the other lakes but it just doesnt feel like "home" to me there.

It had to feel good to revisit that pond your Dad had built and the one you cut your first teeth fishing on. I grew up swimming and fishing in a creek we neighborhood boys rode our bikes to. Spent many a nite there camping too. It has been many years since I was able to visit that spot (land fenced off now) but it still holds alot of memories as I know that pond does for you. Thanks for sharing and reminding me of some old memories I have too.:)

Good read, thanks for sharing

Great read. Glad you got to go back and catch some in the place where the love of fishing started for you

Kunes, enjoyed your story as it brings back many memories of my youth as well fishing those farm ponds and the Saluda River. I can only imagine the memories that pour back in your mind fishing there.
Like Butch, Clark Hill is the lake I learned to really be a good fisherman and it is still my favorite too but given a chance to fish an old pond I jump on it! :highfive

Good stuff right there. I grew up near Kings Creek. Catchin knotty heads , catfish.., most everything in the water . But first real fishin trip was when Pop took me to a carp pond pay lake! I was in high cotton then. I only caught one carp that day but that’s enough to get ya hooked . I’ve fished fresh water and salt water more than I can count. But look where I’m sitting right now. Still hooked on it! Attachment 433034


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