I got this idea from an newspaper article written about the passing away of an 80 year old fishermen that Reports posted in the Hudson forum. It always saddens me to hear about the passing of these fishing old-timers. They carry so much knowledge to their graves.
Originally, I posted a story in that thread about Chaddy, a person who taught me much of what I now know about boating in the area of Maine I currently striper fish. But, the more I thought about it, the more I figured that it might be neat to create this commemorative thread where we pick someone who has passed away that has helped us achieve a fishing related goal.
Maybe if we get enough stories, Jim will turn this thread into a sticky, sort of a headstone. I swear, as I get older, I'm getting more sentimental. Anyway, here's my story. I'd love to read yours.
I got to know Chaddy, a Maine lobsterman, when we first moved there. He was an old-timer even then. I went out with him many times after we were introduced, helping him bait his traps and band the caught lobbies. In exchange he taught me what I needed to know about boating in the area, since he'd been lobstering the Saco/Biddeford area for over 40 years. The half dozen lobbies he'd throw my way as thanks for helping him were nice to, but that's not why I did it.
I remember meeting him early one foggy morning on the dock at our prearranged time. I asked whether he was heading out in this soup. He said, absolutely, there's no wind with calm seas and pulling traps will be easy. I said, Yea, but can you find them...you don't even have GPS? He just looked at me and said, get in the skiff and start rowing to the boat. We pulled 8 strings of traps (200) that morning in the thickest pea soup I've ever boated in. Only once did he have difficulty finding one of his strings. So he headed to where he knew Wood Island was. Once he caught sight of the Island he spun the boat and found that lost string in minutes...he just needed to get his bearings.
When we got back to the dock all the other lobstermen were there drinking coffee complaining about the fog while we hoisted 250 keepers from the boat to the dock. They were all jabbing him for going out in the fog. He just said, "you boys with all your electronic gizmos afraid of a little fog. Hell this ain't nothing....in fact, I let Tony here captain the boat and he had no problem." Of course he was lying but he left them guessing.
Chaddy died two winters ago. I considered him the last of the old-timer lobstermen in my area. I think about him quite often as I run my boat through areas where he had placed his traps. It was an honor and privilege to mate for him. And when I see his old boat now motoring the area with a fresh coat of paint, all decked out with the latest in radar and GPS electronics, and it's new captain, I remember what he said to those other lobstermen that foggy morning years ago, "you boys with all your electronic gizmos afraid of a little fog". I smile and wave, while at the same time, I'm conjuring up a picture, in my minds eye, of Chaddy at the helm.
Gone, but not forgotten.
Originally, I posted a story in that thread about Chaddy, a person who taught me much of what I now know about boating in the area of Maine I currently striper fish. But, the more I thought about it, the more I figured that it might be neat to create this commemorative thread where we pick someone who has passed away that has helped us achieve a fishing related goal.
Maybe if we get enough stories, Jim will turn this thread into a sticky, sort of a headstone. I swear, as I get older, I'm getting more sentimental. Anyway, here's my story. I'd love to read yours.
I got to know Chaddy, a Maine lobsterman, when we first moved there. He was an old-timer even then. I went out with him many times after we were introduced, helping him bait his traps and band the caught lobbies. In exchange he taught me what I needed to know about boating in the area, since he'd been lobstering the Saco/Biddeford area for over 40 years. The half dozen lobbies he'd throw my way as thanks for helping him were nice to, but that's not why I did it.
I remember meeting him early one foggy morning on the dock at our prearranged time. I asked whether he was heading out in this soup. He said, absolutely, there's no wind with calm seas and pulling traps will be easy. I said, Yea, but can you find them...you don't even have GPS? He just looked at me and said, get in the skiff and start rowing to the boat. We pulled 8 strings of traps (200) that morning in the thickest pea soup I've ever boated in. Only once did he have difficulty finding one of his strings. So he headed to where he knew Wood Island was. Once he caught sight of the Island he spun the boat and found that lost string in minutes...he just needed to get his bearings.
When we got back to the dock all the other lobstermen were there drinking coffee complaining about the fog while we hoisted 250 keepers from the boat to the dock. They were all jabbing him for going out in the fog. He just said, "you boys with all your electronic gizmos afraid of a little fog. Hell this ain't nothing....in fact, I let Tony here captain the boat and he had no problem." Of course he was lying but he left them guessing.
Chaddy died two winters ago. I considered him the last of the old-timer lobstermen in my area. I think about him quite often as I run my boat through areas where he had placed his traps. It was an honor and privilege to mate for him. And when I see his old boat now motoring the area with a fresh coat of paint, all decked out with the latest in radar and GPS electronics, and it's new captain, I remember what he said to those other lobstermen that foggy morning years ago, "you boys with all your electronic gizmos afraid of a little fog". I smile and wave, while at the same time, I'm conjuring up a picture, in my minds eye, of Chaddy at the helm.
Gone, but not forgotten.