Two points, only, (wait, read this Virgo scope from June, 2005) last week’s big Carp deal. And upcoming at Bookpeople.
The big carp deal is exciting for me, as I get exposed to a number of fishermen, some from far-flung destinations, and I get hear fishing stories. And, as it turns out, our little lake, right here in the middle of downtown Austin, is one of the best places to fish for carp. Which, I might add, are considered a delicate sport fish by many people, world-wide. Not exactly native, but strong fish. Nor, for that matter, do the local carp enjoy good street cred.
Standing around under the First Street Bridge, Scott Edmonson was fishing. He’s from Mass. Has one of those “Boston” accents, the heavy New England tone, indigenous to the frozen North East. I think the accent is a little rural, as in no quite Boston, but maybe a suburb, or points just a tad west of there. Or something. Them New England folks, they’re okay, but who wants to go to Vermont, anyway? The event was put on by the American Carp Society, and the tournament has a fairly arcane set of rules, involving pegs, weights, fish-handling, and so forth.
I spoke with Scott several times, under the bridge. He was a wealth of information, and his three rods, 12-footers, each had his name on the butt-end. Custom rods can be pricey. I watched one time as heaved a long cast out. Another time, just as I wandered up, he was dripping sweat, his socks and sandals were wet and muddy, and he was clutching an apparently inert black bag. In the water.
He had just landed a big fish. Very big fish. Very pregnant big fish. Whale, to me. For the day, that put him back in the hunt for the big prize money. Earlier, he and his father had fished the team tournament, and his father had an unofficial state record. Since the fish wasn’t weighed on certified scales, it didn’t make it as a record, but allegedly, it was 45 pounds.
The American Carp Society – from various websites – what I’ve gleaned – there’s a fair amount of protocol that goes with this kind of fishing. Like an “unhooking mat,” which can be a simple, closed-cell foam pad, but the fish are treated gently, so as not to harm the wildlife. “Fish are friends, not food.”
The pictures I took were done while the officials were present for the certified weigh-in for that fish. Both of the officials had clipped British accents. I didn’t inquire, wasn’t my place, I was almost late for dinner, but I did want to see what the behemoth weighed. Plus I enjoy the look of love in a fisherman’s eye.
While he was standing in the water, gripping his bag of big fish, Scott was telling me a little about politics, and issues and so forth. He was personally against bow-hunting for carp, but the flip side of that question, he was also against outlawing bow-hunting.
Now, his secret bait for catching that fish? Much earlier he explained and gave me a whiff, opening a can under my nose. It smelled like a fruity rum drink, looked and smelled like there should be a tiny paper umbrella sticking out of the can of bait.
“Close to 6th Street,” he joked. Or maybe he was serious. I don’t understand Yankee subtleties.
One man’s delicacy is another man’s trash fish. Just goes to show (insert something witty here).
The official Texas State Record was caught in Austin, so I was assured.
(Scott Edmonson with his 36.6 pound carp.)
And sad, but true, I’ll be when Christopher Moore will be here, in his words, “to pimp death.”
Partial author listing, all recommended…
Practical Demon Keeping
Coyote Blue
Blood Sucking Fiends
Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
Island of the Sequined Love Nun
Lamb (Historical, hysterical, and very much recommended to anyone who’s not an extremely devout Xtian)
Fluke (save the whales)
The Stupidest Angel (Xmas done right)
A Dirty Job
Chris Moore, from my limited interaction, is probably a whole ton of fun, and it looks like Bookpeople has the only Texas appearance for his book tour.
Since I’m at least passing familiar with his ouvre, and as such, I can make a couple of recommendations, besides buying them all, per the current Leo scope, Practical Demon Keeping, Lamb, and, of course, the most recent, which is a really fine bit of textual content about death, the old gods, San Francisco, with a touch of political satire, and my favorite, introducing the Beta Male, A Dirty Job.
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