|
Author
|
Topic: Ben Lewis?
|
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-19-1999 10:46 AM
Below is a condensed extract from a piece by Ben Lewis, ostensibly about fishing, but really about life. I think it's a wonderful little piece, but I'm interested in reading the whole work. It was written by "Ben Lewis" who may have been an American. Can anyone tell me anything about him or the work this came from? It says it all about why I fish, but also says a lot more. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Shadows of twilight were sprinkled lightly over the river like a beautiful woman in candlelight, trees and water turned lush in the soft vermilion glow of sunset. The trees primped before the mirror of the streams. Only occasionally was the reflection disturbed by a series of rings, nature's memorial to a fly surprised by a trout.
Upstream this moment of peace was being ignored by youthful anglers. But here there was no such sacrilege, for the old man on the bank had too few sunsets left to him.
He sat as still as the stump at his back, head lifted in prayer. The only movement was smoke curling from his pipe. His fishing rod was ignored . But in his eyes was a softness, a twinkling. Now he was content.
The rod arched, the old man reached down and pulled in the line. A brown trout decorated the hook. A gnarled old hand reached out. The old man paused thoughtfully for a moment then chuckled." Sunset is no time to die," he said aloud as he slipped the trout back into the stream .
The old man didn't bother to bait his hook again. He didn't have time. The sun was setting.
Just then a young boy came wading up the stream and climbed the bank. "Four hours steady without a nibble", he said, "What a waste of time".
"Yes son", said the old man softly, " It's a waste of time if you're fishing just for fish".
" Take some time and advice. Slow down long enough to look about you. Watch a deer drinking from the stream. Give more than a casual look at the busy squirrels, or to the mallard taking off in a hurry. Smell a flower…..watch a sunset".
" God's handiwork is about you, it's worthy of notice".
The old man pulled a fat trout from his haversack. "Here, young man", he said, " If it's fish you're after, take this".
A look of amazement was on the boy's face. Then he grinned at the fish as he started to go. But he paused for a moment to smell a wild flower.
------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm |
duncan
Senior Member
|
posted 12-19-1999 01:15 PM
 
Have'nt heard it put better, I'm glad some one had time to fish this year. Between the buisness and restarting the project our time has been limited.
Sorry that we have no info on your author, if his other works is as good, he'd be worth reading. |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-20-1999 03:02 PM
What would you fish for if you had the time?
We get a lot of your angling shows by satellite, and I'm much impressed by the preference for lure fishing. A friend brings lures back from annual trips to Canada, and the quality and design are superb. It is not our preferred method, though sometimes it is the fishes, and so we must adapt. We prefer bait, although fly fishing is predominant in the game fishing fraternity ( Game fishing over here is for trout & salmon, not marlin and so on). Coarse fishing describes other quarry from freshwater such as the specimens on my page.------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm Gordon. |
duncan
Senior Member
|
posted 12-20-1999 06:31 PM
Well, catfish is well liked around this house, its easy to fish for, bait or no bait, sometimes a shiny new hook is all that is needed. A 40 pound or better is not uncommun in our bigger lakes, caught on a trout line most of the time. Crappie and what we call sunfish are for fun. Bass is real well liked in this area. I have seen a gar bite a moveing tire on a vehical going through deep water in a river once, too many teeth, thank you. That 4 foot dinosaur had to be killed to get him{her}? to release.
Did not do that tire any good either! Mostly we bank fish with bait or worms, and have fun when we do. We eat what we catch, if its big enough. |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-21-1999 07:54 AM
Catfish (Wels) have been introduced to several ornamental lakes in England, and are sought after as specimen fish. These things take decades to reach the sort of weight the enthusiasts are looking for, and that could be over 100 pounds. It doesn't appeal to me, sitting for weeks without a bite, and unable to move the bait.When you do get a fish on, you are apparently pulling a dead weight, because I'm told they don't fight. Pike are my main quarry, teeth and all! Leather gauntlets and long artery forceps come in handy for unhooking, and beware of the little uns, they do most damage to unprotected hands by struggling. the big ones play dead once out of the water, if you handle them properly.------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm Gordon. [This message has been edited by wurdsmiff (edited 12-21-1999).] |
Philip Davis
unregistered
|
posted 12-21-1999 12:19 PM
And Pike have that medieval castle feel, or is the halbards? |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-21-1999 12:45 PM
A variety of (tenuous) links spring to mind.
Pike are a traditional medieval Xmas meal, in some parts of Europe.
The fish took it's name from the weapon due to similarity of shape.
And some of the best spots in Scottish lochs & rivers for catching them lie below some of the better ruins, Bothwell, Lochmaben, Kilchurn (pronounced Kilhoorn), Kenmure .......
The monks of Inchmahome Priory on Lake of Menteith were known to have fished for this important part of their diet by catching perch, tethering them to the leg of a swan by a fine line, and having the swan on a long lead. The pike ate the perch, the swan became distressed, and the monks played tug o'war with the pike, the swan being even more distressed by being stuck in the middle. No RSPB in them days!
------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm Gordon. |
duncan
Senior Member
|
posted 12-21-1999 02:16 PM
The cat fish here put up a fight. Maybe not the best but still worth the effort. Perch are fun to. I thought the weapon took its name from the fish. Weapons have often taken on the shape of natural items. In fact, as a 3d generation blade maker, I still find shapes for my skinning knifes in the places that nature put the first need. [This message has been edited by duncan (edited 08-23-2001).] |
duncan
Senior Member
|
posted 12-21-1999 04:32 PM
Now we know why swans have a long neck, It's not genetics, it's the monks!!------------------
Megan [This message has been edited by duncan (edited 07-07-2000).] |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-21-1999 04:59 PM
Mmm, debatable about fish name or weapon, and which came first. You may be right, or it might be me. It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Many common names for fish did not originate until much later than folks suspect. Many fish were imported to UK by the various invaders/immigrants as a source of food. Carp are commonly associated with the Romans. Much of the distribution of the various species is as a result of human action (especially anglers), and pike are a relatively late addition to some parts of Britain. Many books argue in favour of the weapon being named first, though I have also seen your side of the story in writing. I suppose it comes down to preference. Your argument about weapons taking on natural forms can be extended to many other manufactured goods. Aeroplanes still have wings and are shaped like large birds. Electrical circuitry could be seen as being modelled on the nervous system of the body. But sometimes the names go the other way. The Baltimore Oriole for instance did not give it's name to the city, the Roosterfish to a male chicken, or the Sunfish to our nearest star.
It makes you wonder about other things, was Otto Titzlinger the real inventor of the an item of underwear?, and what on earth was Roald Dahl thinking of when he named his book "Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory"?
Sorry folks, I had promised not to tell jokes, and these are very old ones.
|
Philip Davis
unregistered
|
posted 12-21-1999 10:56 PM
Do you know any other sort Gordon.
The naming I find fascinating is the number of birds with personal names as their origin. The Robin, the Jenny, the Magpie (pied Margaret), the Albert Ross and the Walter Pigeon. |
wurdsmiff
unregistered
|
posted 12-22-1999 04:19 PM
some more strange birds for you, not all with long necks;
Spectacled Warbler, Sociable Plover, Khaki Campbell, Trumpeter Finch.
All genuine species, and material for a cartoonist if ever there was!------------------
'Give me the groves that lofty brave,
The storms, by Castle Gordon'.
Visit my web-site at
www.castlesontheweb.com/members/wurdsmiff/castles.htm Gordon. | |
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone!
Castle Quest
