Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Teach A Girl To Fish...

Shhh....don't tell anyone. I'm supposed to be at work, pounding away on a website. BORING. But when two Rangers invite you to go fishing off the rocks at Yaquina Head, well...it's just bad manners to refuse. Plus, the SUN IS SHINING. Yeah, I know. I can't believe it either.

Now the X used to invite me fly fishing all the time...and he always traveled to beautiful places. Like Argentina. But I never went. Not once. Which, in retrospect, might explain some things. Problem was...he was a catch and release man (yes, I too see the deeper meaning in that). Now catch and release is Noble, yes, in a Sierra-Club-Kind-Of-Way, but the bridge between Second Edition's stomach and her Happy Place is, well...surprisingly short. Not only am I turned on by food, I'm turned on by men who are turned on by food and I'm really turned on by men who hunt, gather, forage and fish for their own food. See, I never got over my crush on Pa from Little House on the Prairie, especially after the book went to TV and Michael Landon, with his long curly hair and elegant tight-pant walk, just sat himself right down in my heart's easy chair.

This is where the Ranger winces because he's thinking, Jesus honey, my MOTHER READS THIS. Like I said, dear, YOU were the one who gave her the blog name because YOU were too drunk to edit your answer when she asked, "So what have you guys been up to?" Plus, as a middle-aged woman, I'm sure she's happy that my middle-aged Happy Place is happy and is even happier, as a mother, that your Happy Place is happy, too. But I digress.

So anyway, the Rangers taught me how to fish. Using sand crabs as bait, we hunkered down with our rods and a couple sixes, lulled by the incoming tide and the pelicans flying overhead. Now, like any sport, fishing is filled with Good Lucks and Bad Lucks.

Drinking beer...lots of beer: Good Luck
Heckling other fishermen: Good Luck
Using sunscreen: Bad Luck
Reading a book with one hand while holding pole with other: Very Bad Luck
Answering your cell phone: Just Plain Stupid

Yet, who caught the bull trout, the 16-inch green beauty with the turquoise flesh that turns white and opaque when rubbed with olive oil and stuffed with lemons, parsley, basil and cilantro and then grilled to perfection alongside some corn cobs and pumpkin squash. Well, THAT WOULD BE ME.



Second Edition's First Fish

I still remember a photo the Ranger emailed me after our first meeting here in Fish Town, after I drove off to Seattle to start my new life THERE. It was a shot of him holding a 32-pound King Salmon that he'd just caught in the Alsea River. The note was two lines: Come to the coast. I'll catch them if you cook them.

Deal. 'cept I want to catch some, too.

5 comments:

Kylita said...

Awesome! You are the Sea Otter!!! Strange green fish with turquoise innards! Tasty?
Loved the part about Ranger's photo of the 32" salmon with his note. How very romantic ;oD
Love,
SisSTAR
p.s. I used to bass fish with jitterbugs, it was fun until the fish hit at the shoreline and freaked me out--and got away.

Winged Librarian said...

I don't know that I believed the turquoise flesh until I saw it. Amazing.
While up on the OC (Oregon Coast, in this case), I stood with the Siuslaw River on one side and the mighty Pacific on the other and thought, "Dang! I could cast for trout in the morning and surf/ocean kayak/boogie board in the afternoon? This just might be nirvana."
Congrats on the one that didn't get away (and I mean that in oh, so many ways).

yogamomma said...

What day did you go fishing? Tennessee and the daughter went yesterday a.m. at Seal Rock and South Jetty with no luck at all. Glad you got a beautiful catch, mmmmmmm.....

Anonymous said...

i hope those blue boys taste as good as they look, i want one-& a Ranger too. Who is this other Ranger you write about? Is he cute & available? I want what you got!

Second Edition said...

As a matter of fact, that Other Ranger is cute and available...he often appears in these Fish Tales as The Neighbor because he's that, too. And yes, these fish were mighty tasty although a bit bony. Lots of spitting.