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The 35-year Retrospective.

In 1984, after eight years of marriage, the wife and I hit a rough patch and separated. A friend owned a three-bedroom trailer parked at a boat dock on Center Hill Lake and I moved up there. I had quit my job and was just about flat broke. That was when I decided to become a full-time, freelance writer. Prior to that, my writing was just a sideline. I lived off fishing, guiding fishermen and hunting. Fortunately, I started selling stories right away. Bowhunter and BASS Master were two of my earliest consistent markets. I made just enough off my newspaper column to live on and the money from magazines was gravy. I know I sure ate a lot of fish and deer meat. Squirrel was the normal, breakfast meat. Some weeks, I fished every day. Some weeks, I hunted. There were quite a few deer on the land around the lake and I actually did pretty well. I had a recurve and one of those new compound thingies and a bunch of aluminum arrows. I had a rifle, a shotgun, a boat and motor, a beat up truck and plenty of fishing equipment. To tell the truth, I lived pretty dadgum well.

Then the wife and I got back together and my writing took off and we have now been married 43-years. I know that period was tough because I remember it being that way. But on the other hand…Well, just think about it. You live on a lake full of fish, you have a boat, motor and plenty of fishing equipment. The shore is full of game and you make enough cash money to pay all the bills, buy supplies and even have a little left over. Hmmm how tough could it have been. This is me in 1984, on the boat dock with a mixed stringer of bass and stripe my clients caught.

Bowriter....Reading Bowsite daily starts my day. It is always interesting to listen to opinions, experiences, and thoughts of "Bowsite regulars". Your "Retrospective" thread today made me reflect on some of the different chapters of my life.......which I do more often now. My expiration date is more visible now than it was thirty five years ago. Atticus Finch said "You never really understand a man til you walk around in his shoes". Isn't that the truth. Today is the oldest I have ever been. It is also the youngest I will ever be. Thanks for causing me to reflect.

Hey Grape, you ever consider, the more birthdays you have, the older you get?

Yep

Even without the Birthdays!

Times have sure changed since then, Not always for the better either. I wish I could go back in time and hunt in the 70s and 80s before every Tom, Dick, and Harry watched a hunting show and decided to buy a bow. Marriage is way more important than Hunting, but on the other hand seems like it would be a pretty Fun time in the moment.

Stripe = Perch ???

Stripe=white bass, bar fish, sand trout whatever, depending on where you live. True name is white bass. Here, we have stripe, stripers and hybrids to make it more confusing, we have two types of stripe-white and yellow. Stripers are known locally as Rockfish and we frequently catch them up to 40 pounds or more. State record is around 60. Hybrid is a cross between a striper and a white bass, weight up to 20 or a tad more. This is a striper or rockfish.

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