Just Before Dark

I remember spending some time with an old friend and walking around his eight-acre farm. The sun was just going down as we approached the pond on the backside of the farm. It was a beautiful pond and laid next to a small creek that feed lots of fresh cold water.

Cat tail and lily pads lined the backs and in some areas trees leaned over the pond showing there images like a face in the mirror. Frogs and night birds started their evening songs and the whiz of a passing dragonflies all added to the beauty of the day and moment.

I asked my friend if he fished the pond much and what was his biggest fish.

He told me that it was hard for him to fish during the summer because he was so busy with his chores and other work that it was hard to find time to give it a good work out. But in this winter he would put out an ice shanty and catch all kinds of blue gills and crappies. Many times he caught some fish of good size.

He and his wife liked to have a good blue gill dinner and share them with his neighbors and friends.

I asked him if he ever saw bass of any size come from the pond.

'No, but I know there in there.' He said. 'I think they're to smart for me.'

The sun dropped down behind a tree line and all still came to the pond. The surface of the pond was like a piece of glass except for a small wake made by a muskrat making his way to a hole in the banks. A good boil came about on the other side by the edge of some water lilies.

As we walked along my old friend notice a guarder snake in the grass. It was about 2 feet in length and was dark grey green with a yellow belly. He grabbed the snake by the tail and with a quick whip of the wrist the snake sailed though the air and landed out to the edge where we had seen the boil. The snake's head came up and we watched as it started to swim to the far bank. It wasn't long to wait and the water churned and rolled. As the water settled there was no snake to be seen. I looked at my friend with a smile and said I had better start throwing some larger lures and flies if I want action like that.

So the next time your fishing a nice little pond and it's just before dark, reach in the old tackle box and find something of good size that floats and wiggles. Get ready for some hot action and lots of fun because it will only last a short time.

Good luck.

John Book