Adding insult to injury
@Sandra1952 (6047)
Spain
June 13, 2011 5:42pm CST
I can't stop laughing about what's happened over the last few days. As some of you know, I write a lot for Helium, and last week I learned that I'd won a writing contest about fishing, along with a prize of $50.
We have friends staying with us, and my husband, Tony, and Len, are very keen fishermen. While they were pleased about the money, they were amazed that little me, who knows nothing about fishing, had won a contest writing about it. I explained that it was an easy topic to research, and if you can research it, you can write about it.
A couple of days ago, they decided to go beach fishing, so I went with them to sunbathe and paddle in the rock pools. They caught nothing all day, but I managed to trap a fair-sized fish in my beach shoe, completely by accident. They had all the gear and no idea, and I caught the fish. Has something like this ever happened to you? And did it go down as badly as this went down with my husband and his friend?
3 people like this
12 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
14 Jun 11
LOL, that is absolutely brilliant! Nothing like that's happened to me but thanks for giving me a good chuckle this morning!!
2 people like this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Spike. Glad to be of service. For some reason, the men don't seem to find it as funny as everyone who's come into the discussion. I wonder why? Perhaps I should give them a break - or perhaps not. 
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jun 11
The crayfish is still alive and well and living in the goldfish tank. That was her first of 2 escapes...
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Dawn and Barbara. I love that one, but it does require more skill to catch one in the water rather than in the living room. Still, well done to your daughter. Was it crayfish salad for supper, or did the crayfish live to tell the tale?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
14 Jun 11
Oh, I have had stuff happen about knowing how to do stuff, but not so obviously as your occurrence. It does not make me any less likely to chuckle and gloat about it.
2 people like this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, GG. Yes, it is funny. They spent hours before we went talking about which bait they were going to use, and sorting out all the reels and rods and tackle, then it was all for nothing.
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
14 Jun 11
I enjoy fishing and really never thought about writing about it. I went fishing once with a couple of friends on a large lake. We had been fishing for about an hour with no luck. We moved the boat a bit and got into a stripe run. Now stripe when feeding in a school like that will bite at anything. The water is swirling and fish are jumping everywhere and it is so exciting. But before we could even cast out, about three good-sized stripe jumped into the boat!!!! We thought about just seeing how many we could land like that but went ahead and cast. I think we caught about 15 in ten minutes. Those runs don't last long and you're lucky to find one.
1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
14 Jun 11
Men can't stand it when a woman out-fishes them. I once caught a 13# cat fish while fishing from rip-rap at lakeside. There were several men around and one or two of 'em started moseying closer to me to see what I was using for bait.
I always caught fish there as I knew where the spawning holes were and knew to use chicken livers as bait. All I had to do was drop a chicken liver practically on top of the fish's head to get 'em to grab it trying to move it away.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Yes, I think you're right. They seem to think only men know anything about fishing, but you proved them right. Like the tip for the catfish. It's surprising actually what you can use as bait when you look into it. I might go fishing with them next time rather than just sunbathing. That should really annoy them!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Yoyo. That's a really good story - those fish must have really wanted to go home with you. I've just told the men about this, and now they're even more ticked off. Sounds like that was a great trip.
@walking2010 (1009)
• United States
20 Jul 11
That was a funny story It must was something in your shoes that the fish wanted LOl, Congrats..
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
20 Jul 11
Hello, Walking2010. Perhaps you're right - never thought of it that way.
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Yes, I have my own "fish story." 
When I was about 13, I went fishing with my family on a deep-sea party boat off the Jersey shore. There were mostly older men and a few women on the boat; only a couple of kids besides myself and my brother. I knew NOTHING about fishing, couldn't even really bait my own hook, untangle my line, tie on the lures, or anything. I even managed to hook and tangle all of the other people's lines on the other side of the boat! Even so, I caught the second largest flounder that day, beating out all of the men on the boat (the only fish larger than mine was caught by a woman). Boy were those serious fishermen mad! But my family and I thought it was hilarious. 
When I was about 13, I went fishing with my family on a deep-sea party boat off the Jersey shore. There were mostly older men and a few women on the boat; only a couple of kids besides myself and my brother. I knew NOTHING about fishing, couldn't even really bait my own hook, untangle my line, tie on the lures, or anything. I even managed to hook and tangle all of the other people's lines on the other side of the boat! Even so, I caught the second largest flounder that day, beating out all of the men on the boat (the only fish larger than mine was caught by a woman). Boy were those serious fishermen mad! But my family and I thought it was hilarious. 1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
20 Jul 11
Hello, Suzieqmom. I love that one - obviously this is a more widespread occurrence than I first thought. Just go to show that we girls can do anything we decide to turn our hands to, and do it quietly and without fuss - and better than the guys. Perhaps our theme tune should be 'Anything you can do, I can do better.'
@Suzieqmom (2755)
• United States
20 Jul 11
For sure--although I always tell my husband that he is better at taking out the garbage than I am!
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
14 Jun 11
All together now...
"I am woman, I can do anything!"
Did your research help in catching your fish?
Did your research help in catching your fish?
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Barbara. Love the song, but funnily enough the boys weren't impressed with it. 
And no, the research was no help catching the fish - but my 2 euro beach shoe did a better job than all their expensive gear. I think that's what really hurt.
And no, the research was no help catching the fish - but my 2 euro beach shoe did a better job than all their expensive gear. I think that's what really hurt.1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
14 Jun 11
Zero knowledge of how to cast a net in the sea does not affect the creativity of a writer. I know that writers are full of brilliant ideas to come up with interesting and catchy piece of write-ups on any subjects. You not only mesmerized the judges by winning the writing contest but your out of the world idea using your beach shoe to catch a fish must have embarrassed those around you who are more knowledgeable in fishing. Congratulations! For me I don't think I have ever made myself proud of coming out good in a dual tasks, in theory and practical. 
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Zandi, and thanks for that. As you say, if you can write, you can usually put a spin on most things, and it's good to learn about new stuff. Catching the fish was a total accident - I bet if I tried to do it again, I couldn't.
Mind you, we were on the beach once at low tide, and there were some huge mussels on the rocks. I had nothing to collect them in, so I filled my bikini top with mussels. Now that was creative!
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Jun 11
hi sandra oh yes thats really fuuny. well I had never fished at the beach before and we women parted from the guys after they bet that we women not having any fishing expertise would not catch anything., they were gone long enough for my friend and I to stop at the fisherman's dory and buy some nice big freshly caught fish and asked them to leave them whole. We explained we were tricking our men folk. So we met at the desired cafe and we showed them our catch. they were not happy as they had c aught one small fish which they threw back in. They never did know about this for nearly three years til my husband found an old receipt for fish bought from the Fisherman's dory. He had to laugh as all that time they really believed we had caught all those b ig fish. loll lol loll.
1 person likes this
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, Hatley. That's absolutely brilliant - even better than my story. You deserve an Oscar for keeping your face straight while you told the lie, and then keeping up the pretence for three years. 
You deserve an Oscar for keeping your face straight while you told the lie, and then keeping up the pretence for three years. 
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
20 Jun 11
I can't say that anything like this has ever happened to me, but it is a very interesting story!
I think this just goes to show that you really deserve the $50 reward, and that maybe you have an unknown passion that you still have to tap into.
Maybe a fisherman in a previous life?!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
20 Jun 11
Hello, Bounce. No, I'm not a closet fisherman - the only place I'm interested in fish is on my plate. However, you might be right about the previous life thing.
@AnupamArt (101)
• India
14 Jun 11
Now that's a story!
A funny but profitable(for you!)story.
They say miracles happen in movies only. Then they are wrong. Small miracles like fishing by beach shoes are may not be world saving but memorable ones. I bet you won't forget about it in your whole life! When you wear a pair of beach shoes, or see your husband and friends going for fishing this thing will catch you for sure. May such miracles happen again and to me too!
@Sandra1952 (6047)
• Spain
14 Jun 11
Hello, AnupamArt, and welcome to MyLot. Yes, this story will keep me smiling for a while yet - and all our friends.
