By Jay Kerner

The Queen and I frequently walk the parkway. (Thanks for our fabulous walking trails, by the way, to everyone involved.)  Anyway, we came to Corby Pond and noticed a higher than usual number of fishermen on the banks.

People have always fished here as far back as I remember, but it’s typically been just a couple or three at a time. Lately I’ve seen a steady increase and began to wonder if it has anything to do with the price of groceries. “Catch and release” is a popular approach with a lot of anglers, but these days maybe more folks are thinking catfish dinner!

I told the Queen to take a lap without me while I did some schmoozing.

I saw what looked like about 8 different groups scattered around the shore on a Thursday afternoon. Among those I talked to was Orbie Frakes who told me he fishes there pretty often and definitely has noticed an increase. He was fishing with his daughter Rachael, 17 whose record catch from Corby was a 4# catfish.

I took in the lawn chairs and the coolers. I saw cane poles, Zebco’s and 2-foot Snoopy rods. I watched bobbers go under and full stringers held up for inspection. I met husbands and wives, parents and kids, grandparents and grandkids, fishing buddies of every stripe. It made me think of my own fishing stories.

Starting with the picture above. That’s yours truly circa 1963, taken at Horseshoe

My grandparents took me to the old pay lake with an outing of their social dance club. They were big Fox Trotters, that bunch. When I hooked the 22 pound monster it was all I could do to not get pulled in. Grandpa stuck a finger in my belt loop to keep me dry, and eventually I reeled the fish in to the bank. He was too big for our little net, so the guy from the bait shack ran down with a bigger one. They got him on land and wrapped the line around an overhead tree branch, so I could show off my apparent he-man strength for the camera. That was all it took, just like Mr. Carp, I was hooked.

After that I fished all I could. I grew up in the Northend, and back then they used to let kids fish in Krug

Sometimes we went to other pay lakes in the area. My scout troop always went to

“Watch this,” I said as I cast my line in an arc over its head. As I reeled back in, I realized the snake was hooked in the back somewhere and I was now towing a pissed off poisonous reptile a little closer with every turn of the crank. Thank goodness the hook pulled loose before I had to figure out how to deal with it. We packed up and got out before we were asked to leave.

I really haven’t fished much since then. Married life, kids and their activities, work and home responsibilities have scooted the old tackle box farther and farther into the dark corner of the basement. Not so much in disfavor, just a changing of priorities. Talking with the nice folks around Corby Pond has me thinking maybe it’s time for the priorities to change back a little.

The kids are out of the house now. The knees won’t hold up to the sports activities that kept me busy when I was younger. Maybe it’s time to dig the gear out and wet a line. No doubt the time next to the water would do me good. A little catfish on the table doesn’t sound so bad either.