The Great Outdoors
Mayflies covered nearly the entire inside of my Paw Paw’s boathouse. Most were clutching desperately to the 2 x 4 stud walls and clinging perilously to the old metal siding. I didn’t much like to go in that old boat shed. Enclosed on three sides, the only electric source of light hung over the door. At best, it was dim at dawn when Paw Paw wanted to go fishing. I preferred afternoon fishing myself. I didn’t care for the early morning, the mayflies by the millions, or the spiders.
All these years later, I don’t remember whether we caught fish on those mayfly mornings. I just remember the mayflies, the darkness, and the spiders, and that my grandfather spent time with me. Every year, not too long before the mayflies hatch, the “suckers” run. I don’t know what a “sucker” is, but it looks something like a mullet with the mouth of a grass carp. At the first full moon after the dogwoods bloom, the “suckerfish,” as we call them, move out of the Conecuh River and into the creeks and streams that feed it, to spawn. And most every year, some combination of the girls and I, complete with an accompaniment of friends, will make our way to Cottle Creek to go sucker gigging. Suckers don’t bite hooks. So, walking through ankle to knee-deep water during the full moonlight, you find the suckers slowly swimming upstream to their spawning grounds and you gig them. A harvest of three or four is a fine night’s work. Seven or eight is a feast. The first few minutes are always the most difficult for the unfamiliar. Wading into a South Alabama creek at night seems a contradiction of good judgment. Water moccasins, copperheads, snapping turtles, and even an occasional alligator are all possibilities. But, after a few minutes, the nervousness seems to subside. I’m sure the headlamps and flashlights do a fine job of belaying the fears. It’s funny how light does that. The adventure of it all seems to take control, as I soon find myself telling the girls to slow down.
The sight of a sucker usually sparks glee, as a chorus of exclamation erupts as the girls all try to converge on the fish. Realizing that the lights and the clamor of shrills of squeaky pubescent girls are not a regular feature of the creek, the suckerfish don’t stick around to find out what all the commotion is about. With a few hard flicks of their tail, they scurry up the stream to look for a deep hole or some low-hanging branches to hide within. And the girls give chase- or not. Sometimes, they pursue with vigor until the fish tires them out. Other times, the girls are content to celebrate the victory of simply seeing the fish. I’m not sure the point was ever about gigging fish for me, and at some point, I don’t think it was for them either. And I doubt that my grandfather waking me in the wee hours of the morning to fish the mayfly hatch on Lay Lake was much about fishing either. More than anything, I remember that he wanted to spend time with me. And, while I may have done it begrudgingly then, I cherish the memories now- even the cobwebs, spiders, and dark corners.
One day, I pray my girls hold fast to the memories we made traversing the midnight creeks. Somewhere along the way, I hope they realize the same lessons I have come to appreciate from my grandfather. Never once did he pick me up at the end of the dock as I had requested countless times. Instead, he pushed me to conquer my fears. While I still don’t like spiders, I did learn that there is always a safe place in the Light. My girls know that, too. Never mind the drama of worrying about things yet to happen. We’ve never once seen a snake or alligator on any of our trips. Let’s stay focused on the good that is within the Light. And I suspect that the reason we never see any of those reptilian critters is because we never stray from the Light. Hopefully, they will carry that lesson into adulthood with them, too. “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
-Walt Merrell
A Christian Outdoorsman who writes of his adventures with his family, with the hope that others might be inspired and encouraged to embrace God’s tapestry, otherwise known as the great outdoors, as a means of finding Common Ground. You can follow him at Shepherding Outdoors on FB, YT and IG and at shepherdingoutdoors.com. His most recent book is available at shepherdingbook.com. Read his faith story at www.BirminghamChristian.com.
