My final thoughts on Eben's post

[Swimmer]

I agree with J. R.'s assessment of Ebens reply. Devil he is not, tongue in cheek funny yes he is. Secretive also.

Some of us fish in spots and places that secracy has been brought to levels that even the c.i.a would admire,such as the Vineyard. Some of that can be funny and some not so. One night at the weigh in shack in Edgartown on the harbor everyone was paying attention to a young man who was at the most, ten years old. He was standing in a long line of fishermen who all had fish to weigh-in in the derby. He was dwarf in size to everyone else waiting. The anticipation built as the boys time to weigh his fish in came to pass. The line kept moving up closer to the table where the fish is first measured and then thrown onto the scale. While you stand in line you can listen to where everyone else says they caught their fish. The answers were either up-island or down-island. As far from exact or truthful while remaining polite as possible. It was an accepted practice. Some of the written stories aboiut trying to throw people of track and trail who were following you are ledgendary. Sometimes to throw people off you might actually tell the right end of the island you caught your fish. The little kid was with his dad and his dads friends. I'm sure the little boy had been schooled about what to say before the weighmaster took his fish and put it on the scales either from watching others at the weigh in or by what he had seen prior to this weigh in and he paid attention then. So the weighmaster takes the fish from this young man and says, "where did you catch it?" The boys reply was "up island." Everyone cracked up laughing knowing this nswer was far from the truth. That is about as close to the truth as it gets on the island. But the island is only a mircocosm of fishing everywhere else. I have learned to enjoy the hunt as much as catching the prey as I am sure everyone else does here also.