Questions from the back of the bus

[Jim Madden]

Phil, I thought that might have been the lake you were talking about, but it would have been a good hour from Peru. I fished Wawasee many times. It's the biggest natural lake in Indiana and still has a lot of midlake humps were the fish gang up. You have to fish early and late becasue the skiers put a head on the lake by 10:00 anymore.

Lynn, there's a town called French Lick where there's a backboard stuck to the side of a barn with Larry Bird's name on it. Indiana boys learn good ballhandling because when you play in a barn the curled floorboards don't ever give you a true bounce. Anyone who's played roundball in a barn knows exactly what I mean. You learn a good arch by shooting over a hand hewn beam.

John, the cathouses in Terre Hoot were legendary. My parents were living in married housing at Indiana State in one of those government surplus quansit huts when I was born. Dad was going to school on the GI Bill which he earned by taking two bullets in the first wave of the battle of Iwo Jima. It was a day after his 19th birthday. When he looked up and saw the flag go up on Sabgachi, he was elated because he knew then he was only going to get shot at from one or two directions. We moved to Plymouth when I was 4, so I never had a chance to count all those red lights around the courthouse. I went off to IU in 67, so we're not that far apart.

Harvey, I know Gnaw Bone and Nashville although the latter has turned into a busy tourist attraction of late. I waded the White River a bit north for miles flyfishing for those beautiful punkinseeds. I hear folks talk about those famous Trout rivers in the West, and they are amazing, but there's "somethin' appitizin" about a noname fisning spot in backwoods Indiana. You guys make me feel proud of this place!

[Jim Madden]

That's Sarabachi! Fingers don't work!

[Richard Lodge]

how this online discussion is going to progress. Ian, welcome aboard. I hope you don't take any of this chit chat too seriously. There are a lot of people in ORCA who are very generous with their time, their knowledge about and love of old fishing reels and their enjoyment of this online (and sometimes, in person) community. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

[Lynn Thomas]

Jim, Yep, I do remember playing round ball in barns. Although it was in Pa. in my early years. We learned agility by getting around the "cow Pies". LT