Follow the Leader

I was fishing the mouth of Willow Creek using a florescent Daredevil and had a sliver on nearly every cast. Other anglers were not so fortunate. I held the hot rod and had the only Daredevils. I announced, “Daredevils for sale, $5, and had no takers.

Another silver. “Daredevils $6,” I called. Nobody bought. A silver hit.

“Daredevils $7,” and so it went.

A silver, “Daredevils $8,” then “$9,” and finally, “$10.”

One unlucky angler shouted, “Okay give me one of those things.”

He hooked a $10 bill to his line and cast it to my side of the stream. I removed his lure and fastened a new Daredevil to his snap swivel and attached his $10 bill to his line with a rubber band. I threw his new lure in the water and he began to retrieve it. When the lure started its Daredevil wobble, a silver responded with enthusiasm.

The battle ended when the here-to-before luckless angler netted his first fish of the day. “You didn’t keep the 10 bucks?” he said. “How come?”

“I was only pulling your leg,” I said, and tossed each of the other guys a new florescent Daredevil. The building animosity because of my feigned arrogance was dispelled and we became friends.

By day’s end I’d lost or given away nine Daredevils. Before leaving the river, each angler tossed something in my nearly empty tackle box. I thought they were returning their Daredevils. When I packed up to leave, I found five $20 bills laying in the top tray.

The next day I replenished my supply. After paying the clerk I realized I’d got all my Daredevils back and made money on the deal.

I don’t always make money fishing, but if I see someone catching fish, I follow the leader.

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