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23/06/2008
One of my fondest western images was during the summer of 1951. An Old Timer living at Discovery Bay, Washington, told me, “If you go down to the railroad trestle when the tide comes in, you can catch all the Sea Perch you can carry in a ‘gunny sack.’ ” He told me the fish feed on small sand crabs on the beach and to load my fish hook firmly into the side of the crab, and then cast my line close to the edge of the bank.
My dad was working as a heavy duty mechanic on the road construction crew. They paved the highway from Discovery Bay to Neah Bay, located on the south shore of Puget Sound. At the age of eleven, I went fishing between the hours of 3:00 to 4:00 AM, and provided food for the families of the road crew. With fishing gear and burlap sack in hand, and my dog Queenie at my side, I got up before breakfast and went to work catching Sea Perch.
The rule was, my dad said, “You catch ‘em, you clean ‘em.” I did it, too! As I went from cabin to camper, I presented my catch and was paid for my services. The rewards were much more than money. I learned that salt water sea perch are mammals and do not lay eggs to hatch, a magnificent discovery in nature. There is joy in the giving of ourselves for the needs of family and others, and there are many great rewards for working hard: respect, discipline, obedience, and love for my parents.
They don’t call it Discovery Bay for nothing!
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