Out On The Mudline
Miss Sadie’s Buddies Did Catch Fish
By W. P. Sissell
Those Grinnell
First, I must say no! Miss Sadie did not eat those ferocious grinnell. Incidentally, the other ferocious fish that still exists is the gar and the other fish that been around a long time is
the spoonbill cat (sometimes called a paddlefish). The only one I have ever seen was in the east side twin ditch. I cast my lure to about the middle of the ditch. When the lure hit the water an enormous fish rolled to the surface (looked to be about six feet long to an astounded Bill Sissell). As fast as I could, I reeled my line in and moved to another area to fish for I definitely did not want that “thing” on my line.
Miss Sadie’s Fishing Buddies
Somewhere in my collection of pictures there is one of mother (Miss Sadie) my wife’s mother (Miss Nettie Lou) and “Coudin” Maude (remember the third person from whom I had to get permission to marry Nannette?) fishing on the boat (water) entrance of the Prophet Bridge Crossing. It seems that either the fish stock in the little pond diminished or just fishing every day there close to home got to be dreary.
The three decided that they could go down to the Prophet Bridge Crossing and possibly catch crappie (white perch). On their first visit to the boat ramp at the south end of the crossing they did catch fish. One interesting fact about the arrangement was that Miss Nettie Lou did the driving (this was the only place that she drove—she had no license, driving or fishing [they were over age for fishing license]). They were traveling in the Shipp car and got stuck one time (son Stafford bought a four wheel drive vehicle for them to use on their fishing trips). They never used it—too complicated.
The picture I mentioned is of three ladies seated on their white plastic buckets with a hook in the water (actually “Coudin” Maude was their “protection”). They did catch fish!
Going back to my starting answer about eating the grinnell: I am told that they are a tasty fish if prepared right—although I’ve never sought “the right way,” I was told that I had eaten some after the eating. During a rainy spell all the men on the Crowder farm went to the river and fished one afternoon. They especially requested that Joe Stribling and I come to the fish fry at sundown. We were served royally. As I said, after the eating they asked if I/we liked grinnell and fish eel.
The Old And The New
I think I’ve talked enough about the old—this morning at exercise, neighbor Lonnie Ales remarked that he had not seen “our” turkeys in several days. We’ve been seeing a rather large flock of wild turkeys in the land between the pine trees on the south side of the highway.
As I grew up about the only thing out there to hunt was quail, squirrels, doves and rabbits and once in a while a few ducks. When I moved to the delta area most of the rabbits were Swampers. We probably would have fainted if we saw a deer. Now they lay waste to acres of soybeans—my son who raises soybeans—wishes that the hunters would rid the country of the deer.
In a recent conversation with a friend at exercise I heard about the damages done by wild hogs to his renter’s corn field—with seed corn at many dollars per bushel the wild hogs follow the planter track eating the planted corn. One of my son-in-laws says for me not to forget the daily “goose patrols” that the rice farmers run (I have pictures of the fields along Dry Bayou covered with pelicans).
Our wish for you is a great week and we thank you for your encouragements. You can reach me most of the time at 23541 Highway 6, Batesville, MS 38606 or 552-563-9879.
