Crossing the Bar

My brother reminded me of (via a comment to August 21, 2007 posting: Birthdays) a special event I remember as “Crossing the Bar.” While I have gone to great pains to carefully title this posting, some people may believe it is related to “21st” birthdays. This simply is not so. Such a posting would have been titled “Waking Up Under the Bar,” or “The Birthday I Can’t Remember.” This story does contain “puking” as Greg aptly stated – however it does not include “porcelain gods,” bathtubs, cold showers or bathroom floors – all of which relate to the “other” stories.

For my twelfth birthday I wanted to go salmon fishing. My dad would leave on an adventure and return with huge fish. In western Washington, the trout we caught would be considered bait for the salmon. On a side note, the minimum “keeper” size for salmon is about the size of a good-size trout in Wyoming. Some times you need to stretch the salmon to meet the 20 inch minimum. This is accomplished with a small wooden club to flatten the salmon, gaining that extra quarter to one-half inch. (Dad taught me that I think!)

The big day arrived in 1969 when I got my gift – to fish for the big one. This particular day my dad, Chuck W., Gail B., and I went to Illwaco. West Port where we generally left for salmon was solidly booked. Illwaco is much further south, on the north shore of the mouth of the Columbia River. The confluence of a river and an ocean creates a maelstrom of water (big words even for me!). The pushing of two bodies of water can create huge swells. This occurs at the “bar” – the point where silt from the river is deposited into the ocean, creating a shallow area and turbulent waters – particularly at high tide.

The day was gloomy but not raining. The four of us and two others, plus the captain and deck hand filled out the forty foot fishing boat. While I had been fishing for many years (about ten by this time) I was a little unprepared for this day.

My dad taught me to bet on fishing – first, most, and biggest… We bet a quarter on each – 75 cents were at risk! I had to perform!

Salmon fishing is a circle – least that day was. Watch the deck hand bait the hook, let the line out, puke, sleep, reel in a fish, watch the deck hand bait the hook, let the line out, puke…

Fishing was particularly bad that day. Only four fish were caught on the entire boat. I netted $2.25. Every fish landed – were landed by me. I overcame severe seasickness, 7-UP, beer, sleep, huge swells, WD-40 and anise on the bait… everything, and we never crossed the bar.

- Craig