Angler Fish

Grandpa taught me how to fish.

He showed me how to rig a line... how to tie and bait a hook as a very young kid.

One of my favorite things to do though was to go to the bait store. And not just any bait store... the bait store with the moat.

That's not where Grandpa usually bought bait... they were probably one of the most expensive bait stores in the area but they had a large "moat" outside (that didn't quite wrap all the way around the building, though it certainly appeared so if one were not to have investigated further, which of course I did). Over the moat's expanse was a large wooden bridge to get to the front door....

I LOVED this place.

So that's where we went to get bait whenever I went with Gramps.

The 'moat' was salt water and the bait shop took in 'pet' fish that had grown too large for their own tanks. They were then unceremoniously donated to the bait store's massive collectioin which had more than enough space for just about any fish you could toss in there.

I'd run up ahead and stand on the bridge looking in amazement at the wild assortment of salt water tropical fish swimming just below me, until Gramps would eventually put his hand on my shoulder and steer me into the bait shop to pick out shrimp.

I loved that place.