High Test Line

I my life is not a bumper sticker. In fact my wife encourages me to fish. It’s a good thing for me to get out too so she says. I'm not going to argue.

My wife was going into Wal-Mart. I have a messed up knee right now, and I’m not one to ride the little cart, so I sat in the car and listened to old punk. She remembered I needed jigs and line.

It was bummer too. I couldn’t make it to the bait shop, which was bummer as they do sell Big Reds also. There is line there an old guy from around here told me about it and it’s the only place I can find it. My wife asks me if I need some line.

“Yes, 15 lb. test and some jigs,” I say, “You’re sure you got it?”

I do the cane pole thing. Rated to 14 LBs (I read the little sheet in the box).

She says yes and off into the store. Fifteen min later she comes out.

“I got you your line!”

“Cool,” I say as we drive off. We run our errands and we get home. I grab my stick, the euphemism I use for a cane. But at least it’s made by Cold Steel. But now I am way off topic.

We get in, eat dinner, she goes to sleep and I turn my desk light on to tie some line and get ready to walk some canals. It’s easier for me to just have everything prepped up and ready to go. That way I can chuck the broken line and slap some more on quick. Keep moving, ya know.

I wasn’t paying attention. Had a WW2 documentary on and just doing my thing. I don’t use fancy knots unless I have time to goof off. I was having a devil of a time tying just a simple loop. I look down and there was the trouble; 25 LB test. So I tied some line, just had to put a little more gusto in it. A lot more lubrication.

So I ask her the next day why the heavy test? Not that I was mad.

She is a saint, “I got it because I know you don’t like losing fish. I thought it wouldn’t break as easy.”

It warmed my heart.

And now I don’t have to ever say, “I think we’re going need bigger line.”