Chapter 16

Florida and Home

Ann drove me to our new apartment which overlooked a man
made pond of about 2 acres. A few weeks went by and we got
some horrific news.
Tony and Richard were driving down the road to the lake and the
car left the road rolling 200 yards down the hillside. It was a
miracle neither of them was seriously hurt and Tony put this
down to the Volvo he was driving. Apparently the car was
crushed but the cabin remained intact.
Tony eventually followed us to Florida and we found separate
apartments. Eventually they moved to work in different towns,
drifting apart we lost contact. I imagine he is still there with his
wife and hope they are both well.
Ann told me she kept seeing fish moving and while watching
the lake I saw a swirl right in front of us. I grabbed a rod and
some bread and cast to the fish. It took the bread instantly and a
few minutes later I was holding an upper double grass carp. I
fished lots of lakes and public venues one was really strange. It
was a series of lakes that held alligators, with a public beach.
Apparently the alligators were held back from the public
swimming area by nets. I got a really surprised look from the
ranger when I suggested the alligators could maybe walk
ashore, bypass the net in the water and walk into the bay where
people swam. You could see no one had ever asked him or
pointed that out to him. The water was crystal clear and you
could see lots of varieties of fish with really large bass and carp.
I should mention here that Carp in America are classed as crap
fish. People shoot them with guns and bows and arrows and it is
only very recently that catching them for sport has become
mildly accepted. I would float fish with sweet corn catching lots
of different fish in these lakes. Normally it would not take long
before I would build up an audience. It was really easy and you
could not put out a bait without getting a bite. On occasions I

help young children catch fish so their parents could take a

picture and I became known in that area. Ann and I would also
go on fishing holidays to some of the fantastic lakes in Florida. It
was not hard to find a lake with Carp. The bass fisherman were
obsessed by Carp that they believed were taking over their
fisheries. The plain fact was as usual the fault lie in the actions
of humans.
Years ago someone read that grass carp can get rid of weed. As
weed is a major problem of lakes in Florida you could apply for a
license to introduce grass carp into the lake. Of course at this
stage anyone with any intelligence would have ensured the Carp
were all sterile. As this was not the case Carp being Carp put in
quantity into fertile warm waters of course, bred prolifically. The
answer for some fisheries was simple, open the flood gates and
let them get into the rivers. I took a few bass angling friends to a
huge canal I knew held large Carp. I set them up and watched
them with a Carp on a light rod. Their faces were a picture and
by the end of the day to a man their attitude changed. One
called me every week asking when I was going fishing as he
wanted to break the state record then just over 40lb. We had a
lovely holiday bungalow right on the bank side of a famous bass
lake. Our neighbour loved catfish and I used to catch these on
my doorstep for him. Along this canal many people had boat lifts
and a lot of them had a chain and hook suspended
3-4 feet above the water with sacks of fish and god knows what
else in them. When I asked him what they were for he said they
were fishing for alligators. Apparently the alligators would leap
up to get the sack, hook themselves on the large sharp hook
where they hung until the owner killed them. They ate a lot of
alligator in that area.
To give you an idea of an American view about Carp and Carp
fishing I offer this extract written by an expert angler.
The lowly carp. The freshwater bonefish. The freshwater redfish.
You choose. This commonly frowned-upon fish is gaining more
and more prominence as a gamefish with the advent of flyfishers popularizing the flats-style approaches akin to

Bonefishing in tropical climates.

This hard-fighting and massive-bodied fish has more than likely
given many of you a lesson in proper drag setting after grabbing
your panfish hook and taking off to who-knows-where with it.
The carp is still largely considered a nuisance fish not wanted in
our lakes. It is often wrongly assumed the fish is a bottomfeeding, swimming garbage can.
You can catch carp with several baits including nymph flies,
spinners, and streamers. Carp are some of the most hardy fish
which makes them a prime target in the coldest and hottest
weather. They will actively feed in the early spring, late fall, and
warm winter.

Our lovely summer holiday home

Ann on our platform boat, at one of our favourite fishing spots.

I was over the moon when I found my friend Clive mentioned in
an earlier chapter lived only minutes from me. I knocked on his
door and he almost fainted. He had tried to make contact but no
one ever knew where I was. Over the next few years we had
some great times playing golf, shooting and travelling the state.
Clive went on a cruise and when he came back early I guessed
something was wrong. He was immediately rushed to hospital
where they diagnosed a huge tumour in his stomach and
advised an immediate operation. He called me and I sat at his
side while he agreed to the operation. His wife of course was
devastated and we both sat together waiting and praying. We
saw the surgeon afterwards who told us he thought he got most
of the tumour. Clive being Clive went through all the Chemo and
spent 6 months each year comfortably the other 6 suffering
from the effects of treatment. With such a character not working
was never an issue. Clive could have retired easily but his pride
and work ethics pushed him into work each day. Sometimes of
course he had to leave early, sometimes I would get a call he
was depressed but he never gave up hope. We researched his

condition and looked at every possibility even experimental

stem cell treatment. When chemo was no longer an option Clive
volunteered for the treatment which went without incident. He
was released and within 48 hours re admitted, I called and was
told he was stable, not to rush and visit the next day. The next
morning I was told Clive had passed away, he was not even forty
years old. I almost fainted with shock, I could not believe it, I
was visiting him that day. I regret so much not following my
instincts and travelling up that night. Even now I write this with
a lump in my throat but then I remember the happy memories,
the good memories. Events like that in many ways shaped my
outlook on life. They are the reason why as long as I am strong
enough and able I will always travel and want to enjoy life to the
fullest, never wasting an opportunity.
Ann and I stayed on holiday in Florida for eight years working
together for the same man. Ann loved it especially the holidays
she spent in Disneyland. We started working in the warehouse of
a large beach store and over time took over running the
everyday running of the stores. The owner who was very
eccentric towards the end totally disappeared from the picture.
Ann and I spent our last two years in Florida never seeing or
speaking to him. We operated all the stores as if they were our
own even banking the takings.
We handled all ordering, hiring and firing, it was bizarre to say
the least but we loved the work. I am blowing through those
eight years as to be truthful I could write a book on just that
period and this I wanted to contain more memories of my fishing
life than other events.

The lake where I got Known

We had always agreed that family came first and as Anns
mother, became in need of help, our next move was decided.
Within two weeks we had sold everything and flown back to
England. Not wanting her to ever be on her own we decided to
move into her bungalow to be close. Mary had always been
more like a sister to Ann and more like a friend to me. Ann and
her mum would dress up in the same tee shirts and hats when
visiting Disneyland. When she could while we were in Florida she
would fly out to be with us for three months. While she was still
able we took her out to Spain many times and she fell in love
with it as we had. In all the years we had travelled we always
kept in touch with our Spanish friends who adopted Mary
instantly. We had been gone years but they greeted us as if it
were yesterday.
Looking back I am totally convinced that if Mary had came out
with us all those years ago it is possible we would all as a family
stayed in Spain and never ventured to Florida. That is how lifes

twists and turns alter our destiny I guess. Mary passed away
peacefully and everyone that knew her was devastated.
Now when all the dust has settled what now you might ask? Well
I do not know about you but Ann and I are already making plans
to return to Spain for a few years. So if you are ever there on
holiday and spot some old git fishing, spare a thought,

be me.

it might