Page 3 - Crappie NOW - March 2018

Opening Cast

Dad was a pyro.
He loved to spend several
March 2018 EDITOR/ SR. WRITER weeks each year mixing
camping, crappie fishing
and enjoying a fire. Fishing,
IN MEMORIAM camping and fires; one without
the others wasn’t satisfying.
Dad could adapt to any
WRITERS situation. He was okay building
Darl Black in a small fancy campground
Vic Attardo pit but preferred a large, open,
Ron Presley remote spot. His favorite pit was a large washtub
Vernon Summerlin with a hole cut in one end for a draft. The large tub
John Phillips would handle not only standard firewood but also
Greg McCain large limbs, rootwads or any other burnables he
John Felsher was able to drag to the tub.

He did not worry about the intricacies in the craft
of fire building. No stacked tee-pee arrangement
or staggered stacking. No flint and striker stick.
Wood was thrown in haphazardly. Kerosene, diesel,
Coleman fuel and wadded-up newspaper were his
approved starters, with at least three of the four in
the mix.
The lighting ceremony was awesome although
he never thought of it as a big deal. He stood a full
arm’s-length from the fire, lit the match, tossed it
toward the wood while lifting a forearm to protect
hair and eyebrows. The ‘oooossh’ of the fire was
music to his ears. Flames often shot up to heights
of over 10 feet but lowered within minutes as the
fuel finished burning. Starting at night was a change

© Copyright 2018 from total darkness to a several thousand lumens in
a matter of a half-second. He made fires a fun part
of a trip.
Most of us miss out on the overall experience
because of the convenience of motels and the
fast-paced world keeping us too busy. That’s too
bad, because the sizzling, crackling and dancing
flames are great medicine, an excuse to gather for
conversation and is a part of the outdoor experience.
Cover Photo: Mixing them with a crappie fishing trip can be a
Pennsylvania fisherman Colin fantastic experience.
Stuyvesant displays a nice I’m glad Dad was a pyro and crappie fisherman.
Northern crappie.
Crappie Clubs....33 Darl Black photo. Good fishin’ and God Bless,
Tim Huffman, Editor/Sr. Writer

3 Crappie NOW March 2018