A Grand Gentleman

It was a spot known by the locals as Schaeffer’s Gravel Pit. I had carefully hopscotched down the steep hill in my hip waders earlier that morning while my lone companion, an old Bluetick hound, was keeping busy scouring the river bank.

- Mark Forabosco

It was on the third cast that a big smallmouth hit my flatfish plug with all the subtlety of a rampaging tank and my rod bent like a bow from the pressure. The fish sounded and stayed deep; the battle progressed slowly at a deliberate pace until I finally had her within arm’s reach. She then cleared the surface and completely encircled me as I tried in vain to get a firm grip on her thrashing body. To add to the chaos, my hound had now taken notice of the ensuing struggle and decided to intervene on her master’s behalf by snapping at the bass like a wood chipper. In the end, with a prayer on my lips and good fortune, I was able to land my largest smallmouth bass up to that point in my angling career, a 21-inch, fivepound trophy.

That moment was frozen in time and now, 35-years later, if I close my eyes I can still see the early morning mist hovering over the river like some solitary spectre and hear the calling of the church bell far off in the distance. The way my heart raced frantically upon the hook set, and the feeling of success once that fish was landed, I have forgotten none of it.

In those days, to see two canoes drifting the river over an entire summer was noteworthy. To find another angler working the same stretch of water would be considered unimaginable. That river still runs, and though the human intrusion is far more prevalent, with numerous canoes seen drifting through every weekend, the creation of popular public walking trails along its banks and increased angling pressure, this water has still been able to retain its magic. Back then it was considered polluted and was rarely spoken of with praise. But, in 1994 it was designated as a heritage river and has since found new life due to strong conservation measures and it now supports a vibrant sport fishery.

The Upper Grand