Sandwiched neatly between the two biggest spectacles in American sports is an event that, while less well known, is just as competitive and, to its participants, as important as any contest yet devised by Man. For some, February is defined by the Super Bowl™, for others, it’s the Daytona 500™; for the members of the Neverwas Nonesuch Angling Society, their eyes in February are on Opening Day of Reservation Season™.
The injuries of which I’m aware have been minor and, so far as I know, no one has died, but the small stakes involved do not diminish the serious nature of the battle.
Will You Be There?
There once was a time when members sent reservation requests on postcards and those received by a certain date were drawn from a hat. The lottery was conducted by the Board of Directors, who gave an accounting of the results, attested to and signed. Sadly, the system went off the rails when a disgruntled member commented that the luck of the draw seemed to fall one way more often than not, with the Directors filling the camps at the best times of the season while everyone else settled for their second or third choice.
Leaping to their own defense, the Directors demanded to know if they were being called liars. The reply was affirmative, leaving the Directors with no choice but to resign, en masse and in a huff, and those who took their place vowed to never let such a thing happen again.
Telephone Ahead
Knowing that they, themselves, could not be trusted, the members of the Neverwas Nonesuch Angling Society turned to the most honest and trustworthy person they knew someone who had nothing better to do in February anyway: their Caretaker. Thanks to the Bell Telephone System, long-distance calls had become a reality for all and reservations could be taken in the order received, starting at 9:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of February.
Phoned It In
Years of secret Caretaker knowledge, passed down in mysterious ways, ensure things go smoothly as Reservation Season™ gets underway at Fish in a Barrel Pond. With power comes responsibility and I honor those who have gone before as I carry out my solemn duty to the anglers under my care, in the fairest way possible. For example, it will be 9:00 when I say it’s 9:00 and by hesitating a few seconds before turning on the phone this Saturday, everyone will get a busy signal the first time around. How fair is that?
Questions about your reservations or how they were handled? Our Customer Service department is skilled at zeroing in on problems. Come on up; we’ll have a chat!
Me and Old Bessie Will be Waiting
The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond 