Uncle Aaron

^{Page edited 10-Feb-22. MT}

Source: Edward Ellsworth Laughlin (In his own words.)

When I was young, Uncle Aaron was my most favorite uncle. I was around five (I'm never sure if I'm remembering my right age on these things.) Aaron, who was in his early teens, would often stop by the house and ask if I would like to "go fishin." I would yell, "Hey, Mom, can I go fishin' with Aaron?" It would always be okay.

We would cross the narrow gravel road and climb the fence to the pasture field. Aaron always wore a battered straw hat. He would use the hat to knock down grasshoppers as we walked across the pasture to Shawnee Creek. He put the grasshoppers in a flat Prince Albert tobacco tin that he carried in the bib of his Oshkosh overalls.

As we approached the creek, we would stop. Aaron would say, "Now you do what I do. We have to sneak up on those big bass. They can see us coming in that clear water."

We would get down on our bellies, crawl near the creek bank and stop. Aaron carried a long cane pole. He would take the tobacco tin from his pocket and very carefully remove a grasshopper and bait the hook.

We would then quietly crawl nearer to the fishing hole. Aaron would push the pole out over the water and drop the bait on the water. As I recall, those grasshoppers were almost always sure to get us a big bass or two. Uncle Aaron taught me a lot of good things about fishing. I guess because of him, fishing became a lifetime love of mine. I know now that you don't really need to sneak up on those fish. Aaron had the right idea of sorts, but it is motion that spooks the fish, not sound.

For more stories about the Laughlin families, visit Laughlin Family Stories.