The fishing was pretty typical for me... lot's of casting to stickups,
laydowns, docks, and vegetation.... few bites.

One big difference was positioning. Not boat positioning, but positioning
myself. I made myself dizzy trying to twist around so the camera would get
my good side. (Charlie claimed that for TV, it would be my back.) Sometimes,
when I saw the camera pointed my way, I attempted to strike the "Old Salt"
pose..... body taut as a steel spring, alert to the slightest twitch of my
line.... eyes sweeping from target to target... seeming to penetrate the
water's surface to discern where the fish lurked in ambush.... squinting
into the sun, tasting the breeze, and scanning the skies to keep in touch
with the currents of nature swirling around us.... straining to hold my
belly in the whole time.

Another thing that was different was trying to come up with something to
say. When I fish, I usually just shut up or ramble on without really saying
anything of note. But with the cameras running, the pressure was on to let
drop an earthy phrase or two. You know... the stuff we've come to expect of
TV fishermen.

Most the colorful expressions were claimed long ago ("Oh, son!" "C'mon in
here, you fat-bellied joker, you." "What a hawg!" "It just don't get any
better 'an this."), but Charlie Ingram is the master of country boy'isms
("I'm having mo' fun than a pig in slop') so I knew there would be pressure
on me to hold up my end of the good ol' boy conversation as a native
Tennessean.

I tried to recall what I'd picked up from Patrick McManus about talking like
Hemingway. I thought that would be a good idea. He was ready with the right
thing to say, but all I could remember was how hard I'd laughed at Pat's
stories. I ended up making up and rehearsing a couple dozen phrases on the
drive down to Alabama.

"Dag-nabbit! This ol' backlash looks like the cat done got in Granny's
knittin' basket agin!" ... "Ah reckon them squirrels ain't much interested
in spinnerbaits. Think I'll aim fo' the lake next time." ... "That ol' fish
hit smacked maw bait like th'express train outta Huntsville! How ever did it
slip that hook!?" ... "Well... so much fo' flipping around pontoon boats.
Mind backing up so I can fetch my bait?" ... "Whoo-wee!.... that fish liked
to jerk me right outta this boat!".

I then sprinkled them in my conversation, as appropriate, throughout the
day. You never know when the camera will be running or something will happen
that will make the edit cuts, so I pretty much kept up a non-stop patter of
earthy sayings. Wore me out!

If I recollect, Charlie's favorite saying for the day was, "More fish...
less talk."

Joe
____________________________
"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Joe Haubenreich" rofbmail (at) secretweaponlures (dot) com wrote in
message ...
This Sunday on OLN (8:30 EST / 7:30 CST), the question of whether I can
actually catch a fish, or merely hold others' fish up for a camera, may be
settled once and for all. One never knows what will come out of the
Fishing
University editing room. Here is one possible outcome:

I'm sure you held your own and did a fine job. We get OLN and hopefully
I'll be able to watch, but I'll be on duty at the firehouse, so it all
depends on how busy we are.

But fishing on tv is different than in real life, isn't it?
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com