Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 39

Travel Guide

Casting a line with Grandpa
BY ANNA MIDAS

W

e'd been out on Sullivan Lake in Newnan
since 6 a.m. without
any luck. I think the fish
knew it was too hot and
rightly stuck to the bottom
of the lake, where our bait
didn't reach. It was nearing
noon, and I was ready to call it quits
and relax in the cool basement.
I was rounding up the gear and
started up the rocky path to the
house when my grandpa got a sly
look on his face and said, "Hold on;
you've never used a fly rod before,
have you?"
I replied, "No."
"Run up there and grab one.
We're gonna try for just a bit longer."
My countenance (probably very
noticeably) fell as I pictured more
hours in the sun with no reward for
my efforts. But I obeyed and got the
fly rod.
Grandpa took me straight across
the lake to one of his many "spots." If
you could have anti-hope, that's what

Anna Midas and her grandfather, Michael
Midas, prepare for an adventure on Sullivan
Lake. They would go fishing nearly every
day during her summer visits.
April 2018

I had for this little lesson.
He taught me the basics:
flick of the wrist, a few moments' pause, then out of
the water again. Handing
the rod over to me, Grandpa had a solemn look, as if
he was passing down a sacred rite that oughtn't be derided.
I cast my first few poppers a bit
awkwardly but soon caught the
rhythm of it. It is fun learning something new. Even now, as an adult,
learning new things has a way of reminding you that there will always be
some part of you that is a child who
needs to learn.

Handing the rod over to me,
Grandpa had a solemn look, as if
he was passing down a sacred rite
that oughtn't be derided.
As the sun settled at its peak, I
was busy casting and recasting. "This
was fun," I thought. "Not too bad."
Little did I expect that, within seconds, I would see the lure submerge,
to my grandfather's elation.
I remembered his admonition:
"Wait a second, then strike." And soon
I was reeling in my surprise sunfish. I
will absolutely never-and I mean
never-forget the shine of blue and
silver as the little fish wriggled in my
hand. We didn't have a camera to
take a picture, but we didn't need
one. I painted mental pictures of this
precious moment. And now I deposit
them here-for my family, for my
grandpa.
Here's to you, Grandpa.
Anna Midas lives in Chesapeake,
Va., and is a student at Virginia Tech.
She has fond memories of spending
every childhood summer with her
grandparents in Georgia.
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org

Win a $200
gift card
To get free information on the destinations
listed here AND qualify for the giveaway
drawing, check the ones you're interested in
and clip and mail this form. Or enter online
by clicking the contest link at
www.georgiamagazine.org.
Online responses will be entered in a
$25 Walmart gift card drawing!
Mail this coupon to:
GEORGIA Magazine, April 2018 Prize
Drawing, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085.










Albany CVB
Bartow Cartersville CVB
Blue Ridge, GA
Blue Ridge Scenic RR
Edisto Chamber
Hydrangea Festival
Kingsland, GA
Mercier Orchards

Please include your name and address:
Name:
Address:

City:
State:

ZIP:

Email:
By providing this email address, you agree to receive
email communications from GEORGIA Magazine.
Contest is open to persons 18 and over, except employees of Georgia
Electric Membership Corp. and advertising and promotion agencies
involved with this promotion. Only one entry per household, please;
duplicate entries will be deleted. In order to receive information and
enter the drawing, entries must be received by May 15, 2018.

39
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07ef7yz1r7jeudpkgk/start http://www.georgiamagazine.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - April 2018
