This Girl Gets the Gills

I love to see this woman outdoors. She zooms around to visit neighbors on an electric cart, drives her car 10 miles on dirt roads to get to the nearest town, and captains her own boat to catch a fresh meal. Meet neighbor, "up-north" Dorothy.


Dorothy is a 5-foot high go-getter fisherwoman. Her "Gill Getter" mini pontoon and fishing equipment are not found in Lund's or BassPro's premium inventory. Her pontoon is not rigged like a "reel" fishing boat with fish-finders, gps, and gas-guzzling motors, attempting to quickly detect fishing holes around the entire perimeter of the lake. No, Dorothy putt-putts around the nearby coves with a small electric motor. She does not take an unsteady high stance on deck and lurefully cast over and over. Dorothy sits cuddled in a chair and enjoys the setting, pole hanging at her side. There are no flashy rapalas, daredevils, or hot-n-tots cast far and wide. Dorothy modestly, but confidently, drops the most gaudy, rainbow-colored rubber worm, willy-nilly in the water. No assortment of rods and reels to waste time untangling and tangle the nerves in this woman's gear. A single pole adorned with one lucky charm, that ugly fake worm, is the only jewel she boards. And fishing buddies? None. At 89, this fisherwoman is casting off all by herself.


Living alone, Dorothy has trouble keeping the bears from tackling her metal bird feeders and the porcupines from nibbling her wooden porch steps, but watch out fishies! And Bass Pros, move over, for Dorothy is brandishing her tried-and-true pole, tipped with an dull, ugly worm and a life-line of sparkling intuition.
This girl has got the gills and the gull!