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Some older reels still have a little more fight left in them

It is easy to put the past behind us – often for good reasons – but from time to time I like to reach back and pull up some of the stuff that influenced my passion for fishing. While rummaging around my fishing shop recently, I came across three fishing reels that I treasured as a young angler: a vintage Pfleuger Pelican 1020 spinning reel handed down from Dad, a venerable green Johnson spincast and my pride and joy Mitchell 308. They were the reels of my youth, their twirling bails spinning the foundation for a lifetime of joy on the water. The old 308, a scaled-down version ...

Wollitz: A day of fishing over 30 years in the making

More than 30 years after a Poland Middle School student penned a letter describing his great interest in fishing, we finally made good on a suggestion about getting out on the lake together. Kevin Schaffert’s heartfelt letter to me struck a nerve. That a seventh grader would take the time to so earnestly express his love for fishing made a big impression. I replied with encouragement for his fishing. Kevin, his father, Eric, and I soon bumped into each other in town. A youngster as smitten by fishing as Kevin deserved an invitation to hit the lake. But as often happens, lots of ...

Sharon Speedway honoring Lou Blaney

Sharon Speedway will honor the late, great Lou Blaney this Saturday for the 18th annual Lou Blaney Night. During his long racing career, Blaney won more than 600 feature events, was Lernerville Speedway champion eight times, and he was also track champion at Tri-City and Jennerstown, Modified champ five times at Sharon and three at Lernerville. He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Circle Track and Twin State Auto Racing Club Hall of Fame. The Curbstone Coaches also made him an inductee. Blaney passed away in ...

Cavaliers put all their eggs into one basket

It took three weeks of waiting, but the basketball world -- really the sports world as a whole -- finally discovered where LeBron James will play next season. James left the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this offseason. And immediately after, basketball fans around the world wanted to know where the future Hall of Famer would potentially end his career. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat quickly came to mind. They made sense due to prior experiences with the franchises, and he already brought championships to both teams. There were also two others: the Golden State Warriors and ...

There’s more to fishing than what catches the hook

Two friends investing a few hours in a boat on a beautiful lake can solve a lot of the world’s problems if they put their minds to it. Or, they can share fishing tips, analyze the weather or recall career decisions. The day was young, the morning fresh and the optimism bubbling when Harry Emmerling and I met at the lake early Thursday for a few hours of bass fishing. We’ve been fishing friends for eight years, but Thursday was the first time we had actually fished together. We had a lot to talk about, and the fish gave us plenty of opportunity. The “bite” was slow, ...

DeMarion’s career involves making fishing memories

The final few miles of the drive to Destin DeMarion’s workplace hints at the grandeur to behold and the sensory adventure that awaits when he punches his time clock every morning, weather permitting. His drive to the job passes through the so-called Concord Belt and ends at the sandy beaches of Lake Erie. Mile after mile of lush vineyards await those who will pick the ubiquitous Concord and Niagara grapes along with fruit that will ferment to Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. When the clock strikes 0600, DeMarion launches his 20-foot Phoenix and sets up shop for clients who ...