I was in Chuck’s Barber Shop on Wednesday, August 11 at approximately 1:30 p.m. It was a very busy day, probably due to on and off rain in the Arrowhead that day.
As I entered the shop I was informed I would be third in line after the current chair occupant was “finished.” So, I grabbed the one empty chair to wait. Turned out I was sitting next to the mother of the boy in the barber chair.
Chuck engaged his young customer in the usual dialogue, such as “What grade are you in?” Theboy replied he would be going into fourth grade
The questioning led to a description of a recent “fishing event.” This event occurred on (I think) Greenwood Lake. The young man described the situation something like this:
We’d been fishing and had caught some fish and this happened on my very last cast. I cast out, hooked this fish, and brought him into the boat, planning to release him. I unhooked him, but accidentally dropped him onto my foot. Thatfishthen grabbed onto me and bit me on my toe! Really hurt and drew blood! I managed to get him loose and tossed him into the lake.”
Everyone in the shop had a good laugh and his mother interjected: “1 wouldn’t have believed his story except for his limping into the house and his bloody toe!”
I regret I did not urge the lad and his mother to report the story to the newspaper. Mom paid cash for the haircut and they were a first-time customer, so Chuck does not know who they are. I probably don’t have the description exactly correct, but I think the story deserves a follow-up.
Two aspects of the story really caught my attention: the story itself and the matter-of-fact, unembellished way in which the young man told it. I’m betting there is someone out there in Arrowhead land who knows further details on this “Yes, the fish are really
biting” incident.
H.A. Olson
Lutsen
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