Hi Pete, and welcome to the forum. I am posting, what I think you meant to post. I hope that is OK with you. Quite a funny tale! Strange Scenes and Eerie Events (excerpt) From the book “Never Sniff a Gift Fish” by Patrick F. McManus Every day weird things happen for which there are no rational explanations. Take, for example, the case of Retch Sweeney’s watch. Retch and I were trolling on a lake in Canada several years ago and, as he leaned over the side of the boat to net a nice rainbow trout I was bringing in, Retch’s watch came loose from his wrist and fell into the lake. Not only was the watch expensive, but it held great sentimental value: Retch’s wife had given it to him on their twentieth anniversary. It bore the inscription, “To Charley Bombi, for 40 years dedicated service to Acme Sand & Gravel Co.” Retch’s wife is a great one for sentiment. Five years after Retch lost his watch in the Canadian lake, he and I went on a boat-camping trip on a lake in Montana. It is important to note that there is no waterway connecting the two lakes. After making camp, Retch and I went out to see if we couldn’t hook into one of the monster rainbows reported in the vicinity. Sure enough, as we trolled past the mouth of a stream, Retch’s rod whipped double and a few seconds later a beautiful rainbow was doing aerial gymnastics. We went back to camp and while I started preparing supper, Retch dressed out his fish. Suddenly he let out a great yell. I rushed over to see what had happened. “Look what I found in this rainbow,” he shouted, holding up a shiny object. “I can scarcely believe my eyes,” I said. “How could such a thing happen?” “Beats me,” Retch said. “I’ve never even heard of anybody finding a bottle cap in the stomach of a fish before.” “Me either,” I said. “Now if it had been the watch you lost in the lake up in Canada, I could understand that. You read in the newspapers all the time about that sort of thing happening.”
Pat McManus is one of my most favorite authors, and I love his stories ! One of the things that makes Pat so special is that he also grew up in the little town of Sandpoint, Idaho, where I grew up. Even though he is maybe 10 years or so older than I am, I still remember the things he writes about and so when he writes about the nightly "ten-0'clock whistle" or riding his bike down the Sand Creek hill, I instantly picture it in my mind. I discovered Pat McManus when I was in the hospital with a badly broken leg from a horseback riding accident. I had been in there several days, and was wishing for something to read or to help me pass the time with. My friend Joy brought me her 10-translation version of the Bible, a huge book with fine print, and I was still so dopey from the pain medication that I could barely look at pictures in a comic book, let alone read something as deep as the Bible 10-translation version. So, when my other friend, Norma, came to see me, I explained my problem, and asked her if she had anything a little easier for me to read. The next day she came in with her husband's Pat McManus book, and I laughed my way through it. Several times, I almost rolled out of the hospital bed, I laughed so hard ! By the time they sent me home from the hospital, I was a dedicated Pat McManus fan.
I grew up reading Field & Stream. Patrick McManus, Ed Zern, The back 40 and all. I have Ed Zern's book, Hunting * Fishing From A to Zern.
It looks like a cute story. I don't think I ever heard of Pat McManus, but i don't usually read books that are light in nature. Sometimes I do though. I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series. They are really funny books, as are the Bridget Jones Diary books. This one sounds like it is light in nature as well.