Fishing with the Technician

[Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>]

In the early years if I had a slow day with nothing to do sometimes I'd
go fishing and ask the the tech (or techs) if they wanted to go with me.
  One day Chuck and I were sitting in the office staring at each other.
I didn't want to go out and sell because we had some big jobs starting
in a couple days, and anything new would have to wait a while.  All the
parts where ordered.  Site had been surveyed.  Office had been swept.
Trucks had been cleaned out and organized. We just ran out of busy work.

I asked, "You wanna go fishing?" Chuck was out the door and digging his
fishing gear out of the trunk of his car before I could get out of my
chair.  We stopped by my house to grab my minnow bucket a couple rods,
and a throw net.

My minnow bucket is a 55 gallon plastic sugar barrel with holes drilled
in it all the way around about a foot from the open top of the barrel.
We would net a few shad for bait, and then use a 5 gallon bucket to
periodically add fresh water.  The excess water would run out the holes,
and drain out the drain holes in the truck bed.

At our first fishing spot we got all rigged up.  Chuck beat me to the
water with a balloon rigged minnow, but not by much.  As he tossed out
past a canal pump a fellow pulled up on the road behind us and bellow in
that obnoxious tone people have when they think they are talking to
stupid hicks.  "BWA HA HA HA.  THERE AIN'T NO FISH IN THERE!"

I just turned and flicked my bait towards the water.  Just then Chuck
exclaimed, "GOT ONE!" and before he had his fish out of the water I had
one on as well.

I lifted mine up out water and turned to guy in the truck to say, "see
there are," but I never got to say it.  I just got a glimpse of him red
faced, clenched jawed, and white knuckling the steering wheel as he
stomped on the gas spinning tires out of there.