Catch-of-the-day, Rogue River, Oregon, 1970
Fish are the most photographed creature in the animal kingdom. Dogs come in second, then cats, birds and bears round out the top five. But unlike the other animals the fish are always dead. And of course, just like in this slide, someone is holding them up grinning from ear to ear.
I haven’t been fishing since I was a kid. My grandparents would take me and my big bruiser brother along with them to Puddingstone Lake near the fairgrounds in Pomona. Grandma would pack a picnic basket to the brim and we would spend the whole day just sitting there waiting for the fish to bite. I found the sport of fishing quite boring. I may have caught a fish or two, I don’t really remember. What I do remember is the bait we used � Velveeta. Guess fish like it just as much as people do.
Velveeta is the food we love to hate and hate to love. The fine folks at Kraft introduced the savory smooth treat way back in 1928. The name is supposed to make us think of velvet– the most luxurious fabric of all. Over the years Velveeta has earned a very important place in the Tex-Mex kitchen. Who doesn’t love Chili con Queso � that exotic taste treat sensation that happens when you microwave a jar of salsa with what else? Velveeta!
Here’s to you and Velveeta
This looks exactly like my Grandma. She too was a fisherman (fisherwoman?) Actually, she and my grandpa were champion giant marlin fishermen in Acapulco in their spare time. There are pictures to prove this. I would never have believed it myself based on her inability to unscrew the cap on the goldfish food container.
We didn’t fish there, but oh! the Rogue River brings back memories of visiting my great grandparents – the river was right in their back yard! We would pick wild blackberries, all 5 kids would lie around on the hammock, and we would help grandma snap green beans for supper. I sure do miss her. I’ll pretend that this photo is her, catching fish to eat with our fresh green beans!