A FISH STORY (happy ending included)
This is the story of four anglers, diagnosis a guide passionate about big fish and of course a big fish. During the 2012 season twelve year veteran Scott guide, Biff Piston (his real name is Steve Linder but no one knows it besides his parents and now everyone on the Scott Lake Lodge mailing list) spotted a really big pike at what became known as Biff’s Rock. It wasn’t a real special looking place, just a narrow channel adjoining two parts of Premier lake, a drop dead gorgeous lake adjacent to Scott lake and reached with a 20 minute boat ride. Mid-season last year Biff saw this really, really big fish in the clear water of Premier. He kept going back to the spot, as did other Scott guides—there are no secrets here. Three different times with three different anglers (you know who you are) that fish was hooked but three times something went wrong: the hook set wasn’t quick enough or it just plain shook off; big fish do that. Usually three times is a charm but for this fish it took four tries.
That fourth time happened on August 9th, again in Biff’s boat. This time everything went right for Biff and Charlie Dannewitz who was on the other end of the line. He was throwing his Mepps spinner with little plastic tail and right at the boat all hell broke loose. BIG FISH ON. Charlie played it like a champ with his dad, Chuck, and Biff doing some frantic coaching. From the start everyone knew that this was a special fish. No real drama though. No close calls. Just a great fight and then, just like in dreams, the huge pike was pulled right into the waiting cradle. The cradle closed and so did the saga of the fish at Biff’s Rock. The fish is officially now a 51” trophy, the biggest in the lodge’s history. (A history by the way that features accurate, no stretch, measurements.) For Charlie it was the fishing thrill of a lifetime. For Biff it was redemption. For the rest of us it’s hope. The monster was hooked right in the corner of the mouth: she (the giant pike are all females) swam away strong. Every guide for years now will stop at the rock and have their guests make a few casts, hoping. What a story. Now look at the picture again. That’s a fish!