Gene was pursuing his fishing hobby and had a big trout on the stringer. Little did he know that Cape Cod’s fish are smart and powerful. Yes, the trout pulled the fish stringer free from the rocky area in which it was anchored and started to swim away. Gene’s keen eye caught the movement and was not going to let a fish out swim him. Well, he really was not thinking about swimming but the fish was managing the rocks better than Gene. Gene went down – Dive Number 1 – and he missed to hold onto the trout. Up and after the colorful fish again, OOPS…Dive Number 2 – took place and up came Gene with the trout in hand, BUT without his wedding band. All the movement in the water caused the ring to go into hiding. The resulting search did not reveal the ring’s hiding place in a bit over 2 feet of water.
Days later, while watching TV and the story of Jim Wirth returning a Manhattan University ring to its owner 47 years after it was lost, a search for a RingFinder was on. I was contacted and agreed to go look for the missing wedding band. Wait a minute – Gene wanted to watch the search. Just short of a week later Gene and his wife made arrangements to meet me at the loss location. After a short hike and a 15 minute search I had the ring in my scoop. I walk into shore and let Gene take the golden ring, a symbol of 51 years of marriage, from its temporary resting nest among the rocks in my scoop.
On the walk back to the parking lot I gave Gene a big at-a-boy for his dedication to fishing to feed his family. However, he does not eat the fish he catches. Oh, if Gene only had a trout or two he wanted to give me as a gift. No such luck, maybe I will have to take up fishing again, but then there would be no time for being a RingFinder. Heck here on Cape Cod there is enough fish for everyone. I’ll keep on metal detecting. The people I have met are far more interesting than any fish I ever caught.
After the pictures of smiles were taken and a stories of West Hartford, CT (where I am from) were exchanged we bid our good-byes. Gene had the fish and the ring that did not get away! What a great __ __ __ __ story! – you fill in the blanks, HINT: found on a stringer, or found in my scoop.
What a fish tale – What memories…
