[Fondueset]

On a whim I made my way down to the open space project - thoughts of snorkage drifting with languid trepidation in the back, front and sides of my mind.

I walked along the edge there toward one of the ladders and stuck my foot in as three huge, silver-sided salmon passed underneath. The water seemed..well..balmy. Inwardly acknowleging that this was likely some sort of neurological anomaly I nonetheless returned to my car, gathered by gear and made, forthwith, for my point of entry.

Some fellow was on a cell-phone nearby. He sounded like a car salesman.
His haircut sucked. I thought about how I should never judge people just because they sound like a cheap suit and dress like LL Bean himself.

A young couple came along and looked at the water. They asked me if I'd been in yet - I told them it would be interesting to see if I survived.

The water was, well, not alltogether freezing. (My baggy henderson 3/2 neosport seems to have surrendered to incredulity these past few weeks - it looks at me from it's duffle bag and seems to say 'Dude, I'm made to look good on a windsurfer - your on your own with this sh%t') Visibility was imperfect - though still quite good. First couple of dives were brief - just getting my lungs in gear - and waiting for my face to stop hurting.

I like to do 3 or 4 on my way to the deeper area along the north edge of the breakwall. Very few fish around - other than little baby smallmouth fingerlings hanging close to the bottom.(I bet that drives the crayfish nuts!)

Got into deeper water and some of the large bass started to show up. I was getting my chops by then and had some nice long dives. On one I was hanging with maybe 8 bass - a couple of which were quite large. Very relaxed dive kneeling on the bottom at the edge of the big rocks maybe 20-25 feet down.

I was thinking about the great peripheral vision in my mask; checking out the corners of my eyes when along came a salmon about as long as one of my sporas. It ambled by purposefully just above me and the bass; curious but not about to alter it's restless, predatorial cruise. It was very cool to watch (the bass tilting slightly - to allow an eye for each of us) - almost close enough to touch - then off into the haze - a menacing sillouette. Surfaced realizing I wasn't even hurtin for air yet.

A few more nice dives as the chill started to set in - then back for shore where, for some reason, a bunch of coast guard guys were launching hundreds of brightly colored flares out over the water..

The guy in the bad shorts was still there with his haircut, talking on the cell-phone.

I've decided my spirit name is 'Interesting to Bass'