Anyone from Hamilton remember the catches of Smelts along the pier east of the lift bridge in the 60's and early 70's? That was crazy. Bushel baskets overflowing, we stacked them 2 high in the back of the 59 Chevy station wagon. I remember cleaning hundreds with a pair of sharp scissors late into the night if it wasn't a school night. I'm sure that pier would be shoulder to shoulder on weekends. My Dad (who turned 88 today, whooo hahhh) had Sunday Monday off, I missed smelt fishing because I got many mornings off school for a few weeks in April, I waited with baited breath to hear "you coma downa the stairs and help me and your uncle " instead of "wash up and go to bed you go to school early". That meant I didn't have to get up for school the next morning. It was a rite of passage when you got promoted from pouring the vino to holding the light!!! When I was strong enough to haul up the net I would rather chase skirts in Montgomery Park, (dummy me)!
edit, Nothing to do with Smelts but I'm blessed not only to still have Dad and I'm 60 but Mom is still with us at 84. I don't have many friends that still have 1 still alive , most around my age have lost both, to have 2 with us is crazy lucky, that man worked in the steel plant for 35 years and layed brick and did ceramic tile into his late 70's and that was before Health and Safety was even a slogan. Happy Birthday Tony D.
