News and Fishing Reports

It was 52 degrees with intermittent, gusty winds at game time on Cinco de Mayo at the Vernon boat launch for the first game of the season between the hometown Fish of the Fork and the Visiting Anglers from Texas and southern Idaho, respectively. The fish got some strong pitching in the early innings from the combination of Rithro and Baetis, until the Rubber Legs cousins stepped into the batter’s box. Things then turned around for the visitors. In his first at bat, Brown Rubber Legs hit a long home run. He was followed in the order by his larger relative, Mottled Rubber Legs, who followed with a deep drive of his own. The Rubber Legs duo stayed hot all day, adding a single and a double to each end the game 3 for 3.

Then the Fish were forced to go to the bullpen, and in came Caddis. His deceptive delivery, coupled with a rising sun and temperatures approaching 70 degrees held the hitters at bay for the next two innings. The visitors were perplexed by caddis’ pitches, as he was all over the plate and throwing strikes, but still the visitors couldn’t put the bat on the ball.

The visiting manager then regrouped his players and implemented a different strategy. He called upon stud reserve Green Machine, who quickly bunted his way on for a single, then stole second. That seemed to spark a Visitors’ rally, and they peppered the Fish’s pitching for the last 5 innings. Then the Visitors went to the ‘pen one last time and relied upon their veteran closer, Zebra, to seal the win for the Visitors. It’s a different season, but the story was the same for the Zebra, who set the Fish down in order in the ninth with his blazing fastball. With his strong effort out of the bullpen, Zebra once again garnered player of the game honors.

-Pat Gaffney, Visiting Manager