Scientists looking at historical patterns believed the breach would begin healing and Katama would once again be a calm bowl of water suitable for kayaks and inflatable boats.
Just the opposite has happened. Goodbye, Katama. Hello, Ignorance.
The redecoration of the landscape means stuff we knew about fishing patterns from years past and the stuff we learned last year when the hole was but a small puncture are as useless as Ikea directions.
But that doesn't mean we've given in to our Bay of Ignorance. We're infusing the local economy with our dollars by buying locally produced lures carrying the "can't-miss" verbal guarantee. We're listening intently to the natives who offer advice and scanning the water's surface for signs of bait fish being chased by something bigger. We're watching what the birds are doing.
Our arsenal has grown. We're throwing plastic lures, wooden plugs, shiny strips of metal and bloodworms. I think we would throw the kitchen sink if we thought we would get a strike.
We're trying to teach the neighbor's Great Dane, Lucy, to be a fish-hunting dog.
The big migrating stripers haven't made their appearance yet. They'll probably arrive just in time for the start of the annual Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby next month. But we've managed to introduce ourselves to bunches of snapper blues while looking for their bigger relatives. And clamming remains a terrific food source.
Ignorance is bliss.
Wish-A-Fish
The Wish-A-Fish Foundation is having a fundraiser to help pay for its annual fishing trips for special-needs children and their families.
Fishermen around the Chesapeake Bay donate their time, gear and boats a couple of times each season to make the fishing part happen. But they need cash to pay for the T-shirts, caps and snacks that are a part of the experience.
Rarely does WAF stick out its hand and ask the public for help.
The WAF party is the night of Oct. 25 at American Turners Hall, off Philadelphia Road in Rosedale. Tickets are $40 each. There will be music and dancing and tons of good eats.
Check it out at www.wish-a-fish.org.
