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We lived and worked on the Indian Canyon Ranch just a few miles east of Lamesa, Texas it was 1981. In the rugged canyons and valleys there were many spring fed streams and creeks. Several large tanks (ponds) had been stocked with bass. In the late evenings it was exciting to watch the bass jump and feed on the mosquitoes and bugs that hung around the water. Our young son was a dedicated fisherman. He would spend hours fishing and catching large bass. They made a nice dinner for all of us and a little boy feel like a king because he caught them all.

In the crystal clear water running from the deep springs on the ranch my children enjoyed fishing without a pole. Watching the fish swim in the clear water among the rocks, reeds and shadows was a very relaxing way to pass the afternoon after a hard morning of working cattle or hauling feed for hours on end. All you had to do was hold a string with a kernel of corn or anything and the perch would bite. Oh how much fun it was to see the children laughing holding each catch as if the tiny fish were some grand prize size catch!

The most fun for all of us, including guests, was the creek just a short distance from the ranch house. Here we could see the fish swim and they would bite anything we dropped in the water! Occasionally someone would slip or fall into the chilly creek water but it was all in fun and we laughed it off. We would stay for hours under a bright blue sky and a warm yellow sun. Mom provided a blanket to rest on and a snack to enjoy, there was always laughter and conversation.

This was the most peaceful setting; native grass was green and short like a manicured lawn, except this was mowed by cattle, deer and antelope. We were shaded by tall trees with a soft wind rustling the leaves along the creek banks. Chirping birds called out to us happily from the blue Texas sky. Big, fat cattle grazed quietly all around us. Fishing without a pole, using a string dangling off your finger or a small tree branch, we had as much fun as you can have anywhere. Folks didn't need rods and reels either.

We had some good times along the creeks, ponds and pastures of the Indian Canyon Ranch. My family had a lot of fun living every cowboys dream on a ranch so beautiful it should be designated a national park. The Indian Canyon Ranch was over 35,840 acres of scenic canyons,creeks, streams, mesas, trees and wildlife. The kind of place that fishing without a pole can be done almost anytime.

Learn more about this author, S. Linda Jensen.
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