Fifty-Three Years as a Writer – How it Happened

My first hint that I wanted to become a writer began in high school. Sort of like that first yellow bloom on a tomato plant, my English teacher, my aunt Lillian Montgomery, picked up on something like that tiny bloom that gave her a hint that her gangly, awkward nephew might possibly have an inborne ability to string words together in a meaningful way.

I resented Aunt Lillian at first because she was tougher on me than others in the class. Anything I wrote was returned to me dripping in red ink pointing out the mistakes I had made, scratching out something I had written and replacing what was scratched out with how I could have said something better.

Fast forward to my four years at Northwestern in Natchitoches. While math and science and history were not in my scope of interest as evidenced by my grades, I took a journalism class as an elective. I just flat out fell in love with it, feeling a new-found freedom to grab a pad and pencil and write. It was in that class that I received one of the few “A” grades I got during my college years.

After college, I taught school for a year, worked in sales for another couple until I settled in on my career in social work. My interest in this job was in interviewing and offering counseling to folks who needed direction. In the back of my mind, even though my job was helping people with little need for writing, that little tomato bloom was always there. I wanted to write.

My interest growing up was in the outdoors as my dad spent his career with the LA Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and his love for the outdoors bled over into me.

Stories in outdoors magazines became my interest and one day I sat down and wrote a story, total fiction, of a deer hunt and how the hunter was able to outwit a trophy buck. I was so impressed with what I had written that I sent my story to a friend of my dad, famous outdoors writer Grits Gresham who lived in Natchitoches, having the gall to ask him where I might market my masterpiece.

To my delight, Grits answered my letter. I was about to launch myself into a career as an outdoor writer. He was kind to let me down as gently as he could, telling me I might find it difficult to place what I had written in a magazine.

He did, however, offer me some of the best advice I ever had when he said learning to write is much like learning how to become proficient at any job; you needed, as he said to “hone your craft”.

One day while living in the Claiborne Parish town of Homer, I got up the nerve and nervously walked into the office of the Guardian Journal weekly newspaper, met the publisher Mrs. Kathy Hightower, asking her if I could write a “hunting and fishing” column for the paper. She smiled and let me down gently saying thanks but no thanks. I was strangely relieved.

Six months later, I dropped by the office for a weekly paper and Mrs. Hightower called me into her office, asking me if I still wanted to do that “hunting and fishing” column, I was ready and she hired me at the rate of $2.50 weekly plus a free paper.

I was somewhat embarrassed to put my name on the column so to cover my identity in case readers thought it stunk, I gave it the title “Uncle Zeke from Beaver Creek”. My first column appeared on September 21, 1972.

From that humble beginning, I have been blessed through the years to get to write for other newspapers, parish journals, outdoor magazines, written outdoors themed books that ultimately launched me into a second career in outdoors radio.

It saddened me deeply to learn that earlier this month, Mrs. Kathy Hightower who still ran the Guardian Journal had just passed away.

From my Aunt Lillian to a journalism class in college to Grits Gresham to this special lady, it’s been a 53-year adventure that to a great extent has turned me into who I am today.

FISHING REPORT

CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been best fishing jigs around the boat docks with some caught early morning around the grass on topwater lures. Square billed crank baits are picking up some as well. Crappie are best around submerged tops in deeper water with shiners and jigs taking some nice fish. Bream are fair. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Crappie fishing has been good fishing jigs or shiners around the deep tops. Bass fishing has been best fishing topwater lures early and pitching jigs around brush later. For best.information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – The water is on a slight rise but expected to begin falling in a day or so. It is still quite low because of lock and dam problems down stream. Bass are best fishing shad imitation lures in the cuts and run-outs with current. Crappie are around the tops in the river and fair to good on shiners and jigs. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass are best early mornings on topwater lures. Later in the day, look for them over deeper water. Jigs and crank baits are picking up some. Crappie have moved to the channels and are best on jigs and shiners as they are suspended over deeper water. Bream are fair. Catfish are good fishing off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been best on jigs and shiners suspended over deeper water. Bass are around the banks and hitting topwaters early while later hitting crank baits and soft plastics in deeper water. Bream are scattered. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfish are good while crappie are fair fishing around the boat slips. Some are also hitting jigs and shiners on the south end. Bass are slow. For information, contact the marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The lake level is low. Catfishing is good while bass and crappie have not turned on just yet. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.