Fishy Tales

At lunch today, in a Chinese restaurant overlooking the Merrimack Valley in Dracut, we saw a couple of guys fishing in the waters and releasing their catch back into the water.  The Merrimack used to be a heavily polluted river because of all the factories in the area.  The fishermen prompted Mother to strike up conversation with the waiter about whether he'd ever fished there.  He said that, oh yes, the river was great for fishing.  The kitchen staff do it all the time and there are some large fish there, even bass.  They do it for fun, of course, not to eat.  The chef lost a fishing pole recently because the fish was so big.  They gather around the restaurant because of the food waste that goes into the river.  They were so plentiful that they didn't even need to fish with a real rod, just a string and stick.  They'd set them up, tie to a tree, and return every once in awhile to check on the lines.  The entire tale sounded fantastical.  We smiled and nodded at his story, taking it all in, until we left the restaurant and got into the car.

Mother: They're not supposed to dump food into the river, right?  That's illegal.

Father:  And no Chinese chef ever 'fishes for fun.'  Remember never to order fish at this place.