Some family treasures just can't be discarded

End-of-the-year rituals drive me nuts.

"Call a trash hauler," my wife commanded, "and get a dumpster dropped on our driveway."

I countered by telling her I would clean the basement when I got some other high-priority projects out of the way.

She fired right back with her usual retort, claiming most of the items I have stored in our home are nothing more than glorified junk.

I bristled at her remarks but kept quiet, not wanting to create a scene.

We went into the garage and just stood there. The thermometer hovered around the 20-degree mark. She pointed to an old rod and reel and declared it was old and not being used.

That's where I drew the line.

The rod and reel in question belonged to my 94-year-old Uncle Gil.

It's an ancient, bamboo saltwater boat rod with a an old Penn trolling reel. Gilbert used it for his infrequent forays into the salt off the Santa Monica coastline in southern California.

"I caught lots of fish with this rig," he told me several years ago when we moved him from his Hollywood Hills home into an independent-living apartment.

So I packed it up in a rod tube and brought it back to this area, knowing full well I'd never use it. The bamboo was extremely brittle and the reel itself was loaded with heavy-duty salt corrosion and resembled the bottom keel of an oceangoing freighter.

But it was a piece of my family's history, nevertheless.

My father's prized fly and casting rods have been carefully stored in their respective rod cases, far removed from her prying eyes. And yet she has a nose for mildew and is able to track down an odor's origin like the bloodhound she is.

It was back when the seasons started to turn warm when she dragged me into the garage and commanded a full and thorough cleanup.

When she went for the coup de grace, Uncle Gil's rod and reel, I refused to cave in.

In a quiet, reserved voice, I calmly related that even though I have new gear, modern-day rods and reels, Uncle Gil's rig is what angling memories are about.

I explained that even though there was a slim chance it would ever get used again, I wanted it around to remind me of the 40-plus years I have been involved in outdoors communications. She smiled and patted me on my head.

"OK, sweetheart, keep it if you must," she cooed, "but let's go to the car dealer and trade in my old one. I'm ready for one of those new models."

I was trapped. I should have seen this coming, but I was blinded by her softness.

The front bumper of her new vehicle now sits just inches from the hook where Uncle Gil's rod and reel hang.

An awfully expensive trade-off, but such is life.

Job well done: Hats off to Wisconsin law enforcement officers for paying close attention to official records.

Nineteen convicted criminals in that state are again in custody after parole agents and officers from the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources teamed up to make the arrests.

The 19 were part of a group of 62 felons who applied for deer hunting licenses. The applicants apparently thought they could get away with their sneaky behavior, but checks made to WDNR data bases showed they were violating the law once again.

It's illegal for felons to possess a firearm. While the number of felons checked was 62, just 19 were arrested and charged after the investigation was completed.

Fishing update: The action will get better as the days go by. I'm referring to the brown trout fishing in Racine and Kenosha Harbors. Most of the catching is being through the ice, but Wisconsin DNR officials note that not all the ice is safe in both harbors.

Fox Chain: Bluegills up to 9-inches are being taken from south and north ends of Channel Lake. Walleyes started showing up near the marina on Lake Catherine. Petite Lake crappies have improved in 10 feet.

Forest preserves: There isn't a green light yet from forest preserve district officials in the Cook, Lake, DuPage and McHenry counties pertaining to safe ice fishing. Conditions vary from lake to lake, with a few open pockets.

Shabbona: Safe ice in the back area, where bluegill and crappies are available.