Every April, memories of family and past fishing adventures come alive for Susan Manzke as she recalls her father’s favorite fishing story from the 1930s. Born in April 1923, her parents shared a love for music, with her father skilled in playing guitar, harmonica, and accordion, often accompanied by her mother’s singing. Their favorite songs included classics like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “You Are My Sunshine,” which filled many summer evenings around a campfire with warmth and joy.
One particular story her father, Charles J. Paska, wrote about involved a fishing trip he took as a boy with his cousin Chuck. Without fancy fishing gear, they set out for the Little Calumet River after breakfast, carrying just lines, bobbers, and hooks in their pockets. At the river, they were surprised to see a large dredge working to widen the waterway. The dredging stirred up not only water and soil but also some of the largest carp they had ever seen.
Using an old piece of clothesline, the boys managed to catch several carp and began stringing them along it. Their catch was so heavy that carrying it home was a challenge. On their way back down Halsted Street, a man stopped to ask if they were selling the fish. After some playful bargaining initiated by Chuck, they sold most of the carp for twenty-five cents each but kept three for themselves.
Back home, they placed the three fish in a water-filled sink only to find them floating lifelessly with an oily sheen on the surface. Their mother quickly warned them that the river was too polluted and that the fish were not safe to eat. Attempts to interest their cat and dog in the fish failed comically, leading them to bury the carp in their garden instead.
This story highlights not only childhood memories and family bonding over music and fishing but also reflects on environmental changes affecting local waterways over time. Although Charles passed away in 1991 and his wife in 1995, Susan treasures these memories every April as she remembers her parents’ love for music and storytelling by the campfire.
Such stories capture a simpler time when fishing trips were adventures filled with discovery and family connection despite challenges like pollution. They also remind us of how much rivers and communities have changed over the decades. Through songs and stories shared across generations, families keep alive these meaningful experiences tied to nature and togetherness.
