A few years ago, after having a small amount of skin removed and my arm carefully and professionally sewn up by a dermatologist, I decided to give up wearing short-sleeved shirts. It seemed like a small price to pay to avoid further run-ins with squamous cell carcinoma. It turned out that much of the problem stemmed from my early days of living on the river with my brothers, dressed in t shirts and cutoff jeans all summer long. Despite the long-sleeved shirts and the fact that I virtually never wear short pants, I had to have another squamous cell lesion removed from the calf of my leg. The two procedures have netted me with the need for examinations by a dermatologist every six months and I’ve got an appointment in a couple of days for that regular visit. The condition is not life-threatening, but the lesions can be very aggressive, so early detection is the key to keeping the condition in check.

During the time following the first discovery of a lesion, which was inside the elbow of my left arm, probably not helped by years of driving with that elbow outside of the car, that I discovered what are called “fishing guide shirts.” The shirts are lightweight, have plenty of vents so they breathe well, are equipped with plenty of pockets, and have sleeves that can be rolled up and secured when you aren’t being exposed to sun. I obtained my first one in Japan, when I simply did not pack enough shirts. It was during the summer, in very hot weather, and my daughter took me to the BX on their base where I selected the shirt. I enjoyed it so much, I went back and bought another at the end of that trip,

Upon my return, my sister presented me with another. She had gone to an event that was promoting wind energy in our home county and the shirt was part of a door prize that she won. It didn’t fit her and wasn’t her style, but I really enjoyed it. It is a very expensive brand that I would not purchase on my own. I’m prone to cheap knock offs. The shirt, however, has the logical of the International Fly Fisher’s Association above the left pocket. I don’t mind the logo nor the conversation it inspires because I have been a fly fisher during periods of my life. I donated my fly-tying equipment to the church rummage sale a few years ago and even got rid of my poles and other equipment before we moved from South Dakota, but I did enjoy fly fishing for many years before I decided that I really wasn’t very good at it.

I learned that I wasn’t among the best fishermen early in my life. My youngest brother and I would head out to the river together. One of us would cross the river at our place and we’d fish our way downstream about two miles to the confluence of our river and the Yellowstone River. Then we’d switch sides and fish our way back up. Generally, at the halfway point, as we were crossing the river, we’d have to switch creels because my brother had caught his limit. Then we’d fish our way back home, during which time I wouldn’t catch any fish and he’d catch enough to have us both limited out by the time we got home. The fish would be cleaned and added to the freezer for a summer fish fry and we’d repeat the process a day or so later.

I love to eat fish and I like the idea of being a bit self-sufficient when it comes to gathering food, but I’d get pretty hungry if I was solely dependent upon my ability to catch fish. Still, I have had some very memorable fishing adventures, including landing a 28-pound steelhead on a north Idaho river one November. I brought a second monster fish to the boat that same day, but it was a native fish and our license only allowed the harvesting of hatchery fish, so it was released. Landing those two fish left me absolutely tired that evening and my arms ached for a couple of days afterward.

But I have never had that super competitive drive that you find in some fishermen. So Monday’s conviction of two competitors in last year’s Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament makes no sense whatsoever to me. The two fishermen pleaded guilty of cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals. They have had their fishing licenses suspended for three years and the younger of the pair was forced to forfeit ownership of his $100,000 fishing boat. OK, so I also don’t understand how someone could be enticed to spend $100,000 on a fishing boat, but that’s another subject entirely. I like boats, but there are limits.

Here’s the story that unfolded in the courtroom: tournament director Jason Fisher suspected that something was fishy about the fish that the two men brought in for judging. When they approached the scales, the weight to beat was 16.89 pounds. Their fish topped the scales at 33.91 pounds. A tournament official sliced open the fish and extracted lead balls and filets of other fish stuffed inside the entered fish. The five fish entered by the pair were confiscated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, along with the boat and their fishing equipment as evidence for their trial. In addition to the loss of the boat and suspension of their fishing licenses, the pair faced trial at which they pleaded guilty. Sentencing for the criminal portion of the charges is set for May 11. Prosecutors are expected to recommend six months probation, but they could be sentenced for additional charges, including attempted grand theft. The prize offered for the tournament was $28,000.

Admittedly, a $28,000 prize is a large sum. Perhaps the pair was planning to use some of the winnings to pay off that expensive boat. However, the math doesn’t work out. Just earning back their investment with tournament winnings seems unlikely, especially since their cheating wasn’t that sophisticated. Why did they cheat? And why did they do so in such a clumsy fashion?

The article I read about the cheating scandal doesn’t say if one of the cheaters had a brother who was also entered in the same tournament.