Bruce Bartling has always enjoyed living on or near the water. For three years while attending elementary school at several locations, his family lived on an old forty-six foot cruiser and plied the San Juan Islands when not attending school.

The name of the craft was “Nokomis”, an Indian name. It had an interesting history. Allegedly the boat was used as a “Rum Runner” and delivered and received alcohol from Victoria, British Colombia, Canada and Bellingham,WA. Several smugglers were reported as having been murdered on the very same boat we later lived on. I, had several jobs fishing growing up. I fished on a purse seine boat in 1960 just after I finished my active duty enlistment in the Marine Corps. In 1968, after returning from Hawaii after attending the University there, I hired on as a deckhand to catch shrimp on a seventy-six foot schooner. The story in this book is about catching wild salmon on a commercial troller. I somehow managed to get a job fishing when I just turned sixteen. To a sixteen year old boy, this was the adventure of a lifetime. No parents, no fussy school teachers, and a whole new world to explore.

Most people weren’t consumed by television in the nineteen fifties, as most people didn’t have television sets. I fell in love with nature during this time. This story tells of things that actually happened and those made up merely to entertain the reader. Which is which? I’ll let you decide.

EXCERPT

“We need something to drink as I see you are a little nervous. First time?” she smiled. “Oh no” I lied. “I’ve been with women several times. She turned off the light and said, “I’ll be right back. I can get some booze from the tavern downstairs. Don’t you go to sleep on me?” I didn’t – at least not for a long time. When I woke up it was getting light in the room. I couldn’t figure out what happened as I hadn’t even had anything to drink and definitely didn’t make it with the “young lady”.

I jumped out of bed to get dressed and my clothes were gone. Damn. Where did they go? I searched high and low and they were nowhere in sight. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door…