Chapter 1 of 23
Off Ground
Matt Creek, fifteen and three-quarters, flies alone for the first time to Naples to spend the summer as Uncle Dan's assistant fishing guide in Chokoloskee. We meet his father's South Florida Fishing Guidebook, his summer to-do list, the plaque quote, and learn his father died last summer.
Listen
Chapter 1, read aloud
Where we are
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Naples, Florida (airport) — Where Matt lands in Ch. 1 and takes his driver's test in Ch. 22. -
Gulf of Mexico — The 'blue abyss' from the plane window. -
Chokoloskee Island — Home base. Seminole for 'Old House.' Dan's cottage, the grocery store, the marina. -
Lostman's River — The destination. 'A river inside a bay inside a gulf.' The Sea Belle beached on an oyster bar near the mouth, Ch. 11–18.
Word of the day starboard — The right-hand side of a boat or plane when facing forward.
Word of the day zany — Amusingly unconventional. Yesterday's word on the plane.
“O God, thy sea is so great, and my boat is so small.”— Dad's plaque
“Good cast, son.”— Dad
“Progress defeats worry.”— Dad
“You gotta risk it for the biscuit!”— Uncle Dan
Fish in this chapter
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Common snook Fishing royalty. The black lateral stripe is the tell-tale. Matt's 36-inch, 20-pound monster at South Point… Ch. 1Ch. 2Ch. 4Ch. 5 +2 -
Tarpon ('silver king') The trophy fish of South Florida and the tournament's main event. Old Scarface. Rose's 68-inch, 81-pound… Ch. 1Ch. 2Ch. 7Ch. 8 +3 -
Lionfish (invasive) The Chokoloskee Gazette article: smuggled exotics destroying local reefs and 'outcompeting' native species. Ch. 1
Crew in this chapter
Critters in this chapter
Boats in this chapter
From the tackle box
- Popping cork
- A float with a cupped top; tug every few seconds and it 'pops' to call fish to the shrimp dangling beneath. How Matt caught his first snook and most redfish.
Matt’s list
- Learn a new word each day — checked off this chapter
- Mental rebound — checked off this chapter
- Smile like you're awesome — checked off this chapter
- Change is good (remember) — added this chapter
All chapters: Ch. 1Ch. 2Ch. 3Ch. 4Ch. 5Ch. 6Ch. 7Ch. 8Ch. 9Ch. 10Ch. 11Ch. 12Ch. 13Ch. 14Ch. 15Ch. 16Ch. 17Ch. 18Ch. 19Ch. 20Ch. 21Ch. 22Ch. 23