| In the summer of 1956 we headed to Fort Myers | | | | I can remember returning to the fish camp in the |
| Beach, Florida in our 1954 Ford. I traveled in the back | | | | evening and getting attacked by the mosquitoes. We |
| seat with my 5 year old brother. The trip took 2 | | | | would load up the car and get moving to get away |
| days from central Indiana. Few had air-conditioned | | | | from the bugs. We fished hard for a whole week. I |
| cars including us. The four of us stayed at the | | | | do not remember a bad fishing day in the 50's. We |
| Side-O-Sea cottages on Fort Myers Beach. Again, no | | | | never did go ashore on Sanibel Island as there was |
| air-conditioning but we didn't care. | | | | no reason to do so. The island at that time had no |
| We went fishing out of the Punta Rassa Fish Camp. | | | | commercial establishments that we knew about. The |
| Directly across from the fish camp was Sanibel Island. | | | | island then, like today is known for shelling. |
| The island was serviced by two ferry boats, the | | | | The fish camp had pelican that was pretty much a |
| Rebel, and the Yankee Clipper. Other than the fish | | | | pet. Stanley the pelican was fed well by the returning |
| camp there was really nothing around Punta Rassa. | | | | fisherman and the folks at the dock. Stanley had no |
| You felt like you were along way out in the country. | | | | fear of people. |
| My dad rented one of the camps wood boats and to | | | | I now live in Delray Beach, Florida. I stayed on Sanibel |
| use with his 10 horse Evinrude. My dad tells me today | | | | in 1999 and it has all changed. The island is now has a |
| that he knew little of nothing about salt water fishing | | | | bridge and is open to the public. Although I enjoyed |
| then but we did catch out share of fish on live | | | | my stay the area is too crowded and too congested. |
| shrimp. Mostly we caught speckled trout; my mom | | | | On the site of the fish camp sit several |
| did catch a small hammerhead shark. My brother and | | | | condominiums. The fishing is nowhere near as good |
| I had just as much fun eating Cuban sandwiches and | | | | as it was in the 1950 and early '60s. Such is progress. |
| drinking soda pop as we did fishing. | | | | |