I’m not Irish, though I do admire those who are. Irish accents are right up there at the top of my favorites, second only to the Scottish accent. There are a good many other reasons to like the Irish, however. Most notably, St. Patrick’s Day.
For those of you who think that St. Patrick’s Day is simply an excuse to wear green and drink more beer than is typically acceptable, you’re not alone. Apparently there’s more to it that that. Here’s a brief history:
St. Patrick’s Day began as a religious holiday to celebrate the Irish patron saint by the name of Patrick. Over time St. Patrick’s Day has become a secular celebration of the Irish culture. Because he lived in the 4th century, not much is known about St. Patrick and much of what has been said about his life has probably been twisted, embellished and exaggerated, like the rumors that he rid Ireland of snakes (the Emerald Isle never had snakes in the first place).
Without anyone to tell us otherwise we can probably assume that St. Patrick was also a fly fisherman. With the luck of the Irish on his side he was probably a damned fine angler, too. And back in the 4th century there were more fish to be caught than there are today, so he very likely was a most accomplished angler. The folks at Montana Fly Company are honoring the heritage of St. Patrick the Angler, sort of, by holding a “Lucky Limerick Contest” on their Facebook page.
If you’re not on Facebook you’re a shrinking minority of people. If you are on Facebook, then jump on over and “like” the page for Montana Fly Company (what’s not to like about it anyway, right?). Once there, please find my limerick entry (it’s the 20th entry) and give it a “like”. It doesn’t matter if you don’t actually like it–I’m just asking you to “like” it. The contest runs until St. Patrick’s Day and the limerick with the most “likes” will win millions of dollars in cash and prizes. The guidelines are fairly simple: Write a limerick about the luckiest or unluckiest day you’ve ever had fishing.
It was an easy decision for me to choose the latter theme for my limerick:
The Spey rod makes an awkward sweep,
the line piling up in a pitiful heap.
I look like a dork
with two hands on the cork
I should pay for a lesson but I’m way too cheap.
At the time of this writing there is one other entry with 12 “likes” to my “6”. I’m not by nature a competitive guy, but I hate to lose. If you do decide to help me win this contest, leave a comment here (don’t email me) stating that you “liked” my limerick on the Montana Fly Company Facebook page. I’ll check to make sure you’re not cheating. If I win, I’ll throw all the names of those who voted for me into my lucky fishing hat and draw a winner who will receive a Montana Fly Company rainbow trout fly box.
Thanks for your support, and happy St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll be drinking several green beers in your honor.
Kirk, Begging is so, well….you. I voted. Good luck~
Thanks for indulging me, Howard. I must say, your resolve is weak 😉
Done, Kirk. I’m not above being bribed for a vote if you’re not above bribing!
Thanks, Greg. The Shameless know no bounds, and we must stick together.
I love a man that can so honestly call themself a dork. Hell ya, I’ll vote for you. Cheers!
The way I see it, if the wading boot fits, wear it. I wear my dorkiness with pride – in most cases, it’s all I got. Thanks, Mia – I appreciate the support!
Kirk
Love the limerick! – however, you need to take out the extra blank lines as they keep the casual reader from seeing the rest of the limerick as it is displayed. Think of it as a “packaging” suggestion. Also I tried Chicago-style voting but FB kept me from stuffing the ballot box!
Thanks for the packging tip, Al- I’ll just have to remain hopeful that the little “See More” tag prompts people to click it and view the last line. Or, it could just be interepreted as the ultimate literary cliff hanger, though likely not.
I’m on your side with a “Like” for your accomplished limerick. Good Luck and win or lose, you can still drink beer.
Thanks, Fred, but unfortunately not many have sided with me and I’m getting my unaccomplished limerick ass kicked. But I appreciate your support.
I now who my friends are.
It should be noted that I also voted for you, Fred. If I can’t win, maybe you can win. Keeping it all in house is better than letting it go to some talented, deserving outsider.