The Ponytail

Fishing with Andy is always a treat! Not only do you never know what and where you will catch a fish, but the stories he tells are better than anything I could write. Temps in the low 70s, an overcast sky and no wind was a menu for a glorious day on the water. I caught a variety of fish –pickerels, small-mouth bass, and on the return to shore, a large-mouth bass, my first on the lake.

Looking for another story from Andy, I teased him about his long hair and the fact that he had it tied back with a rubber band. This is not typical. Andy is not usually scruffy, with a neatly trimmed mustache and, of late, a goatee. He is the perfect fishing guide—dressed to please and fish. Yet the ponytail had a background story. Andy has a friend from his youth in Bangor. His friend is fighting cancer and has lost her hair as a result of the treatment. She has a cadre of supporters who are shaving their heads in solidarity with her. But rather than a complete shave off, Andy is growing his hair out so that, once it is long enough, it will be cut off and a wig made from it for his friend. That is the kind of person Andy is. He will go the extra mile to help, whether outfitting my East Grand canoe, showing me how to tie a streamer, making sure I have the needed guides for the kids when they visit the camp, or supporting his friend in a fight for her life; Andy is there. He is a true loyalist – a true Mainer.