Iggy and Friends

By Clifford Leary

Our book primarily relates the antics of Iggy Von Golden and Dick Vaughn. The two friends are great fishing buddies who become acquainted with the Nolan sisters and their family.
Iggy is a romantic who readily engages young ladies in dancing and other fun experiences
Dick is somewhat more reserved and stable.
Despite their differences they are constantly engaged with each other in a variety of endeavors which I hope the reader finds humorous.
In addition, the book is interspersed with other small stories and poems which I hope you enjoy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728327785

Clifford Leary

Now going on eighty-nine years of age, the author having been raised on a Wisconsin farm recalls many of the trials and joys of those many years ago. The difficult days of the depression and drought of the 1930’s is indelibly fixed in his mind. The boyhood dreams of leaving the hardship of the farm to a better life materialized when he went to work for a railroad and worked his way up through the ranks to retire as a vice president. Now having been retired many years ago, he enjoys writing on a variety of subjects. Other books by Mr. Leary are: • Grandpa Cliff Remembers • Grandpa Cliff’s Tales • Grandpa Cliff’s Verses • Love, Money and Murder • Mary Ellen Dollar • The French Lady • My Brother Roger • The Runaway

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© 2019 Clifford Leary. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/17/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2779-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2778-5 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

Going fishing with Iggy and other stuff

Catfish Cat

Fish Fighting Dog

Lakeview Bear

Iggy Does Some Smelting

Fishing Hole

Fishing Contest

Iggy’s Night Out

Heavy Equipment

Skunk at School

Iggy Goes to the Fair

Mrs. Nolan Hears About the Boys

Musky Disaster

Bank Robbery

The Dells

Horseback

Perch Fishing

Dedication

Rita Leary,

My wife who provides constant support for my writing but would prefer that I learn bridge so I would know what she is talking about as she tries to explain a great day at the game.

June Leary,

My daughter, who provides much encouragement and patiently explains parts of my computer program when I need help. She has also done the editing as well as designed the cover.

Going fishing with Iggy and other stuff

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O ld Dick Vaughn once said that going out with Iggy Von Golden was just like knocking on the jail house door. I really didn’t believe that until Iggy and I took a little fishing trip one time. You see, Iggy had a reputation of being a great fisherman so I thought it would be great to take him along to Coon Lake up north of Minocqua and see if we could catch a Muskie or two.

I got my gear together and picked up Iggy early one Saturday morning with my pick-up truck. We headed north on Highway 51 full of excitement in anticipation of landing a few of the big lunkers. We had heard they were being caught on Coon Lake and a few other lakes in that area. We didn’t have minnows but planned to buy them at Hank’s Bait shop in Woodruff. Hank always had a good supply of big fresh suckers.

We were just heading into Wausau when Iggy said, I didn’t have a chance to have breakfast. Let’s stop in here someplace for a couple pancakes and some coffee.

I said, Fine with me, so we stopped in at Emma Krumbie’s. They always had good food there.

There were things he was, and things he was not, but the guy sure knew how to carry on with the ladies. He was a darned good-looking guy with his black wavy hair, slightly dark complexion, tall height and great build. As soon as our coffee was poured, Iggy was having a great conversation with our pretty waitress. She was tall with well-groomed soft red hair. If we had not been going fishing, I think he would have asked her for a date.

Iggy told her we were heading for Coon Lake. She knew exactly where it was. She told us she had a sister who ran a tavern not far from there. She asked us to stop in and say hello to her sister. Iggy assured her we would stop.

Full of pancakes and coffee we headed north again. It would be a great day for fishing if we got there before it was too late. We moved right along, made it through Minocqua and stopped in at Hank’s for a supply of minnows. Hank informed us the big ones are biting so we headed out again full of enthusiasm.

We were just a few miles from the lake when we saw the sign, Marybeth’s Backwoods Bar. It was located a short way off the road. We drove in and entered the saloon. Marybeth welcomed us and was happy to hear we had word of her sister.

Marybeth looked strikingly like her sister. She was also tall with beautiful red hair and a pretty face. Her friend, Jennie, another great looking gal, was there with her. They were playing cards at the end of the bar.

Iggy introduced us and was soon in his element getting acquainted with the two. I was anxious to get going and get on with the fishing, but Iggy was having too much fun gabbing with the ladies.

I ordered a round of drinks for the four of us and engaged in conversation with Marybeth. I asked her about the fishing in the area and found she was well informed on the subject.

Meanwhile Iggy plugged a quarter in the juke box and he and Jennie were dancing up a storm at the far end of the room. They were both good dancers and were having a great time. As soon as the dance was over, I called to Iggy trying to get him going. He just waved in recognition of my call but continued his conversation with Jennie. He was obviously not interested in fishing at the moment.

It soon became evident there was more than just dancing going on back there. They were becoming quite well acquainted and were soon hugging and kissing. I yelled at Iggy telling him to come on or I was going to leave him there.

He turned to Marybeth and ordered another drink and a pint of booze to go. He didn’t pay but put another quarter in the juke box and he and Jennie did another hot dance number. I yelled down at Iggy again, Come on Iggy, let’s get going. You’re coming or I’m leaving without you.

Iggy just laughed and waved to me as they kept on dancing, hugging and kissing. I hated to leave without him, but I had had enough of his foolishness, so I said goodbye to Marybeth and left.

As I started the pickup and turned it around to leave, a truck drove in and around to the back of the building. As it turned out, that happened to be Jennie’s husband, a big brute of a guy who didn’t like Jennie hanging around this place.

Anyway, I just started moving out the driveway and as I looked in the rear-view mirror, I saw Iggy running toward me at a high rate of speed. (That Iggy was a terrific runner.) He was running toward my truck yelling, Go. Go. Go! He was carrying that pint of booze held high as he ran. (The booze he never paid for.) Following close behind, coming down the front steps of the saloon was Jennie’s husband running as fast as he could and waving his big fists, yelling and swearing at Iggy. He was a rather heavy guy and no match for Iggy’s running ability. Iggy ran full speed and jumped into the box at the back of the pickup in one big leap and all the while yelling for me to go.

I hit the gas and spun the wheels as I took off down the road with that nut Iggy riding in the back. I could see Jennie’s husband in the rear-view mirror as he stood there waving his fist as we sped away.

I stopped about a mile down the road and let Iggy get into the cab of the truck and I gave that jerk a darned good bawling out for his stupid performance. He just laughed thinking it was all just a big joke. I told him it wouldn’t have been so funny if Jennie’s husband had caught up with him.

Well, finally we got over to the lake. I knew an old guy who rented out boats, so we got a boat, loaded our fishing gear into the boat and were set to do a little fishing.

Iggy wanted to run the motor, so we headed out. Naturally he had to speed up and go wide open. That little old five horse Evinrude pushed the boat right along at a good clip.

I told him to slow down, but he ignored me. We were about halfway across the lake when crash, bang, the equipment went flying as I was almost thrown from the boat.

Iggy had not been paying attention and ran into a rocky sand bar. We were jolted to a full stop and the engine sputtered and stopped running. I was ready to hit Iggy over the head with one of the oars. It was a good thing we had oars because we were in trouble.

Iggy tilted the motor up, so it was free of the sand bar. I took an oar and pushed out away from the bar and told Iggy to start the engine again. It didn’t want to start after having received that big jolt but with a little coaxing we did get it running.

Well, Iggy put it in gear, but we didn’t move. The shear pin had been sheared. Now what? I looked in my tackle box and as luck would have it, I found a shear pin that looked like it could work. I paddled the boat back to the sand bar and told Iggy to get out and get to work. I had a pair of pliers in the tackle box and told him what to do. He removed the propeller and proceeded to install the little shear pin.

Then, suddenly, he dropped the pin into the lake. If I had had a gun, I would have wanted to shoot him right there in the water. It was enough to make a grown man cry.

I looked in my tackle box and found my small horseshoe magnet. I tied some fish line to the looped end of the magnet and lowered it into the water just where I figured the pin might have dropped. I raised and lowered the magnet about fifty times and then all at once there it was. The magnet had picked up the pin.

I handed it to Iggy who was still in the water and told him if he dropped it again, he was a dead man. Soberly and carefully he got the pin installed and replaced the propeller.

We got underway again and went more slowly this time. We finally reached the far end of the lake where we wanted to fish.

It was already getting late in the day, but we gave it a try anyway. It wasn’t long until I caught a couple small northern pickerel and threw them back. Then Iggy pulled in a nice-looking walleye. I handed him a tape so he could measure it. He measured and handed back the tape. We fished for another hour or so and decided to head in to shore and call it a day.

We returned the boat and told the man we would be back in the morning to try again. We then drove over to the Northwood Resort to get a room for the night.

As we drove up, the manager came over and asked if we had caught any fish. Iggy showed him the walleye and said we would want a little ice for the cooler to keep the fish in.

Well, the manager pulled out a ruler and measured the walleye. It was about three fourths of an inch short of the legal limit.

Damn that Iggy! I had given him the ruler and he had measured the fish, so he knew it was not legal size. Well, the manager pulled off his hat and showed us a badge. He was a deputy game warden as well as a deputy sheriff. We were in trouble.

Well boys, this fish is not legal. Let me see your fishing license. I showed him my license and it was then I found out that Iggy did not have a license.

I am going to have to arrest you for fishing without a license, a game violation and for transporting illegal game fish.

He pulled out a small book, looked over the schedule of fines and wrote down some numbers.

Let’s see, No license - $125.00. Illegal fish - $75.00. Transporting - $75.00. That looks like $275.00 for you fine gentlemen.

Iggy looked at me and said, I’m broke.

The warden looked at us and said, Well, as you know, I must take the walleye and if you pay the $275 right now, you can go. If not, I will have to confiscate your truck and all your fishing gear. This is a serious offense.

The warden said he would accept my credit card as payment, so we charged it to my card. I told Iggy he would