On my kitchen counter is a pile of squash. Not one squash or two squash, I mean a bushel basket of squash. I appreciate a good squash, especially since I was born without a green thumb. Now the reason I have all these squash is I can sometimes catch a fish, so I bartered some lake trout, which happens to be there favorite fish, for my favorite fall vegetable. They said you take us fishing, and will give you all the squash you want.

Jack in the bean stock couldn't have made a better trade; I didn't have to guarantee fish, just the fishing. They showed up at my house with the horn of plenty before ever setting foot in the boat. I not only got squash, I also received onions and some pumpkins at no extra charge. I sure hoped the fish would bite.

Rural farmers don't get many days off and they get even fewer fall days for fishing. Its pretty much farming from sunup to sundown, from the last snow of spring until the first snow of winter, then they fix everything on the farm all winter that broke down all summer. To come fish with me, they bartered a weekend of there farm chores, with another farm family who wants to go skiing, that's another reason I'm not a farmer. I like fishing more than sweeping up after cows that make milk or hamburger or cowpies.

Friday night I baked up some of the golden goodness and roasted a chicken as he and his wife helped me stock the winter larder with canned, cooked and frozen squash. We decided next year, it would be squash for salmon, if this year worked out. Saturday morning I had fried eggs with bacon, coffee and toast, and some cold squash.

His wife made sandwiches, we loaded a cooler, we loaded the boat and to the big lake we did go. I picked the spot and the depth, I picked the lures and set the boat trolling speed, we used my rods and when the last fish to fill both limits was lifted, we called it a day.

Saturday night for dinner, I baked another squash and one lake trout.

Now I don't grow trout, but he and his wife tilled the garden, planted the seeds, weeded the rows, watered the plants and then harvested the big gourds. I just took them trout fishing; they caught lots of trout and were very grateful, but I'm feeling like I sure got the better end of this deal. The trout whisperer