My nephew Evan Nafe doesn’t care much for waking up early, except for maybe on Christmas morning. But he’s found an exception to that rule — thanks to “Santa Clay” Yadon.

Evan accompanied my brother Derek and me on a striper fishing trip with Yadon to Lake Whitney last Wednesday, and it was an instant classic.

We had waited about 10 minutes after setting the six lines out before the first rod tip bounced, then bowed down with the sound of line singing its high-tension tune through the water. Evan picked up the rod, engaged the fish and the melee began.

It’s not that Evan had never been fishing before. It’s just that he hadn’t been through the kind of high-octane experience in which people are scrambling for multiple rods doubled down simultaneously into the water — or fighting a fish so big it’s an equal adversary in the battle.

Within the next 30 minutes, we’d caught our limit and culled just as many. Within 45 minutes of the first bait bumping the bottom, we’d run through nearly 125 shad and our fishing day was over.

Yadon cleaned and bagged the catch, and we were home by the time my wife and daughter were sitting down to breakfast. Evan was already asking about the next trip with Clay.

With high gas costs bruising summer vacation plans, a trip to the great Central Texas outdoors is an attractive option — and taking along a kid or two can make for some great summer memories. 

Preventing drowning

I know the pain of losing a friend to drowning, so the recent drowning death of Atahualpa Rosas, a high school honor student who was about to graduate from A.J. Moore, has brought home some tough memories.

I also know how difficult it can be to rescue someone who’s unconscious in the water. Back in high school, when some friends and I were swimming in Lake Waco, one of them suddenly disappeared into the murky water. Fortunately, I was able to locate and bring him to shore, but there were moments when I questioned whether it would be possible to rescue him. At one point, I wasn’t even sure I was going to make it back myself. By the time we got to water shallow enough for me to walk him in, I was on Plan C.

It’s sometimes hard to recognize when a swimmer is in distress — as it was in this case: my friend went under without a sound. Research has shown that drowning victims usually don’t scream for help or splash around a lot before going under.

“It’s a quick process,” said Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden Lt.  Cody Jones. “Statistics show drowning can occur in less than two minutes.”

“All it takes is one step and someone can be in 10 feet of water,” said Jones. “If they don’t have the ability or power to swim, they slip off into a hole and nobody knows where they are or how to get to them,” Jones said.

Preventing drownings isn’t rocket science. But sometimes people become so comfortable in the water that they forget the basics. First, knowing how to swim — even short distances — is obviously crucial. Officials recommend  that children be given swimming lessons between the ages of 2 and 5. A study from the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine suggests children under 4 years of age are 88 percent less likely to drown if they have taken formal swimming lessons.

Second, wearing floatation devices, especially in unfamiliar waters, cuts out treacherous surprises like sudden drop-offs or tangling in underwater debris. Third, keeping tabs on the people with you and being able to recognize the sometimes undramatic signs that someone needs help can prevent needless loss of life.

Last week, the Tribune-Herald editorial board urged support for swimming classes and water safety courses like the ones offered to several Waco ISD schools last year through the YMCA of Central Texas, but this takes money, facilities and resources.

Businesses, service organizations and individuals can do a great thing by supporting efforts to educate our young people about water safety. To support programs aimed at preventing water tragedies, call the YMCA’s Chris Bernard at 776-6612.

Coastal conservation

The Centex Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association will host its annual fundraiser banquet Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. in the Chisholm Hall of the Waco Convention Center. 

Since its beginning in Texas, CCA has been instrumental in conserving and protecting marine resources along American shorelines. The banquet will feature a shrimp boil with beer, along with valuable raffle items.

Tickets are $50 and tables are available starting at $400. For more information, call Brad Hensel at 776-3411.

www.centexoutdoors.com

717-8907