By Staff Sgt. Susan German
CAMP PROSPERITY, Iraq -- For those who love fishing, Baghdad has an impressive number of fishing holes, something you might not expect when you think of the desert and sand of the Middle East.
The only thing missing in those lakes, when you're the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, are the bass.
The "Bass Boss," Ray Scott, brought his "Iraq Thanksgiving Tour 2004" to Camp Prosperity, a U.S. military camp in Baghdad, where the lakes actually have names, like Fish Lake and Deer Lake. Camp Prosperity is home to the 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment, from Washington state's 81st Infantry Brigade, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.
Scott promotes the world of bass fishing from his home state of Alabama, a sport which is not only his hobby, but has been his livelihood since 1967. He is also the founder of the Whitetail Institute of North America. Scott explained that whitetail deer are the number one most sought after wildlife by hunters, while bass are the most popular fish sought by American fishermen.
The tour was sponsored by Armed Forces Entertainment and allowed the group to meet with Soldiers stationed in Kuwait and Iraq. Prior to their arrival at Camp Prosperity, they were scheduled to meet with wounded Soldiers at the 31st Combat Support Hospital in the International Zone.
A few weeks ago, before embarking on their trip overseas, Scott's group, which consisted of several retired military men as well as Don Day, a radio broadcaster from Alabama, was invited to a send-off reception with President George Bush, Scott said.
Rick Cayton, a retired III Corps command sergeant major, explained that during their meeting, the president placed his hands on the shoulders of Cayton and Scott and said "When you get there [to Iraq], you tell those guys I love them all."
"He didn't want to send a letter," Cayton said. "He wanted us to tell the troops, face to face. He said "Look in my eyes, and tell the troops in their eyes that I love them.""
Cayton, who was in Iraq during the first war, helped put the tour together, Scott said. This trip to visit the Soldiers started when Scott made a remark about wanting to visit the troops in Iraq several months ago, Cayton said.
It took some time but the group was able to pull it off. One quality that fishermen seem to share is patience. Two of Scott's biggest fans waited patiently all morning for his arrival. Several came with their fishing poles. Most had shared a love for the sport since their childhood.
Despite the lack of fancy rods and reels you see in the magazines or on television, Staff Sgt. James Mastrodomenico, a mortar section sergeant with the "Polar Bears" of Company C, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, from Lake George, N.Y., successfully fished with "550 guts" and a safety pin while stationed at Camp Victory North (now known as Camp Liberty). Since coming to work at Camp Prosperity, his gear has evolved somewhat. His fishing pole is an old broomstick. "One of the local national shops had a fishing lure, so I took the hook off the fishing lure, got some line and a bobber, but I've still got the ugly stick. I've still got my broomstick," Mastrodomenico said.
With morning temperatures in the low 40s, the lake water was still cold at noon, as Mastrodomenico and fellow Soldiers did their best to entice the fish with bread and potato chips to come up to the surface. Every once in a while a small fish nibbled at the soggy fare, causing a ripple to move across the lake. They hoped to attract enough fish so that Scott might be talked into fishing when he did arrive. Mastrodomenico had caught a big one earlier that morning, he said.
Scott and his colleagues visited with the Soldiers and gave them hats, copies of Scott's book "Bass Boss." They also autographed cards and photographs, posed for pictures and offered free "Bassmaster" magazine subscriptions to the Soldiers.
Scott didn't have time to fish while he was in Iraq, but offered $100 cash to any Soldier who could catch a fish with hook and line while he was there. The fish weren't biting, weren't even making an appearance, for whatever reason. Maybe that can only be understood by other fishermen.
Spc. Timothy Mooney, a Bradley gunner with Company A, 1-161 Infantry from Bremerton, Wash., brought his own gift to the meeting with Scott.
"We designed a patch with the words "The Iraqi Hunting and Fishing Club" before I came to Iraq," Mooney said. "Instead of the infantry crossed rifles, we did a crossed rifle and a fishing rod, we had them designed before we came here, and they were done by the time we got here."
Mooney provided several of his patches to Scott and his group, who were excited to receive them. Scott encouraged Mooney to keep in touch.
Spc. Joe McQuillan, the commander's gunner/driver from Company A, 1-161 from Belfair, Wash., has been fishing since he was young.
"It's relaxing, calming, you go out there, you get all stressed, hyped up and then you come out here," McQuillan said. "Not too many things can put a smile on your face, but fishing does. [It's] one of the few things."
In addition to the tour, Cayton discussed a part of the welcome home celebration being planned for 1st Cav. Div. Soldiers returning from Iraq. Private donors have donated a $30,000 bass boat made specially for the Cav. that is painted solid yellow with a black stripe, yellow seats, grey carpet and a horse's head, to be given to a 1st Cav.
Div. Soldier returning from Iraq. Donations will be taken and the money will go towards a scholarship program for the children or spouses of Soldiers killed in Iraq.
When it was time for Scott and his entourage to pack up and leave, Mastrodomenico was still in fishing heaven.
"It was so great to meet him," he said. "That was awesome, that made it all, right there. I was sitting there fishing and he came up, he came right over, sat down with us, and started telling us tricks and he drew us a little picture of how to catch carp. He definitely made the trip into the Green Zone, he definitely made it."
In the end, no one collected the $100 prize, but some American heroes were able to meet an American icon. For a few hours they shared a passion and common ground. They call it fishing.
| Date Taken: | 12.03.2004 |
| Date Posted: | 12.03.2004 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 687 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 31 |
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