86 year-old Pat McGrath of Wisconsin with a Lake El Salto bass

Hey kid, I wish I had that swing set in my backyard!”

Those were the first words that I heard out in the boat during one morning session this past June at Lake El Salto. They came from the mouth of someone well past her first cast and described me shaking my moneymaker to the music.

My fishing partner that day, Pat McGrath, is 86 years young and full of spit and vinegar (gin too!). I was thrilled to fish with her. In fact my only regret was that our paths hadn’t collided previously. From the first conversation, through our last cast together, it was obvious the she is one of those people who lives her life to the max, the kind of young lady you just want to be around. You know, kinda like me!

Pat first contacted me back in 2017 when I put together a ladies trip to Anglers Inn El Salto. We had several conversations about what to expect and she was all ready to go but then her travel partner couldn't make it. That forced her to back out, too. We lost touch for a few years.

In the meantime, Pat joined the Wisconsin Women Fish group and met some of the other women anglers, including my friend Samantha Sukupcak. Samantha convinced her that there was no time like the present to fulfill her bucket list. Pat’s next words: “I want to go. Find me a roommate.”

Fortunately, our friend Jennifer Combs was looking for a roommate for our most recent trip. While Jennifer lives with a pro and started fishing seriously as a youth, I warned her that Pat was a novice angler with Anglers Inn on her bucket list who only uses a spinning reel. “Oh yeah. She’s 86 years old!”

Normally I am hesitant to put stranger together, but Jennifer is so sweet and really wanted to go. I knew she would handle this well and also help make Pat’s bucket list trip come true. They had a quick chat on the phone. I didn’t have to ask how it went, because Pat soon thereafter called me and said her clothes were packed and flight booked. The only holdup was that she had no bass tackle.

Once again Samantha and Mike Yee stepped up bigtime! Those two were absolutely amazing. They purchased all the basics for a novice El Salto angler and loaned her a few spinning reels. Pat drove from Illinois (southwest of Chicago) to Wisconsin (northwest of Milwaukee) to take them for dinner, pick up her equipment, talk shop and drive home. No nap for anyone that day.

Unfortunately, when departure day for the bucket list trip arrived Pat’s flight got cancelled. I cringed thinking she would just think this was too much of a hassle and she would just cancel her trip altogether. Not Pat. She said, “Bummer, but that’s life. I’ll see you tomorrow.” When I came back from fishing the next afternoon, I found Pat at the bar drinking a gin and tonic. We became instant friends. She’s definitely not shy – at dinner she asked others around her who and what they were all about. Much of the table started shutting down for the night long before Pat tucked it in. She continued to talk to the others around her and sip her (next) drink.

Jennifer and Pat caught some fish on their first full day. They had a great time together and really hit it off. Pat said those 3-pound fish are strong, way stronger than her. At dinner that night, I noticed Pat changed her seat at the table so she could learn more about the others in the group. I really wanted to learn more about Pat so I told Jennifer that I was going to fish with Pat the follow morning session. Of course I asked Pat if that was ok. I was thrilled that she said yes.

Pat McGrath and Hanna Robbins at Anglers Inn Lake El Salto in Mexico on a fishing trip

Years ago, Pete drove home from a tournament with his octogenarian friend Colvo who regaled him with tales of his life – but over the three hour drive only made it up to 1942. I wanted to learn Pat’s story, but knew that I had a limited time to get the tea. Here it is, in a nutshell.

Pat’s dad took her fishing and golfing growing up. Golf is her number one. She lights up when she talks about it, but she remembers sitting on the dock of their house on Green Lake, in Wisconsin, with a pole with a bobber and a book, waiting for the fish to bite. That was basically the extent of her fishing experience.

Pat was a nurse for forty plus years at Cook County Hospital in the southside of Chicago. Growing up north of Chicago, I know that that hospital is a nonstop whirlwind of action. I asked if she ever got burnt out. She said no and said that the stroke and heart attack victims were boring but the knife and gunshot patients, “That’s where all the good action was.”

At 41, she wanted to go back to school and get her masters degree. At the same time, she decided to take a woodworking class and her masters got pushed six years into the future. She loved woodworking and even set up a shop in her garage.

The morning Pat and I fished together she fished with my guide and Pete fished with Jennifer and their guide. Jennifer had her tackle all over the place and it was too much for her to move it. When I asked Pat about some of her hobbies and she mentioned woodworking Chichi’s eyes lit up. I mentioned that Chichi makes tables, desks and other pieces and that’s when I got cut out of the conversation. The two of them were showing off their pieces of furniture on their phones. They talked about different kinds of wood, how they finished each piece, who they were for, etc. A few times I had to ask Chichi to MOVE THE BOAT so I could fish and then they went right back to talking. It was so great. I loved it and I know that Chichi thought it was great, too. He told me so, later.

Some of the pictures she showed us were of the furniture she made for her grandchildren. Each of them received rocking chairs for their first birthdays and rocking horses for birthday number two. Number three was semi-trucks or a table and chairs, depending on their gender and for birthday number four: WALMART.

She also made some of her own furniture for her home: chest of drawers, a desk, tea cart and her most prized creation, a grandfather clock.

I started catching fish so they put their phones away and as we fished and I was able to ask her more questions. Again, we returned to golf. She has had two holes in ones, par three: One when she was eighteen and the other a few years ago at age 80.

She loves to travel and at a certain age she takes her grandchildren on a trip of their choice. Just the two of them go, no parents allowed!

One grandson wanted to go to Japan because he loved sushi. She told him that Japan was a wonderful idea because she wanted to see all the beautiful temples in Japan. He reconsidered and they ended up going on a cruise.

Her granddaughter wanted to go to Italy -- to shop. Pat said you picked the wrong grandmother but let’s go on a cruise through Italy. They ended up cruising on the same ship with Cheech or Chong, Pat said she never knew the difference.

Another grandson agreed to go to Peru. It was a two week trip in the jungle trip but there was no camping in tents. They had a small, rustic camp with quasi-indoor plumbing.

I asked where in the United States she had traveled and she has been to all 50 states. I have been to 48 of 50 (New Mexico and North Dakota left to go). I thought maybe it’s not such a big deal that either one of us had been to so many of the states but upon further research I learned that the average American has only visited twelve states. I need two more.

When asked where else she wanted to travel that she hasn’t yet been, she said, “Well, if I am going to continue traveling it better be in the next couple of years. After we both giggled she said Norway and Scotland are on the bucket list.

Group picture at the Lake El Salto sign on the island nearest Anglers Inn

I had asked all eight boats to meet us at the hilltop El Salto sign at the end of the session so we could all take a picture together with the Half Past First Cast banner, something we try to do with every group we travel with. The group in January did this when the water was much, much higher and there wasn’t much of a walk up to the sign. I made sure that Pat knew she didn’t have to do this if she didn’t want to and she said, “No problem, I can now take mountain climbing off my bucket list.”

Pat has such good sense of humor, quick wit and she is just down to earth and realistic about everything. She listened to my “fishing music” that Pete calls “horrible” and all she wanted to know was where was it coming from.

AND THE FISHING: Pat just wanted to catch a fish or two. She easily surpassed that goal. Those 3- and 4-pounders have you thinking you have a MULE on, they pull and act like an offshore fish. Pat took her time, reeled when the fish wasn’t taking drag and never gave up. Like she said, “How many more chances will I have to do this?!”

Before she left for home I asked if she enjoyed her trip. She said yes, people who come here need to have a great attitude because they need to know they are going to have a great time. You fish, eat, drink and sleep. Pat clearly enjoys herself a gin and tonic and noted that guests MUST take advantage of the wonderful massage from Betty (she did, twice).

Jennifer Combs, Pat McGrath, Samantha Sukucak, Hanna Robbins

It makes me feel so great that Pat wanted to go fishing at the famous Anglers Inn lodge and that she chose to vacation with Half Past First Cast. She is now part of our growing family and with her great attitude and realism she will be a part of it for years to come.

Here’s to you Pat McGrath! Next time I expect you to dance with me on the front deck of the boat!