You Can Lead a Horse to Water...

But You Can't Make It Drink. We've all heard that proverb before, right?

Put another way, this saying means you can give someone an opportunity, but you can't force them to take it...which brings me to the open tournament that Wayne offered to anyone interested this morning. It was supposed to launch at 7 a.m. at Pungo Ferry.

When I called Wayne about 9:15, however, I learned that the results were the same as the last open event he offered: Only one angler showed up, and he ultimately decided to drag his boat down to Bob's for their tournament today.

Incidentally, does anyone happen to know how old that proverb is that I'm talking about here? Don't feel bad if you don't, 'cause I didn't know either until I researched it. Turns out this phrase (or, the idea of it, anyway) is thought to go all the way back to the 12th Century. It's said to have made an appearance in a book called Old English Homilies in 1175. However, I digress.

As to why more didn't show up this morning, it still remains anyone's guess. Can't believe it's the weather, given the fact it's in the 40s, with bright sunshine. Could it be that people are more anxious just to stay home and watch reruns of oldtime pros like Bill Dance and Hank Parker? 'Twould seem that even the few, the proud, and the brave-hearted anglers would venture out a time or two yet before retreating to a forced-air furnace and a steaming-hot plate of spaghetti.

In any event, Wayne tried, but he indicated there will be no further attempts to lead anyone to water...not this winter or likely any others.