Posted on 08/07/2008 8:40:07 AM PDT by Daffynition
In life, he was never happier than when catching fish in his favourite river.
And after his death, Pete Hodge was determined to help his fellow anglers continue to enjoy tight lines too.
So much so that he arranged for his remains to be turned into bait so he could sleep with the fishes.
Mr Hodge, from Puriton, near Bridgwater, Somerset, made his bizarre request after discovering he had terminal motor neurone disease. He died last month aged 61 and was cremated in a coffin made from wicker to look like a fishing basket.
A friend then mixed Mr Hodge's ashes with maize, hemp and soya to create 30lb of groundbait which was rolled into balls so it could be catapulted into the River Huntspill in Somerset, where he had fished for more than 40 years.
His widow Caroline and daughter Sally were the first to propel the bait into the water, and it was not long before bream were attracted to the spot to be hooked by Mr Hodge's fishing friends.
Mrs Hodge, 56, said: 'Pete always said that when he died he wanted the fish to gobble him up so he could swim up and down the river after his death.
'When he got ill a couple of years ago he put it in writing that this was what he wanted. Everything that he wished for was done right down to the last. It was only right for us to carry out his final wishes.'
Mr Hodge, a barber, took up fishing at the age of 20 and went to his favourite peg - or fishing spot - on the river several times a week.
He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2006 and had to sell his business, but carried on fishing. Nearly 1,000 mourners packed St Mary's Church in Bridgwater for his funeral.
Mrs Hodge, his wife of 29 years, said: 'Me and Sally were with him to the end and he died peacefully in his sleep.'
Friend Justin Hooper, 35, who runs a fishing shop in Bridgwater, made the bait including Mr Hodge's ashes on the eve of an angling competition.
He said: 'When Pete was struck down with the disease, he came to ask me if I would mix his ashes with his groundbait as his last wish was to go to the bottom of his favourite river. When I started the mixer up to make it, I added his ashes and said, "Enjoy your last ride, mate".'
Mrs Hodge and Sally, 28, went to the river the following day to launch the bait helped by anglers.
'We went to peg 158, Pete's favourite spot, and catapulted balls of bait out into the river,' said Mrs Hodge. 'We used it all up. Everybody was hoping they would draw Pete's peg because it was so well baited.'
Pete's wife Caroline launching the bait at her late husband's favourite peg along the River Huntspill
There has to be a ‘you know you are a redneck’ joke in this somewhere.
Pinging girlangler, pinging girlangler...
Fishin’ ping!
After 40 years of fishing, lonely wife catapaults balls of husband into river
My adopted “son’s” Mother (my best friend) was cremated and her ashes were mixed into the mortar of a very beautiful bench built by a stone mason artist. It’s a comfort to have her there.
I guess it becomes a catch and release river now or somebody will have to eat the dead bugger with their fish.
In a related story, A private rocket launch carrying some satellites and the ashes of 200+ people, including Star Trek’s Scotty—James Doohan, failed 2 minutes into flight last week.
His ashes are now scattered somewhere in the South Pacific.
Goodbye, old chum.
Now there’s something Obama would be good at!
Fishbait!
LOL, I read that this morning on a friend’s website.
When I pass, I’d like my hair turned into a topwater fly, so a big hungry trout can slurp it off the surface of the water.
LOL.
Now that’s what I call an avid fisherman. :-)
Words fail me.
From the photo the fishing widow looks gleeful. ;)
HAHAHA! Good one!
That’s hysterical.
Glad everybody liked it.
Amazed that I was the first one to post it.
;-)
Well, sometimes you’ve just gotta fish or cut bait.
reminds me of this.
Did this guy have too much life insurance?
lolz
Man. That’s kind of sad, actually.
I don’t know, but the chick on the right needs to put a leash on those puppies.
Just sayin’...
My Dads fishing buddy was cremated and just before he passed on he asked my Dad to spread his ashes in their favorite fishing hole. Dad said nothing doing because he ate fish out of that lake.
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