The signs were plastered across Berkshire County like circus ads for the Greatest Show on Earth. "Huge Tag Sale!" stated the headlines. "Multi-Family!" said the teaser. "No Early Birds" the poster warned sternly.

The ad in the paper listed "old fishing tackle" among the various enticements to be found at this particular sale, which practically guaranteed the presence of Early Birds. When my lady and I arrived promptly at eight-thirty A.M., a row of them lined the white picket fence looking like monkeys at the Zoo, except the monkeys were too tall; the bars of this cage would never contain them.

At exactly eight-thirty the monkeys and I rushed the tables. I spotted a lovely black Garcia Mitchell fishing reel across the lawn, next to some worn and worthless fishing poles. The poles were like noodles, too soft and missing most of their guides. They would never fish again. The other primates spotted the Garcia Mitchell too, and we all sprinted off across the yard.

"Made in France", the reel said to me when I arrived. "What does a reel Made in France know about Striped Bass fishing in America?", I asked the reel, but there was no reply. There could be no answer from the Garcia Mitchell 300.

The first Bonito I ever landed was caught with a Mitchell 300, but the reel didn't survive to tell the tale. After shreiking runs up and down the jetty, the Iridescent Green Bonito made that reel choke on a bent shaft and burned out gears. It was only luck that some helpful angler scooped up the Bonito for me in his net.

"Made in America", said the net as it scooped the Bonito.

"Sonofabitch!" said the other angler as the net ripped apart and my fish fell into the rocks.

"Got him!", I shouted as I grabbed the unlucky fish out of a hole by his tail.

Tag sale sushi is never a good idea. I grilled that big fat mackerel over a wood fire and ate it with my friends. "What did you catch it on?", they asked.

"Swedish Pimple", I replied.

I never thought landing my first Bonito would require the industrial manufacturing and design capabilities of three separate nations.