Every summer, as you drive past Carolyn’s Pond at Reynolds Lake Oconee, it is pretty common to see a group of kids lining the boardwalk along Linger Longer Drive. Some are here for the first time, while others are veterans of the popular Saturday Kids’ Pond Fishing events. For young William Alt, this past Memorial Day weekend at Carolyn’s Pond is a weekend he will never forget.
William and his uncle, Mike Leffke, were reeling in a small bream next to the lily pads when suddenly they felt a big tug on the line. At the other end was a 5.25 lb. largemouth bass. Charlie Vaughn, director of marina operations, and Bill Boughner, an event volunteer and member of the Lake Oconee Anglers, jumped right in to help capture young William’s prize fish. Realizing no net was to be found and the fish would surely break the 4 lb. line, Vaughn made a quick decision – he climbed down the railing into the pond water, grabbed the fish, and handed it up to Boughner.
“It was a feat all in itself,” says Vaughn. “My reasoning for doing what I did was because I knew it would make William’s day to land such a big fish. It was a beautiful thing.”
With a picture to freeze the moment, William and his uncle left that morning with bragging rights to share and a wonderful memory fit for a picture frame.
