Players relax at old fishing hole
FARMINGTON – With the flick of a wrist, Jay Don Blake whips the iridescent line about 50 feet into the shimmering water of Lake Debbie. His tan face intent on the cast, he tugs once to pull the line taut and then begins to real slowly.
“I enjoy fishing a lot,” Blake says, “and with the lake stocked right here, it makes it really easy for us to do.”
The tall Utah man, who has been a fixture on the PGA Tour for 18 years, turns back toward the lake as the fishing pole in his grip begins to bend toward the water.
“Got another one,” he says, pulling back on the rod and reeling quickly. Within seconds a fat 2-pound bass flops to the lake’s surface, the sixth fish pulled ashore in an hour by Blake, who wishes he had as much luck on the Tour this season.
Plagued by injuries over the last three seasons, Blake has fallen from a true contender on Tour to his current ranking near the bottom of the world money list, earning a paltry $34,000 in 11 events this season.
Despite the poor numbers, Blake remains upbeat, and why not? His career has taken him all over the world and has allowed Blake and his family a chance to see the country touring in a giant RV camper, something that has become more than just a trend among PGA professionals.
A couple dozen RVs dotted the camping area set up specifically for them at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa for the 84 Lumber Golf Classic, but Blake said he wasn’t able to bring the motor home because of a recent accident.
“I would have brought the motor home and brought the kids, but we had a little fender bender,” Blake said as he fished during a tournament organized by Nemacolin officials for the PGA players and their families.
Blake said the fishing, like the RV park and so much more at Nemacolin, is above and beyond what the average player is used to.
“Anything you want they pretty much have it. I mean, they have a Hummer course. No request is denied. And this fishing, this is so nice. I like to fish but rarely get the chance because of the time it takes to find a place and bring your gear. Here they provide the fishing pole and the fishing spot. This is ideal.”
Blake, who despite being just behind Jack Nicklaus in career earnings on Tour with about $5.5 million, has won only one tournament at the pro level, in the early 1990s. Still, as he reeled in another fish, Blake was hopeful he could win at least one tournament on tour this year.
“This is a funny looking one,” Blake said, grapping the fat-mouthed fish by the gill and inspecting the catch. “This is number 78,” he shouts to a Nemacolin observer, the number indicated on a tag jutting from the fish’s tailfin. The resort stocked the lake with 124 bass, some as large as 6 pounds.
Nearby, pro player Scott McCarron, his wife and their three children are also trying their hand in the lake, but with less success.
Blake said some of the older players and many of the players traveling with their families appreciate things like the fishing expedition more than the younger guys on Tour.
“For the young guys, it is always about golf, golf, golf,” Blake said. “That is all they think about and focus on. They wouldn’t want to come down here and fish and risk an injury. But for us, this is perfect. Your priorities tend to change after a few years on Tour.”
Blake said while he still loves the game, his passions at this point in his life are his four children and his wife, Marci.
“They come on the road with me a lot. We go out to eat. We go to the movies. We get to do a lot together,” the 46-year-old Blake said. “And let me tell you something, the wives are spoiled. My wife is a social bug. She talks to everyone and makes friends. But she is spoiled, too. All the players say that in their next life they want to come back as a PGA wife.”
Blake said the changes to the Tour, even since he began in 1987, have been phenomenal, allowing the players to take their children and wives with them because of daycare programs and other services.
Blake also said fishing and golf are not his only hobbies, noting that he flies remote control airplanes and is an avid drag racer.
“I have a ’57 Chevy,” Blake said, his eyes catching a ray of sunlight reflecting off the lake. “She’ll do 170 miles an hour in eight seconds flat.”
And while the pride and the daring side of the stoic man are evident in his inflection when talking about his car, the real Blake just hooked his eighth fish and is fighting to pull it from the water.
Once ashore, he kneels and begins to work the hook from the fish’s lip, taking care not to injure the bass.
Blake gives the fish a last look – this one isn’t tagged – and lets it go, the bass slipping away quickly back into the lake.
He picks up his pole, flips it to his right side and then lets fly, the reel buzzing as the line streaks into the water one more time.
“Let’s see if I can’t get one more,” Blake says, turning back toward the lake to focus on his afternoon pursuit.