--- Ninety-Eight Year-Old Halibut Fisherman ---

My phone rang and the voice on the other end said," I want to book a couple of days of fishing for myself and my two kids." " I don't recommend taking kids under the age of twelve," I replied. To that, the strong voice on the other end said, " My kids are sixty-nine and seventy-one years old." " Well, bring the kids along!" I exclaimed. " How old are you," I asked in amazement.

Bentley Poisso had recently celebrated his ninety-eighth birthday on January 11, 1999. He and his two "kids": Stan, 69 and Tiny, 71 are from Louisiana and have been fishing together for a very long time!

Bentley is the oldest Alaska fishing client I have ever heard of and the "toughest" guy I have ever met! He doesn't wear eye-glasses or take any perscription medication and walks with a "spring" in his step. He showed me his driver's license which had recently been renewed for five years. "See there," he said "It's good 'til I'm a hundred and three." I have no doubt that he will make it!

It was Bentley's first trip to Alaska fishing, and he was excited and awestruck. He landed a seventy pound halibut by himself and helped his "kids" reel-in their fish.

Bentley lives in a small house on a little acreage with a garden. One of his "kids" told me to ask his Dad why he won't move into a Senior Care Home. When I asked Bentley why not he replied, "Do you think they would let me shoot a deer in the back-yard every fall?" There's a lot more to this halibut story, but you wouldn't believe it!

Capt. Bruce Warner