In Memory of George Hutchings, "One Worm George" When I got the call early in the morning I had just left to go fish a bass tournament in Maryland. I would be out of town and couldn’t attend his funeral to offer my condolences to his family and friends. I know we all will miss George he was a fine gentleman. The sadness we feel is for our loss; during his long life he touched so many people. George’s Obituary appeared in the June 28th Angola Penney Saver. He died quietly on June 22nd at the age of 95. I met him at the first meeting I attended at the Southtowns Walleye Association. George was quick to make friends and I was lucky to have met him. I never knew then that he would play an important role in my life. George would later be the person who would nominate me for all the positions I held with the Southtowns Walleye Association, even president. As our friendship grew we shared stories about our lives living near Lake Erie and how important it was to us. I think that Lake Erie water ran through his veins before it went down the river. Lake Erie, Sturgeon Point and Dunkirk Harbor were such a big part of his life. He was interested in the ships that sailed the lake. He read books on the ships that became part of the lake bottom. He often talked about the environmental problems in the lake. George was officially the "unofficial" historian for Sturgeon Point, I believe there is nobody who could tell you more about the “Point” than George. There is one bit of George I never could learn, the history of his nickname, “One Worm”. When I asked George he would just laugh and say, “You don’t want to know.” Was it because he was frugal with his bait? I couldn’t even imagine, however I know it was not something he didn’t like. Almost all his close friends would call him One Worm. George loved to talk about the lake and what life was like in the Town of Evans. He had a way of telling stories; he always made them seem as if it was just yesterday. I suppose for him it was. We often met at Sturgeon Point a place that was central to his life; he was there nearly everyday as part of his routine. He talked about when sturgeon would run up the shore from the Niagara River to spawn near the beaches at Sturgeon Point. He told stories about “yellow pike” fishing on Lake Erie and the big pike he caught in front of the Kellogg’s Estate from shore. He told me about what life was like in our town back in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. There was one story I liked to hear and when George told me he said don’t tell anyone because if “he was found out he could get arrested”. I told George he had my confidence and I would not tell anyone. However, I think now the statute of limitations has long since expired and I can share the story. It took place back when the Sturgeon Point Hotel was still standing and open for business. Mr. and Mrs. Wiess ran it and George told me that Mr. Wiess was a tough boss who demanded perfection. The Wiess’s had a steady clientele for the traditional Friday night fish fry, which is still popular in Western New York. The fish they served was listed on the menu as haddock. George told me the cook at the hotel was one of the best. George said the “Chinaman cook” could make any fish taste real good, the proof was the crowds that the Friday fish fry attracted. One day the “Chinaman cook” asked George, “Do you catch many sheepshead when you go fishing?” George replied, “Sure the lake is loaded with them.” “George catch as many as you can and I will pay you twenty five cents for each that you can bring to me,” the “Chinaman cook” offered. George asked with his typical smile, “What are you going to do with all the sheepshead?” “Never you mind,” said the “Chinaman cook”, “You just bring me the sheepshead.” George could not turn down the offer and started bringing the cook all the sheepshead he could catch. This arrangement went on for a while until one day the “Chinaman cook” had an argument with Mr. Wiess. In a fit of anger he quit and was not seen again. To fill the void in the kitchen until a new cook could be hired, Mrs. Weiss did the cooking. She was pretty good at managing the kitchen duties. When Friday came and she prepared the traditional haddock fish fry it was a disaster. The customers were all complaining the fish was not very good and accused Mrs. Wiess of substituting some other fish for the haddock. She was stunned by all the complaints and knew she was using haddock but couldn’t figure out the basis for all the complaints. George knew; he suspected that the “Chinaman cook” had been substituting sheepshead for the haddock. As George said, “that Chinaman cook could make any fish taste real good.” George told me that story with a big smile. I believe it was one of his favorites and he made me promise never to tell anyone because he could go to jail. George, I don’t think you will mind me sharing this story now. I will miss you dear friend. Capt. Tom Marks Click here to return to GR8 Lakes Fishing Adventures...