Outdoors: Do you remember your childhood BB gun? I remember mine

Do you remember your BB gun?

Most young folks of my generation started out with a Red Rider BB gun when we were kids. The company was Daisy, and they manufactured many different models. My dad bought me one from Rines Hardware in Marseilles when I was about 7 years old. Dad warned me that this gun could put an eye out if you weren’t careful.

The company made many lever-action guns as well as a pump-action model, which was considered the best one to own. They finally came out with a model they called the Daisy Eagle, which sported a scope. This gun was the one that all the kids wanted, but the price kept many parents selecting the lower grades.

I’m not sure if Daisy still makes the lever-action BB guns today. They did stay in business for a lot of years back then and came out with some more powerful guns. In the late 1960s, Daisy entered the firearm market. That was called a V1 system. It consisted of a .22-caliber bullet with a white propellant attached to the base of it. The powder was ignited with a hot blast of compressed air. It was cocked with an under-lever device located on the bottom of the receiver. It had the same velocity as the .22 rimfire. It was called a caseless .22. It didn’t have any provisions for adding a scope, and as a result didn’t excel in distance shooting.

I purchased mine from Mike and Russ Barber Shop in the late ‘60s. Back then I was a gun nut and had to have any new model that came out.

Daisy came out with several cartridge guns, including a Model 2201 which was a single shot that fired shorts, longs and long rifle cartridges. Finally, Daisy phased out the firearm productions. Some of those old rifles, including the caseless models, sell for a very high price to gun collectors.

Back then they had quite an era.

Sandy Ford Sportsman’s Club

The club will be holding their Spring Fish Dinner. The event will take place April 30. Serving starts at 5 p.m. at the clubhouse located at 1368 N. 18th Rd. (Leonore Road) in Streator. There will also be raffles. Carryouts are also available. Hope to see many of you there.

Hunting report

No morel mushrooms yet, although I did pick a few more pheasant backs last Tuesday. I was also able to collect a small basket of dandelions for a fine salad on the home front. Most hunting seasons with the exception of the spring wild turkey season are over now. Don’t forget the new hunting, fishing and trapping season licenses are due now.

Fishing report

A companion and I fished La Salle Lake last Thursday. We had to travel all around the lake to find some 60-degree water. When we found that water temp, we started taking catfish almost every cast. Many of the catfish were large blues, and they put up a very good fight.

The channel cats appeared larger than last year, which was a bonus. They were very good on the table that evening also. We did catch a few undersized bass as well.

It was nice to be back on that lake again.

• Fred Krause is a Shaw Media correspondent.