Modern Stories Along the Anza Trail

Listen to an interview with Mike

Interview Text

Interviewer: So, your name is?

Michael: Michael Lyon, L-Y-O-N.

Interviewer: And, Michael, um. It’s funny, I’m seeing you ride down the street with your bike. Uh, do you ride your bike a lot here in El Centro?

Michael: During the certain seasons where the weather’s actually nice. But that’s only maybe three, four months out of the year, that you can actually ride your bike. I would rather go and commute on my bike whenever it’s nice weather, rather than drive, because I feel like it’s worth it, and I get the exercise. The environment gets the benefit, so it’s a win-win.

Interviewer: How old are you?

Michael: Ah, twenty-three.

Interviewer: And, you participate in any outdoor activities here, locally?

Michael: Oh, I fish. I used to hunt, but I was going to U.C. Santa Barbara, so I haven’t hunted in four years, but every year I still go, still go out and fish.

Interviewer: And, when you hunt, where would you hunt locally?

Michael: Ah, depends on where I had rights to the land. And, because my dad used to be a farmer, so I used to have access to a lot more lands. Now, I’m very limited. I would have to go on to public lands, which at this point is just farmers who allow for public hunting. Which, I actually think is bad for the dove population because I’m a hunter who goes, and I kill, and I eat whatever I take. And my justification is, whatever I kill, I eat, and we help with natural selection based on our hunting. But based on the fact that certain areas aren’t there, if you’re not within the first two to three weeks, you don’t get any birds because they go to areas that are protected land based on landowners.

Interviewer: And, what kind of game will you look for other than birds?

Michael: Ah, I normally went for dove. Down here, we can’t really get mallard ducks because the southern migration doesn’t really hit here. But you can, if you know where you are going, and you have permission. You can actually get a good amount of pheasants, as well. But, especially the dove, I mean it’s very, very easy, even on public land, to go and kill your limit of dove.

Interviewer: Um… where, what kind of, when you go fishing, what kind of fish will you look for?

Michael: Uh, I normally go for Large-mouth Bass. Sometimes, I’ll go for Stripers and Small-mouth, but normally, I go for Large-mouth Bass during the day. Every once in awhile, I’ll go night fishing, and I will go for Catfish, but in general, I just go for Large-mouth Bass, which you can find on different canals and rivers around here in the El Centro area.

Interviewer: Is there a favorite place that you have?

Michael: Uh well, I won’t say exactly, but I will say, on the west main near the drop, there’s a certain place that I’ve caught the biggest Bass that I’ve ever caught.