50 Nebraskaland • April 2022
alling Dick Turpin
a hunter education
coordinator, turkey call
maker, conservation
offi cer, entertainer, songwriter
or any of his other titles fails
to describe who he was — a
person who made you feel
good when he was around.
Regardless of what hat Turpin
was wearing when you met,
you would forever remember
one of his greatest gifts was
that of a storyteller. Long-
time staff ers at Nebraskaland
agree that while PG-rated
Dick Turpin stories were good,
his R-rated tales were the
best.
A master of language and
creativity, Turpin displayed
his extensive outdoor
experience with his Turpin
Time videos from 2004-2010.
While we'll never be able to
do justice to how well Turpin
could tell a story, we can pass
along some of our favorite
tips from his Turpin Time
video segments about a subject he
remained passionate about his entire
life — the Nebraska outdoors. See more
at NebraskalandMagazine.com.
Spoon Lures
While I was cleaning my camping
gear awhile back and shining up the
silverware, I got to thinking how those
silver-plated spoons would make good
fi shing lures. So I took some of them
home, and I drilled holes in the ends so
I could hook my line in and of course,
my hook. And then I took a grinder,
took the spoon handle off , and I ground
that smooth, and I narrowed it up so it
made a little more of a spoon shape
like the commercial fi shing lures —
like a Daredevil or something like that.
After I put the split ring and the hook
in the end ... boy, they made a terrifi c
spoon lure that really fl ashed in the
water when you cleaned up
that silver.
I got to thinking with all the
grandkids I have and them
throwing those 3- to 5-dollar
lures out and snagging them
up, that homemade lures was
a more economical approach
to teaching kids how to fi sh.
You could sit down and make
50 of these so fast it would
make your head swim.
I got some fi shing buddies
who tell me: "Sometimes
you've got to spoon feed those
bass." So that's what I do.
Save That Safety Pin
If you're one of those
fi shermen who has a little
trouble with backlash in a
spinning reel or bait casting
reel or those little knots in
monofi lament line, here's a
good tip: Carry a large safety
pin.
When you unsnap the
pin, you've got a sharp
point that will pop them
knots right out. It works well. Some
people use a round toothpick, but
I think the safety pin works better
because you can hook it to your shirt
or wherever.
Also, you can use a regular safety
pin if you want to, but I kind of like a
personalized snag catcher. I've got a
little teddy bear on mine that, with my
worsening eyesight, it's easier to fi nd
when I drop it.
How to Tell a Story
Remembering Dick Turpin
C
Dick Turpin
Edited by Nebraskaland Staff
