Harry Aiken was one of a kind

The world has lost a singular personality with the passing of Harry Aiken Sr.

Harry was one of the kindest men I have ever met, and one of the most talented when it came to casting a weight with a surf rod. Back in the day, there was a game where you cast your weight to the bases of a baseball diamond; Harry was the king of that sport. Then he went to Yankee Stadium and proceeded to cast a baseball well past the outfield bleachers.

He also was good at fishing. When the big trout were in the surf, live spot were the prime bait. Harry was kind enough to help me set up a live well on my 1971 International Scout so I could carry three dozen spot up on the beach and they would stay alive all day. Except for the ones the big trout ate.

Harry and I fished together from my boat when the striped bass were in Indian River Inlet. We did very well following the edge of the sand bar that ran from the buoy off the Coast Guard Station back to the entrance to South Shore Marina. This was always during an incoming current.

On one particular day, we weren’t doing much when I noticed a small bunch of birds working close to shore just north of the Coast Guard Station. I told Harry we should check that out. He said it was probably just small blues. Since it was my boat, we checked it out.

First cast and my bucktail was gobbled up by a nice striper. Seems the striped bass had bait pushed up against the beach. We caught and released a half-dozen before it was over. That was one of the few times I was right and Harry was wrong.

Harry was also quite a hunter. He was hired to manage the hunting on a farm in Sussex County, and when my son Roger was looking for a place for his first hunt, Harry built a tree stand big enough for both of us. We didn’t get a deer, but we spent a comfortable day in the woods and saw a lot of wildlife.

As age caught up to both of us, I didn’t see Harry on the water or in the woods as much as I once did. That’s because I am not on the water or in the field as much as I once was. I did see him at Delaware Mobile Surf-Fishing meetings and functions. My wife Barbara and I also stopped by his home for the occasional visit.

Harry had a large family. I want to extend to them my sincere condolences. He also touched many, many lives, and all of us who knew him now have a large hole in our hearts that will never truly heal.

Skin cancer

Last week, I saw my dermatologist, as I do every six months, and I am happy to report she found my skin cancer has not returned. Skin cancer has run through my family from me to my wife to my son Ric. Believe me, we do not take this disease lightly.

My first experience with skin cancer was when I lost one of my dear friends and a very talented artist, Paul Scarbough. I heard he had skin cancer on his toe, then I heard he had lost his leg. Then he was dead. All of this happened in a very short time.

Then my son Ric had skin cancer and survived. Then my wife had it. Then me. Barbara and Ric had very noticeable signs of skin cancer on their back, and Barbara had it on her nose. Mine was on my face, and I thought it was an ingrown hair. Let me tell you, we all take precautions now that we would have laughed at several years ago.

Ric and I cover up completely when out in the sun. I wear a Fieldsheer top with long sleeves whenever I go fishing. I would have thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” wearing long sleeves in the heat of summer, but with these new materials, you don’t even know you are wearing long sleeves.

I still wear shorts while Ric wears long pants. I cover my legs with SPF 30 sunscreen. So far, that seems to keep me safe.

Don’t forget the top of your feet when you are wearing flip-flops. You can get a very painful sunburn through the holes in those shoes even when you wear them in the surf.

If you read this article on a regular basis, I must assume you spend time outdoors. That exposes you to the sun and skin cancer. Make that appointment now!