Biola Junction
About Biola Junction, Fresno, CA, is a place I have been blessed to call home since joining forces with the Lord five years ago. The Lord had told me about a place in Fresno called Biola. My heart would beat a little faster when I heard this place because of the people and what they represent. Fresno and Biola Junction have always had a special bond. It has always been a place for my friends to gather and discuss their problems and how they will go about conquering them. Many friends I have known or are acquainted with have grown up in and around Biola, most becoming very good watermen as they got older.
When I was younger, I remember going with my cousin to the creek to catch fish on the fly. One of my cousins was small, and I could hold him with one hand and fish him with the other. Since I lived about thirty minutes away, I always thought that the fishing in that area must be good because I always caught so many fish on that stream. The next time we went, the waterman came up to us and handed us a hand-held rod with a hook on it, so we tossed the fishing tackle in the water, and we made a fine catch.
My cousin lived about two hours from there. He used to come out of his house on summer weekends, bring his canoe and fishing gear, and bring it down to the valley below us. You could hardly see him, but you knew he was working. After he had cooked his fish and put it all back in his canoe, he used to go down to the valley below and work for a few hours.
You could hear him screaming like a bit of a dog for us children to get down there right away and help him. His voice was loud and clear, and I could feel my heart growing more prominent as he shouted at us children to get down there and help him. He had such a bright and happy face, and his voice was so strong that I just about fell backward when he shouted at me. It was such a wonderful feeling to be helping this older man.
Years later, I helped him recover his belongings after he moved into a better home. I can still see the canoe and his fishing pole in my mind’s eye. I am telling you what I remember about Biola Junction. I am telling you what I saw and what I heard. I am telling you because I want you to have the same experiences.
I want you to love to go fishing in Biola. I want you to see the place in the spring when the trout are just biting. I want you to have that same excitement and thrill again. Because once you do, you will never forget it.