A co-worker of mine is a champion for Alligator gar. He loves these cool fish and knows they have had a pathetic PR agent. So when he asked for a bow I let him know it might take a while (bow maker’s back log) but I would take care of him, and had the gar in my mind. This bow was a hickory stave that had some damage to the back so I table sawed it to make a board bow. After tillering, I gave the handle a leather wrap, and began the real work of putting a gar head and skin on the back with pen and ink.
To have fun with him I told him the bow was named Greta and it had meaning. He had six months to discover the meaning.
In that frustrating six months he tried anagrams, codes, acronyms, hieroglyphics runes and some other stuff that he likely won’t admit to. When I finally told him the bow’s full name he grimaced in chagrin and threw me out of his office. I laughed so hard. While I was not in the office at the time I am certain he did too.
Later he must have made peace with that episode as he and I enjoyed a lunch hour shoot. It feels good to get folks into stickbow archery. It's better with a fun memory like Greta!
