Two fish stories from the same Bluffton girl; if you don't believe us, ask Gary Kirtland
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Here's a couple fishing stories worth repeating. First, can you figure out what each of these photos has in common?
Answer: Kathy Kirtland Lanning is in both. She's Gary Kirtland's sister, BHS 1968 grad, now living in Colorado.
Let's examine the black and white photo. This photo, taken by Paul Diller in the early 1950s shows "Sport" Kirtland holding what appears to be a very large carp. The little girl on the right is Sport's granddaughter, Kathy. If you examine the face of Sport, you'll start to see the resemblance between he and his grandson, Gary.
As far as we can tell, the carp was caught either in the Buckeye or the National quarry. We've not yet nailed down the location of the photo. Anyone older than 70 viewing this might offer a suggestion to the location or reveal more information about this catch of the day once upon a time in Bluffton.
Sport apparently also taught Gary to fish although Gary's interest is a larger pond than the Buckeye. His pond of interest is a lake north of the Ohio border, just south of Canada.
Now we come to the color photo. Guess what, it's Kathy again. Apparently she also picked up some great fishing tips from her grandfather. This photo, on permanent display in the lobby of Kirtland's Auto Sales, reads: "Catch of the Day. It's a catfish."
Maybe some day tagged trout number one ought to be named "Sport," or just plain "Kirtland." The question remains, would Kathy come back and put the tag on number 1?
Stories Posted This Week
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
- Production offers a modern take on the story of St. Clare of Assisi
- Bluffton volleyball edged in 5 by Van Buren
- Pirate girls soccer tie O-G
- October 16 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
- Bluffton Council recap: Officers honored for 25 years of service
- Bluffton Clean Up teams up with Troop 3256 Cub Scouts
- Ada FFA: Feeding the Farmers
- Nov. 7 Fall Community Day at Bluffton University
- Quarry Farm Nature Preserve news for Fall 2026
Thursday, October 15, 2026
- DeWine announces $200M Rural Health Transformation program award
- Herb program with Marge Lafollette, Oct. 15
- Prairie seeding activity at Bluffton University, October 24
- Food for thought: Choline for the brain
- Results for 5K on October 2, Bluffton University Homecoming event
- 15 minutes with Sherry Miller, senior center activities coordinator
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, October 14
- CANCELLED Main St. closure on October 15
- Frederick Clyde Warren founded True-2-Form Plastics
- Pirate boys soccer beats Wapak in regular season finale
- Pirate girls soccer defeats Liberty Center
- Mennonite pastor to explore ‘good news’ in creation
- Bluffton University earns recognition in U.S. News & World Report rankings
- Obituary for Deborah "Debbie" Welch, 74
- Spirits and exorcism presentation during University Spiritual Life Week Forum
- Dodging bullets: Bluffton oral history 90+ years after Dillinger robbery
- Nora Matthews named BHS Student of the Month for September 2026
- ICAPP analysis on charter status and local autonomy
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, October 13
- Bluffton area Women in Business meeting October 15
- Leo club glasses collection
- Night at the (Swiss Historical) Museum, October 24
- Woodcarving ornament workshop at Swiss Heritage Center
- Barefoot nature walks at the Nature Preserve
- Pirate volleyball seeded 4th
- Beavers sports roundup, October 6-11
- Bluffton leaf pickup scheduled for last week of October
- Pirate boys soccer shuts out Bellefontaine
- Watch an after school movie at the Bluffton Public Library
- Dunlap awarded OSBA humanitarian award