Unknown paper -- HAYWARD (AP) Sept 24, 1983
Unlike most big fish stories, this is not a tale about the one that got away.
Douglas Cumming, an art professor, landed Nancy Blum while she was a student at the university of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie,. As they courted, they discovered a mutual live -- fishing.
"I really consider marriage to be a great deal like fishing," said Cumming, 40, standing near a long fish fang, 45 feet above the ground. "it requires a great deal of faith, optimism, and above all, a lot of patience."
As a band played and wedding guests gathered below, Blum and Cumming ascended the long stairway in the $500,000 fiber-glass structure that serves as a museum. In the muskie's open mouth, they said their vows and were pronounced husband and wife.
"We've always been fishing enthusiasts," said Blum, 27. "We thought if we had a romantic wedding, we'd go to France. But if we had it in Wisconsin, we'd be as eccentric as we could.
The pair and their entourage lured some long stares from visitors at the facility.
"We just went for a ride, and I just happened to think of it (the Fishing Hall of Fame) and we came over here," said Otto Schoch, 82, of Glidden. "You'll see all kinds of things in this world," Schnich said, "This is nothing new."
Bob Kutz, director of the Hall of Fame, said he was happy to oblige the couple when they asked him if they could marry in the muskie.
"He's a professor, and that fives him some credibility, not like just being totally kooky," Kutz said, "I took it as a perfectly normal occurrence. I said two or three years ago that someone is going to get married in it, or someone's going to jump off it like the Brooklyn Bridge."
The couple prepared for the wedding Saturday morning with a quick trip to the lake.
"In most situations, we try to do things in ways that no one else does," Blum said.
"That's what an artist really is," Cumming said, "Besides, who are better friends, husband and wives, or fishing partners?"