Saturday, April 22, 2006

Do yourself a favor. Take a kid fishing.

Shelley and I have made sure through the years that we teach our girls important things. We have travelled throught the state and the east coast to give them to opportunity to experience and learn. We have simple family philosophy, learning is 24/7 and in everything we do we learn. About two weeks ago I realized that I had failed as a father. I had not fulfilled my resposibility to teach my girls how to fish.

Fishing was something I did on a regular basis. I , along with my friend Blake A. would go fishing as often as we could get one of our mothers to take us to a local lake or pond.
My aunt Nollie from Rolesville could be found at many farm ponds and lakes in the spring throughout Wake County. More than once I would tag along with her and catch a "mess of fish". In the fall my father would always take a week or more and we would make a trek to the Outerbanks. There we would fish from the piers, the shore or short excursions by boat. The spring would bring a camping trip to the lakes and streams of the mountains with my brother.
I loved fishing.
Shelley also comes from fishing stock. To this day her father charters out of Fla. he is a very accomplished captain and seaman. Shelley is a very good angler who can fight a six foot sailfish as easily as most folks walk down the street.

My realization first moved me to guilt and than to action. I had to purchase rods, reels, tackle, tackle box and bait. All of which took a day or so to accomplish. So, the friday before easter, class began. With minnows, crickets, spinning lures and the like, I knew we would find a fish or two on the ponds. Katy and Joy were excited and ready to go. It was then I realized, my lack of teaching them early left them with bait fobia. For that reason, I knew I would play the part of the bait boy on our safari. I also came to the revelation that casting a spinning reel is NOT a natural instinct. I would also play the part of the casting boy until finese became a wee-bit more familiar. For about an hour the girls and I fished...or should I say, the girls fished and I baited and casted. It was then that Shelley joined us. Within two minutes of her arrival she caught a fish...and than another. Not only did she begin fishing at a young age, but, from what I saw she also has a fishingJuJu. From that moment on Shelley, Joy and I began to catch fish. Katy was struggling as fish would nibble, bobbers would bob and fish would escape. After 11-12 fish were caught we went in during the heat of the day. I also had to obtain more bait. Friday evening moved the catch up to anothet 10-12 with a small bass or two caught. Saturday morning Katy finally moved into the realm of angler and since then we have lost count of what we have caught.There are more ponds. lakes and streams to conquer and I know for sure more stories to come. If you have not sat on a bank or boat for awhile with pole in hand I want to encourage you to buy a bit of bait and take a kid fishing. You will not regret the time or expense.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10:30 PM

    Some of the fondest childhood memories I have of our family and especially my father are our fishing outings to area lakes and ponds. I can remember the excitement of finally cathing a fish and making my father smile. At the end of the day as I went to bed, the bobber and the little water waves of a "bite" would be the last thing I saw in my mind's eye before sleep came.
    Blessings come in simple ways we sometimes overlook. Like fishing.

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