*AV* -- To tell the truth, I never liked fishing. I never liked the smell, taste or handling of the fish or the bait. Actually my whole family was like that growing up. There, I said it. How unAmerican and how low life of me.
HOWEVER, the revenge of the grandfather has cursed me. My son inherited the fishing genes from my wife's father. He lived for the weekends of fishing. He dragged the whole family along, wifer, son, 3 daughter in the camper every chance he got. My wife is a fishing expert. I never knew this because I had no interest. BOOOM!!! my son discovers fishing at the age of 6 and wants me to take him fishing.
Well, I do just that except I do not put a hook or bait at the end of the rod, just the sinkers, bobbers and swivel catches.It looked impressive but totally without a bit of functionality.
This worked for 1-3 years with the explanation that we were getting skunked all the time. Since he never fished with anyone else, how would he know he was being short changed. Eventually he would outgrow this phase and we would be done with it. No problema. I didn't count on the grandfather genes taking over since he becamne more determined.
Well, I went out of town one week and when I returned my son sat me down for a discussion. He explained that his friend invited him fishing with his Dad the weekend I was away. He wanted to explain the finer points of fishing to me. First, though, he ran to the freezer and pulled out the ziplock bag with this barely legal Perch in it to show me he had caught a fish. He explained to me that peanut butter on a sinker would never land a fish. This 8 yr old explained how hooks and bait were required to be successful. BUSTED!!! Damn the neighbor and Damn my father-in-law. He called his grandpa and told him the news and he gave him an earful of fishing lessons and stories.
I still do not like fishing but my son and I go fishing as often as time permits. We go for rainbow, Walleye, Brown, Large Mouth, etal. using both the fly rods and the casting rods. We go stream, river, and lake fishing. We have more gear than some of the local stores. You name it we have it. I drown my power bait, he uses worms, salmon eggs, bugs, store bought flies (caddis), and anything that crawls of flies near the water. We are usually out of the house by 5 am and don't return until my wife threatens to kill us over the cell phone (about 6 pm). It is an al day affair. We talk, we drink pop, I read a book, he wanders off, we nap, we watch everyone else reel in their catches, we catch a few, and we make up stories about the one that got away. We even caught an open golf umbrella up in Red Feather Lakes, CO. We struggled to reel that puppy in for about an hour since we had a light wieght line on the rod at the time. Felt like we were reeling in Moby Dick<GGG>.
Anyway, fishing is still a non event with me but my son is a friggin addict. He wanted me to take him ice fishing this winter and I told him only if I could throw him into the hole. He decided to wait for Spring. So when you mention Rapala and Mepps I actually know what you guys are talking about. BTW-I used barbless hooks in increase my chances that the fish will slip off and get away before I have to reel it in all the way and release it. Any fish caught by me has to be the world's most mentall incompetent fish in the world.
Some of the best bubble floats are made in Fort Collins(FYI). And yes, we make our annual pilgrimage to Cabela's off I-80 right over the Wyoming/Nebraska border. Catalogs galore are found around his room from Cabela's and Pro Bass shops. The fruit of my loins has already hit me up for not only his own belly boat but also a nice neoprene inflatable boat with outboard putt putt motor. I think he is too chicken to ask why we don't get one of those $7500 boats with trailer.
On a final note, when we went to Alaska and the Yukon Territory in 1996, he caught a 40lb king salmon that nearly gave him a hernia pullingout of the river. He had a great time hauling in Silvers, Greyling and Pike from the Yukon and Teslin rivers in the Yukon Territory. Really, a 40 pounder!!! A fisherman would lie about that but I am not a fisherman. I got the photo to prove it.
Ah Fishing, what a crummy thing to do but what a great way to do it.(with your son and away from the chaos at the house).
Andrew |
