When I think back on who taught me to fish, it is easy. It was my dad. He didn’t teach me to fly fish, that came later. He did teach me to fish though. I have many, many fond memories of fishing with my dad as a kid. We fished for shad on the Lower Sacramento on Memorial Day. We fished for steelhead on the Klamath on Labor day. We fished for Steelhead on the Elk and other Southern Oregon rivers in the winter (along with the Klamath).
I’d imagine your dad taught you. Odds are fair to good on that regard.
When I look back at my awkward childhood, through the good and the bad, the fishing stands out as solidly in the “good” column. In the arc from there to adulthood fishing has remained a central part of my life and an easy, free-flowing source of conversation between my father and I.
So, thanks dad.
I’m headed up to my home town today to go see my dad, who is in the hospital right now awaiting surgery. No, it’s not those butt implants he always wanted, this is a little more serious and if everything goes well, he’ll be off the water for a long time.
If you still have your teacher, make sure to tell them thanks.
I’m the good looking one.
My dad pulled out the cast of his lifetime to get this pretty fantastic mutton snapper.
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- Happy Father's Day (1.000)
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Tags: dad
Hi Bjorn, great article. I don’t agree on being the good looking one though, congrats to your Dad.
My Grandfather was the one who was brave enough to take a 5 year old boy fishing. I have been “hooked” ever since. A boy scout hike to the headwaters of the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State when I was 11 years old was the beginning of my fly fishing adventures. My Grandfather passed away many years ago but the very fond memories of fishing for trout in Colorado and catfish in Kansas remain. I wish a fast recovery for your dad, and hope that you and he get to fish together again soon.
My dad was not a fisherman. BUT he taught me and my brothers how to dig up worms, bait the hooks, and catch sunfish. Where we took it from there was up to us.
You were very lucky to have a dad who fished, I had an uncle, but he was on the other coast, thankfully he kept sending me stuff to keep my enthusiasm up. It’s to bad that there seem to be fewer kids engaging in outdoor sports these days, it does not bode well for the health of the planet.
JC
Thanks Martin. Looking forward to fishing with you in FL.
Agreed. I’m trying to help get more people into it. There is always interest expressed, but interest seldom turns to action. That’s the trick.