Thanks Dad

[RAM]

I noticed some W/C folks talk about wall hangers and the nice boats they have and have decided to tell you about mine. That is if you give a hoot. My wall hanger is a old Pfluger Supreme rod and reel given to me by my father. It's old, the rod is 54 3/4" long, I think made of stainless steel, it's square with 3 guides and tip all wrapped with stainless wire.I'm here at the computer and looking at it in it's place of honor on the wall. How my dad fished with this beast is beyond me but he must have caught a ton of fish with it. I don't remember him ever having any other rod. Born and raised near the Ohio river, throw a rock from the front yard into the river,Gallipolis Ohio and me being the oldest the first thing dad taught me was to swim before I could walk same with my brothers and sisters, dad liked to troll and always had a nice jon boat usually 16' or about and of course a nice set of oar's. You guessed it his 4 son's could really row a boat. I think when he wanted to slow trol he would take my sisters fishing. My boat is a 1993 Tyee today a long way from those jon boats and I live in Western Nebraska . I guess what this all boils down to is I want to say thanks dad and thanks to all the dads who took the time with their son's and daughters to teach them how to fish. By the way dad is 85 and still get's around pretty good and I'm sure could teach us all a thing or two.
Richard Myers

[Tim]

Nice tribute to a dad.I wished my dad fished but he was busy earning a living for us. But i did teach my son to fish and he loves it and I love when we can get together and fish cause he lives a couple hours away and its always great seeing him. God I love this sport!! Brings ya closer together. Tim

[stevefellegy]

Ya know, we're so lucky to be able to come here On WC and talk smart about our boats, depthfinders, trolling motors etc. We can rag on each other about what color crankbait works best at which speed. Are we lucky or what? This post brings it all home, where all the luck started. Ram, thanks for reminding us of how lucky we have been.
My dad was a shop teacher for over forty years. He had a saying..."we build men, not bird houses." Before I was born, he developed a plan on how he was going to raise his kids. He bought a chunk of Mille Lacs shoreline and started a little fishing resort. His obvious motive was to supplement a meager teachers salary. In later years, we learned the real reason he started the resort. Brother Joe and I came along shortly after. I rode in the sink of my dad's charter boat the first summer of my life. By the time I was 10, I was drivin' my own rig. I got $10 /day for guiding the first year. The three of us were fierce competitors on the water for twenty years. 12 hours/day, 120 days straight annually.
I took dad on his last fishing trip in '84. lol He'd never fished with a bobber for walleyes before. Well, even I taught him something I guess. He caught a chunky 7lber. right off the bat. Being from the 'old school', he wanted to keep it. I was part of starting the 'new school' of catch and release back then. So, he hesitantly put the old girl back in the lake. He was kinda quiet for a while. And then....he told me he had cancer and might not make it 'til fall.
He looked into my eyes and said...."ya know, I'm ready to go 'cause I know now, my goals have been met. You've learned how to be the best you can be at anything you try." He looked down at the lake where he had just watched the big walleye swim away and said..."I'm proud to leave it all in your hands now".
To my dad and to all your dads and fishing mentors, thanks... for the lessons... the real ones. I know I am, humbly, proud to carry the torch high and pass it down with the same respect it was handed to me and all of us. Thanks dad...we're tryin'.

[RANGER]

I hear Ya' my friend. My father taught me and I taught my three - the youngest is 26. My oldest is 30 with our first and only Grandbaby (Granddaughter) who is now 18 months. She has her first fishing combo waiting for the season to open. She got that from her Pap Pap and Me Ma!

[Tom]

Steve
sounds like you had one heck of a father, mine never did have any time to fish he was to busy trying to support 17 of us yeah 17 , now i have two boys one 21 and the other 17 neither one gives a crap about fishing but i love them anyways LOL!!!! my father retired at 65 and died at 66 and never did get to wet a line, GOD i miss him with all my heart.




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[205]

Good post Rich. Same goes for my dad who started me at the ripe old age of 6. Member going to an old bait shop down on Arlington St. in Akron Ohio. Had seemed like hundreds of cane poles standing up in front. He let me pick one out and tied it to the side of our old car. Off we went to Mogadore Res. and it was love at first sight. Those big handed sized bluegills were no match for the ole cane pole and a box of maggots. Dad had to teach us at the supper table also on how to get those bones that got stuck in our throats out.:-) "Just swallow this bread" :-) Now over a half century later, 225hp,arsenal of rods and reels, I still remember the truly Good Old Days! Thanx Dad!:-)

[Skillz]

Where to begin?

My father had the same thoughts about a resort. Unfortunatly for me (and him) he never followed through- most likey for monetary reasons, or for the fact that mom didn't want to leave "home". Either way, it was his plan to raise the family on a resort somewhere in N. Minnesota (God's country... my plug for the great state of MN). I really wish he had done this, but as the adage says, "hind site is always 20/20". He still managed to teach me a thing or three about how to chase the illusive 'eye. Now I live 3 hours away and don't have the opportunity to see him as much as I would like. He will jump in the car in a second and drive up here (Alex area) and has already made plans for the opener. Me and him. No others allowed. I can hardly wait. This has been an on-going thing for the past 2 years and I hope it continues for years to come. You commented on my reply to the 20 year old that doesn't like to fish anymore. Thanks for that. I must say, it was very odd how I "saw the light". He never said anything about not going fishing in the morning (he knew what was going on...) but I could tell that he was disappointed that we couldn't spend time together. That hurt more than the hangover. Now, whether I go out or stay in, I ALWAYS make it a point to go out in the morning with him. There is something to be said about a great dad.


skz

Good Fishin'!!!!

[gpbrown]

Well said guys. I hope I can do for my son, and daughter, what mine has done for me. This post really brings us back to really what matters. By the way RAM, my father was born and raised just up river from you in Pomeroy.

[rickn]

My dad didn't fish, but you guys sure got some good memories going, I sure do miss him! I'm 47, and he's been gone since 1981, for you guys that still have dad around, make the best of it, cause you never know!

[river rat]

I started to reply to SKILLZ's "WHAT's A DAD TO DO" twice.

I wanted to tell him that he had obviously done a good job with his son and to just give the kid some time. But I deleted the post for two reasons. First was because everybody else said the same thing ... I just would have been repeating it. Second was because it hurt me so much to think about my own dad.

But, this post ... well, it seems to be ok for me to say this stuff.

My own dad never had time for me ... not because he was busy making a living ... which he did do. He just didn't have any interested in any of us kids on a personal basis. I guess he saw that as Mom's job.
I used to beg him to take me fishing ... but he just had no interest. Things got bad enough when I was a teenager that I joined the Marine Corps just to get out of the house. I was 17.

He died of lung cancer at age 44 while I was in my first tour in Vietnam.

I am 54 now ... 10 years more than he made it. I think about that fact a lot. I would give anything to be able to go fishing with him just once.

I am glad for you guys. Treasure that relationship while you can.

[stevefellegy]

Hey guy,

Your dad's fishin' with ya, every time you go, buddy. He's thinkin' the same thing you are..bet on it!

[reddog]

Great post guys, heres my story. My dad and mom were avid fisherman. Dad bought a new fiberglass boat in like 1969. It was 18 ft long, and carried an old Sea Horse 15 hp motor. If you can imagine that. Underpowered was an understatment! They were tried and true bobber fisherman. They used to tie a swedish pimple on and hook a minnow thru the back and fish like that for hours over the points. Old wooden bobbers and braided line. Dad had one of the good Pflueger baitcasting reels, but mom had to settle for the old regular clicker type baitcaster. Strange combo by todays standards. Got to admit, they caught alot of fish, somehow.
Dad passed away in 1973, at the age of 33, and mom in 1974 at the age of 36. Left a family of 6 kids, with me(13) being the second oldest, and the oldest of the boys. I always worried about the time in my life when I bacame as old as dad was when he passed away. It came and went without issue. I sure miss them alot, and wish they were here to take a ride in my setup. One of his coworkers told me several years ago that: your dad and mom sure would be proud. I almost broke down when he said that. Matter of fact, theres a tear welling now.
Some things never change, I can still go fishing by the large boulder in the shoreline where he caught his 8 pounder.

If you can, call your dad up and take him fishing.

[Gofish]

This is a great post. My Dad and I have been going on our father & son 2 week fishing trip to Canada for 6 years now. Just the 2 of us. Those are the best 2 weeks of the year, being able to spend time with my Dad up in the tranquil Canadian wilderness. The only regret I have is not doing this earlier in life. My Dad is in very good health at 71 but I can see him starting to age. It really frightens me to think that each trip could possibly be our last, together. So for now, life goes on and I just spend as much time as I possibly can with him and Mom. I love them both very much.

[SnellTier]

Take a camera and camcorder, Gofish. You will regret it 15 years from now if you do not.

[bluelund]

You guys are bringing a tear to my eye as I read this. My Dad first took me to Lake of the Woods when I was four years old. I'm sure I caused both him and mom some anxious moments in the boat we rented from the resort. If my memory is correct it was an old wooden Larson with a 5 horse Johnson on the back. Now I fish out of a Lund 2250 Sport Cabin, things have sure changed. My Dad has been fishing at the same resort every summer for 50 years and I'm afraid he doesn't have many more trips left in him. He's past 80 now and is in a wheelchair most of the time. I have to lift him into the boat when we go and he can't handle much for waves so we fish together on the bluebird days. But I wouldn't miss it for the world. He never liked to use a rod holder, always wanted to feel the bite but I convinced him a year or two ago that when he dozed off and dropped his rod and reel one of these times it was going to go over the side.LOL I can relate to what Steve says about not wanting to release fish, we fished for years when the lake was being netted hard and were lucky to come back with a meal, now he can't stand to watch me put back all those beautiful walleyes over the slot. I'm sure glad he took the time to take me walleye fishing when I was young but I don't think he ever realized I would be this fanatical about it.

Take care you guys and thanks for bringing up a great subject.

Bob M

[Shep]

My dad used to take me fishing when I was a kid. Not often, but enough that I always wanted more. When I was in High School, I was too busy with sports, cars, girls, and parties. We used to fish the whitebass run in the spring, but that was about it. Then, 2 days before my 18th birthday, my dad died. I went into the service, and then college, and then a career.

When I was about 27, my brother invited me to Canada for a week of fishing. What a great week. We caught walleyes, and big Pike. Early in the week, my thoughts turned to my dad, and I ached for him to be there with us. I think my brother had the same thoughts, but we didn't mention it. It was the first time in a long time that I truly missed my dad. That week renewed my interest in fishing, and I've been fishing ever since.

I am now 46, and to this day, every time I'm on the water, I ache for my dad to be with me. I love fishing, and thank my dad for instilling the desire to fish. I thank my brother for renewing it. I thank my 10 and 6 yr olds for coming with their dad on some of his outings.

I think you have to believe that you raised your son properly, and that now he is finding his place in this world. He has lots on his mind, his attention is elsewhere. But, I do believe that once he finds his place, he will come back to fishing with you.

Good luck to you both, and many happy times ahead.

Tight Lines All,

Shep

[TK_551]

My dad taught me how to fish when I was around 4. Him and mom would take me out and he would always try to put me on fish. My mom recently told me that he would end up catching a fish and he would tell her to keep me occupied. She would, and he would then reel my pole in and put the fish on my hook and then set the rod down. He would say "you got one!" and I would then reel it in. Looking back, that is pretty cool. If we got skunked, he would take me to the trout farm. I'm sure that was expensive, but it kept my interest. I live about an hour away from my parents now, but spring through fall, almost every weekend, dad and I are fishing together.

Tom
#551

[jerry]

Thanks Dad for being there when I needed to be bailed out of another jam.

Thanks Dad for always caring.

Thanks Dad for introducing me to the outdoors.

Thanks Dad for putting up with me when you should have left me at home.

Thanks Dad for just being you.

This could go on and on. Could never say thanks enough.

[RANGER]

bump

[fishwithdad]

t.t.

[Darn you SF]

What a story, you gave me the chills so bad, and yes a lump in my throat as I read on... Nice story to be proud of. Yes all you guys have to be proud. My dad never took me fishing ever. It was my uncle that got me started. Thanks to all of you for sharing.

[2 Short]

I don't remember when I wasn't hunting or fishing with my father as a young child. It was always considered a school holiday by my father for the opening day of any season,he would take me out of school. When I was real little I thought the 4 seasons of the year were, pheasant season, squirrel season, rabbit season, etc.

My father and mother and I have always fished together at every opportunity that presented itself. I have seen my father on 6 different occasion catch two fish at the same time on crankbaits. I've been fishing for over 40 years and I've never done it.

My father and mother are now in their 80's and live 1000 miles from me. My father is in an advanced state of Alzhiemers and Parkinsons. I fly down to visit them every three months, and we always go fishing the whole time I'm there. I'm going back down in April and I hope that he is still able to fish with me. It's not like it used to be, it's really hard to see him now compared to what he was. I know it's just a matter of a short time and he'll be gone. He has passed onto me more love and respect of the outdoors than I know how to express with mere words. I do my very best every day to pass his love for the outdoors on to my children and grandchildren.

What would we be without dad's

[Fish_on]

Hey Dog, thanks for the stories. My dad wasn't a fisherman, but when I became fishing crazy at about 10 years old, he made the effort to get a friend of his to take me and him fishing a few times. I really did not understand at the time, but he was doing it just for me since he'd never really fished. That's the way he was, despite the fact that there were seven of us kids. I had no close relatives who had any interest in the outdoors, but dad and mom always encouraged me in whatever I showed an interest in. I think my sisters and brother and I are better people today because of it. We live life at a breakneck pace these days and few people really take the time to put their own wants and needs aside and do someting just for a kid.

Dad's retired now, and when he came to see me last October, I was surprised, but when asked what he wanted to do, he said he wanted me to take him fishing. I found a little lake near here and we caught about 2 dozen crappies. What a great day it was.

[BD]

And Grampa!