Ken, Wanted to reply with this report. I have a son and a daughter. Both in different colleges. Both will graduate this year. And, sadly, both broke up with their long time sweethearts and were pretty down about the whole situation.
Not knowing of anything better than to scoop them up and take them fly fishing, I gathered my son from Ft. Worth, TX and my daughter from Fayetteville, AR and headed to Eureka Springs, AR for a little fishing and a lot of "just being there for them." We caught fish; but that wasn't the whole purpose. My daughter said it best. She paused to watch me land and release a rainbow. When our eyes met, she had a tear in her eye and she said: "Just being in a river with Dad makes it better." Fish with your son. . . fish often. Let him make mistakes. And when the time comes (and it will) let him hook you. Just remember why you're fishing with him. It has little to do with the fish! God bless you, Doug ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ken, Carolyn, Alex and Hershel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 22, 2002 6:30 PM Subject: [VFB] Fishing Dads > If you have a minute or two -- please read this and provide me with any > comments. > > We could start a thread about kids and fishing. > > Thanks > -Ken- > > > Thump! Splash! > > I turned my head just in time to see the tumbler cartwheeling across the > floor - like a feisty rainbow dancing at the end of my line. Apple juice > sprayed across the room with every flip of the fish's tail. > > Did you make a mess? I asked my two-year-old son Alex. The broad smile > that had stretched across his face had vanished. Instead there was a wide > eyed look of surprise. How would Daddy react? -- seemed to be the thought > bouncing around inside of his head. > > Rod! He said, pointing an accusing finger at the bright red three-foot-long > bugs bunny fishing pole he gripped in his tiny hands. > > So it was the rods fault? > > Some paper towel easily soaks up the evidence before Mommy comes home. > > My son got a new fishing rod today. He is still too young to fish. But I > couldn't resist. He sure is proud of that rod - he spent all afternoon > waving it around our living room like a magic wand - mimicking what he has > watched Daddy do. > > It's not his first fishing rod. No, his uncle Kris took that pleasure away > from me. And I am glad -- because he doesn't have a son of his own -- yet. > Alex's first fishing rod - the one his uncle Kris gave him - is one of those > stubby oversized make-believe fishing rods complete with bug-eyed plastic > fish to bob around in the suds at tub time. His little fingers have a > difficult time winding the reel. His hand eye co-ordination is still > developing so it's hard for him to hook the enormous plastic fish hook into > the smiling mouth of the fish. > > Being a fisherman has taught me a lot about being a Dad. > > Patience, persistence, gentleness - are traits that a good fisherman and a > good Daddy must possess. > > I can't wait until the day my son catches his first fish. I don't know who > will be more proud - him or me. > > Did I say fishing teaches you patience? > > >
