Fishing with Papa

My dad started taking me fishing when I was so young, I can't even recall the first time.  Fishing was one of our "bonding" activities. For ten consecutive years, dad took me to Canada on a week long fishing trip. It was an annual highlight that I always looked forward to. Fishing was an integral part of my relationship with my dad. Aside from the Canada trips were the regular trips to Lake Geneva, which even included several fishing contests (and we even placed on the top three more than once)!  Dad would pull me out of school to go fishing.

Sometimes dad and I would hunt for our own worms. (It's funny the things that got me excited as a kid). If it rained really hard, dad and I would take flashlights and cover the lens with a semi-transparent red tape. We would then go out into the soaking wet field and hunt for worms that had risen to the surface of the wet ground.  It was such a blast, and if I were to be honest, I would go worm hunting with Dad tonight if he asked.

This past Friday, Dad and I took Jr. fishing for the first time. I think he has what it takes. He's generally patient and did not ask, "When are we going back to the car" until the 2 hour mark. (Not bad for a 2.5 year old.) While he was enticed by bobbers and leeches, nothing captivated his attention quite like the pair of pliers on the boat.  As much fun as it was to be fishing again, it was even more fun to watch Jr. and Dad interact on the boat.  I have a feeling these two are going to cause a bit of trouble as Jr. gets older. Either way, the day was a big success and a great "lead-in" to a Father's Day weekend.

-Eric