ANGLERS TIPS Jack Wollitz

Christmas greetings to all this wonderful day as we pause to celebrate and share the spirit of the season.
Here's hoping the hustle and bustle peaked splendidly at your house and you find time today after the hubbub subsides to reflect on the things that are important in your life.
If you are an angler, moments of contemplation may include the quality of your on-the-water experiences -- the times you share with others or cherish for their peace and solitude.
Fishing is a gift we must not take for granted. As any gift, it is special and its recipients are entrusted to participate with respect and integrity.
The value of our gift sometimes is underestimated when we dash home from work, grab a rod and handful of lures, and scoot to the nearest water for a couple of hours.
A neat thing about this gift we call fishing is it has so many meanings.
For some, it's about fillets in the freezer. For others, it's about the pureness of the pursuit. For many, it's about freedom from worries that clog and complicate our lives.
And it's a gift for all seasons.
Those who love fishing can take the spirit of giving into the next fishing season. Go ahead and treat yourself -- it's a gift, after all -- to a nice rod and reel or a special trip to new water.
Perhaps the best fishing gift of all is sharing your love of the sport with a special person, a child, your spouse or the neighbor who looks on with curiosity as you load your gear on Friday night for a weekend at the lake.
Chances are you are a pretty good angler. But you didn't get that way all by yourself. So what better way to say "thanks" for the gift than to share it.
Those who do will complete the circle and gain new appreciation for the richness of the gift.
jwwollitz@aol.com