Saturday, June 17, 2006
Thanks to fathers across the land, our world is a fishing kind of place.
Yes, many moms get involved in teaching young people how to fish, but that role is more typically fulfilled by dads whose love for the sport is passed proudly to the new generation.
I spend a day or two each week on the water and am always heartened to see fathers and their children readying their fishing rods and bait buckets for a day of fun and sport. It brings back happy memories.
My Little League years were spent scratching the shortstop's dirt between second and third base. Some games were victories; others were bummers.
But all of them were tempered by the excitement that in a few short weeks, the league's season would be over and my family would be traveling to a cabin in northern Michigan for a week of fishing.
The walleyes, perch and pike were as alluring for me as the crack of the bat and the baseball bouncing toward my waiting mitt. We always seemed to catch enough to make a fine fish fry.
And closer to home, I bubbled at the news that we'd be heading to Berlin for an evening of crappie fishing or an after-dinner visit to the New Middletown Farmers' and Sportsmen's Club quarry lake.
Dad knew how to hang the hissing Coleman lantern over the side of the boat so it attracted baitfish. Our minnows weren't long for this world once the crappies swam to our light.
Still going strong
Those days were nearly a half century ago. He's still fishing and I am, too.
I phoned Dad in Florida last Sunday while driving home from a successful day of bass fishing. Turned out he'd had a fine day, as well. The snook, he reported, were ganged up around his dock and feeding with reckless abandon.
As a dad myself, I had the opportunity to contribute my own fatherly fishing counsel.
Though my wife, Barb, will tell you she was the better (and infinitely more patient) teacher, our daughter enjoyed some fantastic days of panfishing.
She also was pretty good at age 6 in hooking the abundant bass that populated Lake Milton in the first years after it was refilled following dam repairs.
Our family still talks about those days -- loads of fun and lots of laughs.
So on Father's Day, we say thanks to all the men who have taken their youngsters fishing. And to those who have yet to have had that experience, please don't miss it.
Father's Day gift ideas
It's Saturday, so you still have a few hours to buy dad a special fishing gift. Here are a few ideas:
Aqua Ohio is issuing permits for dawn-to-dusk fishing on Evans, Pine and Hamilton lakes.
Long known as great bass and pike waters, as well as excellent producers of crappies and other panfish, Aqua's lakes have been closed to most fishing for several years.
A permit can be acquired for $500. For information, contact Christine Snarey at Aqua's Struthers office, 330-755-1100, Ext. 10, during business hours Monday through Friday.
A trip to the fishing departments at Dick's Sporting Goods and Gander Mountain will reveal a host of ideas.
Both stores are staffed by knowledgeable salespeople who will recommend the perfect Father's Day gift. Tell the store associates about dad's favorite species and level of experience, and they'll outfit you with the rods, reels, lures and other gadgets that will make his day memorable.
jwwollitz@aol.com