Fishing Lessons
I took the week off last week to spend more time doing repairs around our house and also take my children to the local nature parks and beaches. My children have now reached an age where I can no longer treat them as little children but instead as budding young adults. Because of this, I have to also introduce them to new hobbies that I hope they will become attached to as they reach adulthood.
One early morning last week, I packed up our new fishing gear and headed to Huntington Beach which is about 25 miles south of our house. My daughter protested to me saying that she dislike going to the beach this time of the year because of the cold winter winds. I assured her that the trip will be worth her time. My son was more enthusiastic because he seemed to like being at the beach regardless of the season.
On our way to the beach, I dropped by a sporting goods store to check the artificial baits that they were selling. I did not expect my kids to catch anything and so I decided to purchase baits with the lowest price tag.
When we got to the pier, my kids casted their lines and for an hour did not catch anything. Both of them showed signs of being discouraged because there were people there that were catching fishes with ease. We met a 14 year old kid at the pier who seemed to be an avid fisherman. After my son showed this other kid the bait he was using, the 14-year kid pulled a better looking bait from his bag and told me that he bought that bait at a swap meet (flea market) and recommended that we use it. I gave money to the kid and after my son casted his line using the new bait, his line immediately hooked a fish. For the next two hours, my son was on a roll pulling fish after fish from the ocean. Unfortunately, we did not have any bucket or cooler to store the fishes and so we just gave away the big fishes that we caught and threw the small ones back to the ocean.
We decided to return to the same beach two days later because I wanted to give my daughter a chance to catch her first fish in her life. We went to a fishing supply store the day before and bought baits and also other fishing equipment that we need to make our fishing trip more successful.
When we got to the pier, the sky above us was clear, the sun was hot, winds were kind of chilly and the ocean a little choppy. I felt that catching a fish then would be a challenge. Thirty minutes after we tossed our lines, I saw my daughter reeling up a fish. The fish was big enough to fit a meal. Our excitement was short lived though because the fish was able to break free from the hook and escape. Though the first fish got away, the second one did not. So was the third one and the forth. My son also caught two fishes that day.
My children walked away from the pier that day with smiles on their faces and also a sense of confidence that they were able to perform one of man’s basic survival skill—fishing. It also taught me a couple of things.
1. If you want to be successful in fishing, use the right equipment. They might sometimes be a burden to the pocket but the experience that you get from the trip is priceless.
One early morning last week, I packed up our new fishing gear and headed to Huntington Beach which is about 25 miles south of our house. My daughter protested to me saying that she dislike going to the beach this time of the year because of the cold winter winds. I assured her that the trip will be worth her time. My son was more enthusiastic because he seemed to like being at the beach regardless of the season.
On our way to the beach, I dropped by a sporting goods store to check the artificial baits that they were selling. I did not expect my kids to catch anything and so I decided to purchase baits with the lowest price tag.
When we got to the pier, my kids casted their lines and for an hour did not catch anything. Both of them showed signs of being discouraged because there were people there that were catching fishes with ease. We met a 14 year old kid at the pier who seemed to be an avid fisherman. After my son showed this other kid the bait he was using, the 14-year kid pulled a better looking bait from his bag and told me that he bought that bait at a swap meet (flea market) and recommended that we use it. I gave money to the kid and after my son casted his line using the new bait, his line immediately hooked a fish. For the next two hours, my son was on a roll pulling fish after fish from the ocean. Unfortunately, we did not have any bucket or cooler to store the fishes and so we just gave away the big fishes that we caught and threw the small ones back to the ocean.
We decided to return to the same beach two days later because I wanted to give my daughter a chance to catch her first fish in her life. We went to a fishing supply store the day before and bought baits and also other fishing equipment that we need to make our fishing trip more successful.
When we got to the pier, the sky above us was clear, the sun was hot, winds were kind of chilly and the ocean a little choppy. I felt that catching a fish then would be a challenge. Thirty minutes after we tossed our lines, I saw my daughter reeling up a fish. The fish was big enough to fit a meal. Our excitement was short lived though because the fish was able to break free from the hook and escape. Though the first fish got away, the second one did not. So was the third one and the forth. My son also caught two fishes that day.
My children walked away from the pier that day with smiles on their faces and also a sense of confidence that they were able to perform one of man’s basic survival skill—fishing. It also taught me a couple of things.
1. If you want to be successful in fishing, use the right equipment. They might sometimes be a burden to the pocket but the experience that you get from the trip is priceless.
2. Fishing teaches people the virtue and reward of patience.
3. Fishing is more than just tossing a fish line to the water. It helps to know the behavior of the aquatic creature that you wish to catch so that you can be at the right place at the right time.
4. Fishing is not about catching fishes. It is about catching time with my little ones while I still can.
Did I catch anything? Not even a bite! I was humbled by my own children. What really matters is that they gained valuable knowledge from the trip because this is the beginning of the time when my children will rise above me and sprout their wings of independence. As they do that, I will begin to rescind into their background. My parental role will eventually take a turn where I will have to wait patiently for a chance for my children to ask me for advice and assistances.
Gone fishing for time….
Joseph Ivan
posted by Narratives of a Novice | 10:18 AM
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