Father's Day!

[Jim W]

This thread is the place to share just how Dad assisted us in developing our love for the outdoors!

So feel free to share past/present memories about Dad!

I remember as a child, driving up Nort to Minnesota from Evansville, Indiana to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa, fishing on Lake Francis. OUr family of 6 rented a small cabin and a row boat!

Yes, we had to row out to our favorite spots! Piling 4-5 people into a small boat, rowing out onto the lake must have been a site for sore eyes!
However, one year, Grampa, purchased a new 4 horse Evinrude! Now we're talkin'!! We could almost ski behind'er!!LOL
Those annual trips planted the seed!

Thanks Dad!!!!

PS> For those of you who posted in the previous "Father's Day" post, feel free to re-post, I thoroughly enjoyed reading them as did others!

Jim W

[fishinphyl]

I was a very lucky girl. I had an awesome dad! He took me fishing from the time I was a little kid and taught be that I had to bait my own hook and clean my own fish. He would pull me on the skis during the day and then we would go fishing. He liked to troll and I really didn't at that time so I would drive the boat and he would fish, or we would spend all afternoon or evening still fishing. He had a very large mounted fish in the cottage that he caught before I was born and I am still trying to catch one to mount just like dads. But I learned a lot more than just fishing from these trips with him. Responsibility - we had to have the yard work done before we went to the lake. He taught me to never drive the boat when drinking and to have manners and respect for everyone on the lake. After you clean them you clean up your mess and you never ever leave the boat uncovered or dirty. Independence - you catch them - you clean them, you bait your hook, you catch a turtle or bullhead you take it off. These lessons have helped me all through my life and not just with the fishing. Manners and respect go a long way in this world and a little independence sure can't hurt. Although my husband says he did way too good a job on that one. I lost him 3 days before I graduated from high school he was only 42 - much too young. But every time I go to the lake I remember the good times. Take those kids fishing - you never know how much time you have left. And hey - take those dads fishing this weekend.

------------------
Phyl

[uffdapete]

Great idea Jim -

My dad first planted the seed, but it didn't really take until I was a young teen and met a couple brothers my age who became good friends and had a passion for the outdoors.

However Dad picked up on that and began to take me fishing - just the 2 of us on Lake Mary near Alex.

Now Dad had a knack for finding a bargain anywhere and keep in mind this was the mid 60's. He found a resort on Lake Mary that rented a boat (wood) and 5 hp motor with an open flywheel, bait + a cabin for the night for $7. One time all the cabins were rented so he put us up in a spare room in his house, fed us breakfast at 5:30 am and at the end of the day apologized for not having a cabin and charged us $5 for the boat, motor, bait, room and food. He loved fishing pike and while size mattered to him, he was willing to catch 2 lb. pike all day if it put a smile on my face. Those were the fishing experiences that really hooked me.

He never lost his love for pike fishing and I had the privelege of being in the boat when he caught the biggest pike of his life (17 lbs.), which was also one of the last times he went fishing. I've never known anyone that could handle a fish like he could - I never remember him breaking a line on a fish.