Fishing is one of the few things my father and I can really bond over, so I hold it pretty close to my heart. To me, it's more than just a sport. It's time spent on a quiet lake where the two of us can relax and enjoy nature, speak freely and enjoy one another's company at length. It may not sound like much, but it means a great deal to me.
I have fond memories growing up of when he would take my brother and I on camping trips or along with him on fishing durbys. Where we would rent a boat in the early mornings and throw a line in, not coming back until it was time for dinner- all sunburnt, exhausted, and glowing with pride, anxious to tell mom of all the fish we caught and the ones that got away.
Nowadays I don't get out as much as I would like, but when I do I'll typically spend a day out in a boat on
Rice Lake, or fish off the pier at Caesarea. On the rare occasions that everyone has a weekend free, sometimes we're lucky enough to rent a cabin on
Crotch Lake and spend a few days there.
I've caught a lot of fish in my day, mostly catch and release. I fish for fun, not for sport. Bass, pike, pickerel, perch, crappie and sunfish are the most common in the lakes I frequent. But my dream is to one day land a muskie. I remember when I was really young, I was fishing off the dock at Caesarea with my dad and one guy landed a monster muskellunge. At that moment I openly declared I one day would do the same. My day has yet to come, obviously, but when it does, I plan to mount it on my wall with something akin to 'good job' written underneath.