As the holidays are quickly approaching, I can’t help but miss our dad and all the unique experiences that we had with him. We would do so many things together such as random travel adventures, lazy days at the beach, camping, and fishing – just to name a few. While there are so many memories, fishing is one that stands out during the holidays.
The Gift of Fishing
While we didn’t fish in the winter months, it was the gifts that my sons received that made fishing such a wonderful experience for our dad. One Christmas, several years back, each of my sons received a tackle box filled with fishing equipment and fishing poles from their other grandparents.
This excited my dad and my sons so much because they now had everything that they needed to have wonderful fishing experiences. The memories made while camping season after season are some of the best memories that we cherish to this day.
Tackle Box Contents
The tackle boxes included almost everything that would be on your typical tackle box checklist including the following – just to name a handful.
- Extra fishing line
- Flashlight
- Bobbers
- Sinkers
- Hooks in various sizes for different types of fish
- Needle nose pliers to help remove the hooks from fish
- Stringer to hold all the fish you catch
- Small Knife
An Opportunity to Teach and Learn
Although the tackle box contained more than what the boys typically used during a day of fishing, there was room for my dad to add to them and teach them about other items that they should include in their tackle box such as a glove for handling the fish, a basic first-aid kit just in case a hook would get stuck in their thumbs, insect repellent, and sunscreen.
Our dad enjoyed fishing with all of us.
Not only was it calm and peaceful and we were making memories, but it was also a teaching and learning experience.
Our dad had the opportunity to teach us all new outdoor skills, in particular the skill of fishing. And, learning about fishing isn’t as easy as some may think. There is a lot to learn.
A Few Examples…
For example, you have to learn which fishing poles are right for you and how to use them. When we were children, our dad took us fishing and taught us how to fish in Sardis Lake with a plain bamboo fishing pole.
It’s literally a rod and a fishing line. You cast it and wait. When the fish bites, you simply have to hurry and pull the rod and line up in the air. I’d prefer a modern fishing pole any day over those bamboo rods. Haha!
And, as adults and with my children, he taught us how to use more modern fishing poles such as the ones the boys received as gifts.
Aside from fishing poles, he also taught us how to use a variety of bait such as your typical plain worms sold at the bait shop and artificial bait on a hook, as well as using boilies for boilie fishing.
If you are unfamiliar with boilies, they are made from a boiled paste that usually consists of various mixtures of ingredients such as fishmeal, milk proteins, bird foods, etc. It’s then formed into small hard balls and used for fishing.
And, this was just an example of all that he taught us while fishing. There was so much more that we learned.
Final Thoughts
Overall, fishing was certainly a hobby that our father not only enjoyed but enjoyed sharing with us. The memories, the teaching, the learning, and everything in between will forever be a part of us.
This post is in partnership with Get Blogged.
