I can remember back many years ago when my grandmother would wake me up early as a kid, telling me to get up and get ready to go fishing. She would tell me to make sure I wore jeans to minimize the chance of getting ticks on me (always fished from the bank so we had tall grass to deal with) and this is one of the many things I still do today. Almost always wear long pants even though ticks don't bother me much. We would pack a lunch and some drinks, pack all of our gear into the car which consisted of several rods, a small tackle box of simple terminal tackle, and head out to the sportsman club for a day of trout and pan fish catching. Of course as a little kid, I did as much goofing off and playing as I did fishing. But as I got older, I learned the importance of sitting down and most of all, patience. When to check your line, when to move to a new spot, but I think the best lesson I learned back then is that sometimes you just have to take a few hours and just relax. Life is stressful and it can't get pretty bad some days so why not take some time just to kick back and catch a few fish. I mean sure, we all got bills to pay, jobs to keep, and even kids to raise but we also need some time to just let it go and remember the easier side of life. Plus it's a great way to make memories with your kids, just as my grandmother did with me. When my grandfather had a day off work, we would get up even earlier, pack the car, and go to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland for a day of saltwater fishing and crabbing. Fishing poles, crab traps, hand lines, the whole setup. Since those days as a kid, I have caught so many fish I'm unsure as to even the roundabout number. I have taught many kids to fish, helped them learn how to cast, when to set the hook, how to handle fish, and even when to return them to the water. Now at 25 years old, I have my own kids to raise and make memories with. To teach them the lessons I learned as a kid and impart my knowledge as an angler and parent on not only the importance of being a responsible adult and handling your life, but also when to take some time and just let life sit on the backburner for a few hours while you relax. Today life can be rough and hectic, tomorrow it can get worse, but when you cast that line out and you feel the tug of a fish no matter the size, you always seem to catch something else; a smile. So grab a rod, tie on a hook, and catch a smile because sometimes we could all use a little time to just be a kid again. May your cast be long and your line tight.
