My Introduction to Fishing

Although the beginning of my interest in the outdoors trumps the beginning of my introduction to fishing, it was through fishing that I've actually spent most of my time outdoors. The affinity for the Outdoors was just a matter of that it was there...outside. The fishing came later at around the age of six or seven and it all began with a trip down to the local grocery for my mom.

The grocery store was just a hundred yards from the house, not even remotely in the direction of the river or local lake. On our way back from the grocery and while crossing the parking lot of the town hall, I happened upon a twenty dollar bill. I was excited! I ran the rest of the way home shreaking with glee..."Mom! Look what I found!"

Now, in my head I was thinking of all the cool stuff I could buy with that twenty dollar bill. Mom had other ideas, and the first one was to see if anyone local had lost it, perhaps someone that worked at the town hall. But, after a couple weeks of failing to give away my sweet find, she conceded defeat and allowed me to blow it all on toys. I still remember that day in the toy store too...but I no longer remember what I bought with the exception of a butterfly net.

I wasn't a butterfly person at the time, nor a bug person. I think I just ran out of cheap stuff to buy and so I likely settled on it. I do recall, though, the day I took it down to the meadow for a test spin whacking at bees, grasshoppers, and butterflies, and when I would catch something I would just let it go and run...hoping not to get stung. I also remember that I was alone..walking through the woods, then the meadow, and then to the woods beyond the meadow. I was heading into prohibited turf at this point because my parents greatest fear lay just beyond the meadow...the river.

To me, the river was an exciting place. But, looking back, the river bank, cut steep by the currents, fallen trees, and the fact that I didn't know how to swim...would have been any parent's nightmare. The fact remains though, that I was there and I was doing my part in exploring America...armed with a butterfly net.

As I followed the river I came upon the dam just beneath the bridge in Oneco, Connecticutt. At that point, I knew where I was. My only question was how do I get home without revealing that I had been down to the river. And, just when I was thinking about following the river back downstream, my older brother Jack called to me "Hey, what are you doing down here?" and he didn't seem too happy about it.

Jack is seven years older than I, so at fourteen he had permission to venture to the river and on this particular day he happen to be fishing. He yelled to me to cross the bridge and so I did. As I walked up to him on the other side of the dam he hooked a fish. I was excited being with him at the river, but not really knowing what the heck he was doing. He was excited too! "Give me your net!" I don't even remember asking "what for?", I just handed it to him and he dunked it in the water and pulled it out with a fish in it.

I was reborn a fisherman right at that moment. Hooked! Then the handle of my net broke. Bummer! But, look at that F-I-S-H! I couldn't take my eyes off it. What I didn't know while we walked up the hill towards home was that this fish was a smallmouth bass. I also didn't know of the butt-whooping I was about to get. (I was hoping the FISH would distract everyone.) Wrong!

No doubt, holding my son after he was born was the best day of my life. But, the day I was introduced to fishing is forever etched into my memory.

===================
Added:
Not too long after that day, my brother Jack took me fishing and I caught my first fish, a 12 3/4" Brown Trout.

When my son was three I took him fishing hoping to give him the same thrill. He hooked, fought, and netted his first fish (Brook Trout) on his very first cast...and then proceded to catch a couple dozen more over the next hour. Between him and the two other kids we brought along, I didn't even get a chance to put my own line in the water. Nor did I need to.
Location: Virginia Lakes, Sierra Mtns, CA.