One of my first attempts at casting my Snoopy-themed fishing rod resulted in the bait, the line and the rest of the rod floating in the water. Luckily dad was there to fish it out and get it back in my hands.
Having dad teach us about fishing was awesome. He baited our first hook, tied an encyclopedia’s worth of knots and taught us that fishing often transcends catching fish.
Sport fishing wouldn’t be what it is today without dads. That’s why today, in honor of Father’s Day, we pooled some of our best fishing memories to celebrate dads. The stewards of fishing!
It’s Fun.
Fishing is some of the most fun you can have with the least amount of cost! Did you know that kids and teens under the age of 16 fish for free? That’s right, up to 15 years of age, your child can fish without a license. So grab your kiddo and hit your favorite fishin’ hole…
But before you do! Be sure to check out the FishAngler app. It is free to use, and lets dad check up-to-date weather forecasts, tide and wind information, and solunar forecast, which uses sun and moon phases for estimating the height of fish activity! Plus, the app is easy to use and intuitive for even the least tech savvy of dads out there.
To learn more about the multiple uses of the FishAngler app check out our blog on the best app functions for anglers of every type of fishing across the country!
It’s Funny.
Fishing with kids can be very funny. From new and foreign sensations of slimy, wiggly bait to the flipping and flopping of bringing their first live fish to hand; the whole experience is unknown and exciting. Fortunately the laughs continue into adolescence and beyond!
I took a lot of trips with dad growing up, but I remember one as a teen to a local creek. There was a great fishing spot under the bridge that we went to with my uncle a lot. We woke up before the sun came up, and got donuts and hot cocoa on the way, as we’d done for years. After a couple of hours on the beach, I made a cast and remember quite distinctly hooking up to a big one. A big goose! It was a good wrestle to get that bird loose, but provided plenty of entertainment for all of the onlookers.
It Imparts Life Lessons.
Fishing with dad provides the opportunity to impart many life lessons. As James Romm accounts in “Life Lessons from ‘Fishing With Dad'”, they don’t always come packaged quite as we expect.
In trout-fishing contests at my home-town park, where boys my son’s age—he was seven or eight at the time—were pulling dozens of stocked fish from a lazy stream, we managed to get skunked. Jonah learned then that he did not have a hero dad, but a fumble-fingered classics scholar who didn’t know the difference between trout worms and nightcrawlers. His disappointment was palpable (and hurt like hell), yet, somehow, his fishing ardor endured.
It Provides Dinner.
Fishing is a great way to provide sustenance for the family on a camping trip, or a multi-day float trip down the river. Sometimes!
It was a 5-hour drive to Sunriver and too many games of “I Spy” had us ready to stretch our legs. As soon as we jumped out of the car, my dad grabbed our fishing rods and we swiftly got our first casts in. It wasn’t long before we caught our limit of channel catfish. We built a makeshift dam in the shallow water near our campsite, and proceeded to setup camp. It swiftly came to our attention, however, that a rock had slipped and our fish had escaped! We ate beans for dinner that night.
It Teaches Patience.
The FishAngler community fosters all types of fishing, and there are some genres of angling that are more tedious than others. While many enjoy the peace and tranquility coordinating breath with front and back casts provides, others may find managing fly line to be quite cumbersome. With plenty of objects threatening to snag your line in and out of the water, patience is key when it comes to fishing line out of nearby willows or retrieving that lucky shrimp pattern from sticky reefs.
When it comes to fishing, the opportunities to learn patience are as limitless as fish in the sea.
Grandpa remedied more than his fair share of “birds nest” baitcaster reels for us growing up. Still, his apparent skill and competence on all types of water intimidated me and my siblings! We did our best not to “mess up”, but we inevitably did, and Gramps was there to save the day. I remember one Thanksgiving we were fishing off of the dock, and after casting I plopped down to wait for a nibble. But to my surprise, I felt a sharp pain in my bottom and jumped up quickly realizing I’d sat on my brother’s treble hook. Grandpa patiently calmed me, and removed the hook with precision. I would indeed go on to fish another day.
It Teaches.
One thing dads have in common is the respect and love they share for water and fish that live in them. But with great power comes great responsibility! And the rules and regulations of fishing are no exception. Fortunately today, state fishing regulations are getting easier to manage than ever by introducing electronic licensing systems allowing anglers to buy their licenses and tag their catches all from their smartphones.
It Makes Memories.
Probably our favorite, fishing with dad means making memories! FishAngler ambassador Ben Jones recounts fishing with dad in his native Australia:
My favourite memories were waking up before sunrise and heading out on our local inshore reefs to target Aussie Snapper! Dad would take about 15 minutes to fire up the old two-stroke Mercury, from which I can still smell the fumes. Patience was the biggest lesson I learned from dad. I might not have that quality in much of my life, but I have a lot of it when it comes to fishing!
More Tackle Boxes, Less Xboxes
At FishAngler, we believe fishing provides a great opportunity to get our families outside. If fishing is part of your Father’s Day tradition, post a photo of dad on the FishAngler app with #DadsDay in the description! A random winner will receive a Flexfit FishAngler hat. Today only!
From all of us at FishAngler, we wish a Happy Father’s Day to dads everywhere!
Download the FishAngler app for FREE!
