Fishing for Memories

My dad always caught fish. I knew when I went fishing with him, we would bring a full catch back for Sunday morning breakfast. Sometimes I fished off the dock with our black lab named Toni at my side who pointed whenever she saw a fish in the water. Eventually, when I was about twelve years old, I could drive a boat with a ten-horse Johnson after I proved I could swim shore to shore in an emergency.

Fishing gear and methods have changed since I was a kid. My father used a triangulation method for finding favorite fishing spots. He knew how to line up landmarks like the white boathouse on the west side of the lake, a group of birch trees on the east, or a log cabin on the point by the channel. Maybe Dad’s method wasn’t science, but I can tell you one thing. He caught lots of fish.

Today, we have more sophisticated equipment like anchors that fold flat for storage, electronic fish finders, cameras, and composite rods. Yet, some things never change. Kids love pulling up their first sunfish. Fishing opener is a big deal. And die hards pull out augers when the ice is thick enough.

I’m not an expert by any means, but I’ve fished quite a bit. My husband Tom and I bobber fish into the sunset hour, anchoring with country music on the radio or the Twins’ game. But my preference is drift sock fishing with Lindy Rigs or jig hooks. When the wind is right, Tom casts one to two drift socks out, and the wind carries us. I like the adventure of that. There’s something about facing the wind and riding the waves that feels good to me.

That’s true of life, too, isn’t it? Some of us enjoy life best when it feels anchored, others prefer adventure with a dollop of suspense, and most of us enjoy a combination of both.. Whatever we do, solo or together, informed by past and/or current experience, we need wisdom to find what’s excites and satisfies us as we navigate the journey.

For me, whether anchored or drifting in the wind, I want to net a boatload of good memories. Catching fish is a bonus.