Why We Fish

[BlueEye]

There are many reasons why we fish, but the one that sits at the top of list for me is because of my father. This is a very old picture of my sister, brother and myself. The man in the shaded background is "Pa".

I wanted to share this tribute to all fishing fathers out there.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW TRIBUTE

Warning: You many need a tissue after watching.

This video in a sense represents some of the reasons why LOU was born - more of a family friendly atmosphere. To make sure that memories like this keep happening for future generations to come.

So if you haven't already, take the pledge and be sure to put that "Proud Member of LOU" badge on your site and display it proudly!

[Erbyjoe]

BlueEyes How do I do the logo?I took the plege a long time ago.

[BlueEye]

Simply copy this code and paste it into the HTML on your site. Its that easy. Let me know if you have any questions.

Let me know if you got any other questions

[J.D.]

BlueEye,.. Just watched the tribute. Thanks..............Jim

[870]

That was pretty cool, thanks BlueEye

[Sluggo / NY]

BlueEye.. Thanks, I needed that.. let me grab another tissue so I can finish my response. I've been an avid angler since I was five.. my father was also an avid angler. We never, ever fished together! He was a popular local physician and spent his spare time with his buddies at their "club" stream or on "fly in" trips to Canada and Alaska, while I sat home and dreamt about it. My son.. on his 10th year in the Navy now.. has joined me for a week in Canada every year and knows he's always got a seat in my boat! Heck.. my daughter even went with me until she broke a nail putting the anchor down.. that was it for fishing! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[TONYD]

wanted to see if the logo worked?

[TONYD]

lets try it again

[Ray]

Thanks BlueEye for reminding me of the memories I shared with my grandparents and parents fishing.

[reel escape]

BlueEye I tried the link copy and paste for the proud LOU member and it did attach but the HTML is off and I can't figure out how to turn it on, need a little help. Thanks

[traveling man]

My father hated to fish but, he always took me every time i asked him. he even rented a cottage every year on fairhaven or st lawrence river so i could fish for a week straight. i thought he was having fun but... He was a great man!

Keep your kids fishing and hunting and they will turn out good.

[BlueEye]

Sorry guys - I thought you wanted the code to put it on your own websites. If so, then use the code above. If you want to put it in your profile signature, then use this code:

[url=http://www.lakeontariounited.com]
[img=http://www.LakeOntarioUnited.com/images/lake-ontario-member1.gif]
[/url]

[url=http://www.lakeontariounited.com]
[img=http://www.LakeOntarioUnited.com/images/lake-ontario-member2.gif]
[/url]

[url=http://www.lakeontariounited.com]
[img=http://www.LakeOntarioUnited.com/images/lake-ontario-member3.gif]
[/url]

[url=http://www.lakeontariounited.com]
[img=http://www.LakeOntarioUnited.com/images/lake-ontario-member4.gif]
[/url]

[Mick]

I know I caught my first sunny before I was 4. That was with my Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and younger siblings in tow. Throughout the years my family wasn't as well off as others, but they sure showed us kids a good time every weekend,(and on weeknights ) taking us to the local farm ponds and catching bass untill we were out of bait then helping us to find more under rocks and that last cast you took always seemed to get the biggest fish of the evening. They did a good job bringing us up to respect and enjoy nature and on the last day I ever saw my Grandpa with us in this world I did take him fishing. This is why I pass this Love of this sport of fishing and the outdoors on to my kids. I hope they have the same or better great memories that will last them their lifetimes. I can't wait till down the line to take my Grandkids fishing someday.

[J.D.]

BlueEye, how do I add my own picture when I post on a thread ? ( something like Erby Joe has )

Thanx, Jim

[BlueEye]

BlueEye, how do I add my own picture when I post on a thread ? ( something like Erby Joe has )

Hey JD -

See the sticky post I have at the top of the "Open Lake Discussion" category for a tutorial on how to post images on the site. I go through it there, step by step. Hope this helps buddy!

Take care and enjoy the weekend.

[big easy]

I found this article,on the wall of my dentists office many years ago. I thought it matched my feelings,and i'm sure many others feelings as well.

It's from a book called Trout Magic by Robert Travers.It reads as follows.

I fish because i love to: because i love the environs where trout are found,which are invaribly beautiful,and hate the environs where crowds of people are found,which are invaribly ugly;because of all the television commercials,cocktail parties,and assorted social posturing I thus escape;because in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate,my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion,because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power,but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience;because i suspect that men are going along this way for the last time,and i for one don't want to miss the trip;because mercifully there are not telephones on trout waters;because only in the woods can i find solitude without loneliness;because whiskey out of an old tin cup always tastes betterout there,because maybe one day i'll catch a mermaid; AND FINALLY, NOT BECAUSE I REGARD FISHING AS BEING SO TERRIBLY IMPORTANT BUT BECAUSE I SUSPECT THAT SO MANY OF THE OTHER CONCERNS OF MEN ARE EQUALLY UNIMPORTANT-AND NOT NEARLY SO MUCH FUN.

[Bluemahi]

Nice tribute....does bring back memories long forgotten....Thanks.

[toadhunter]

Because I can't hear my wife from the boat!

[muskybob]

Because I can't hear my wife from the boat!

And they say there's no such thing as an honest fisherman. You restored my faith.

[Fairhavenfisherman]

We all share one common reason why we fish. And it is simply because we love it. I love to fish, i grew up fishing and it was a way to keep me out of trouble as a kid. i was a kid living in Fair haven so i lived on the water my whole life. And as a younger kid up to about the age of 7 or 8 all i would use is worms and a hook, sometimes a bobber depending on what i wanted to catch. As i started to grow i learned. I learned from the fish, the weather and from the water. I began to use lures and fish different ways at different times. Anything i could do to get on the water i would do it, and i began to become a better angler. Now as a young man (18 yrs old) I am now in the most complex part of fishing---trolling lake ontario. In my opinion i am a good fisherman, but the thing about fishing that keeps us all interested is that you can always get better, there is always something else to do to catch that trophy fish. Every day of fishing is different, and it is a challenge, every time you pick up your pole its a challenge. The thing is with the challenge comes fun and good times with family and friends from catching panfish with your kids, or chasinig tip downs on the ice with a group of friends, to trolling the lake and catching doubles and triples. We fish because once you get into it, you are drawn and you love to fish, and there is no way you can lose that love. THAT IS WHY WE ALL FISH, with an example of my life.

[Fishtails]

Great stuff . I have pondered this question often, Why do I fish? I think about this possibly because nobody In my Inner circle fishes, and certainly no one I know (minus people I have met on LOU) fish to the extreme that I do. I have often wondered why? Why has fishing always been such a mad passion of mine, often taking precedent over everything else.

Catching fish has never been the main obsession of mine, but rather the mere act of fishing. Being a very competitive and passionate individual, catching just happens, but I have had many rewarding days on the water without any fish to show for It.

Why do I enjoy It so much? My father enjoyed fishing, but we only fished together on rare occasion. In fact, when I lived In Florida as I child we lived on a lake and my dad and I had separate areas that we fished. I don't recall ever fishing there "side by side", but rather we fished opposite ends of the lake. I also don't recall him ever letting me pull In a fish that he hooked, like most of us do with our children. I remember going to Canada with him and my grandfather and never landing a fish the entire week. If I wanted to land a fish, It was up to me to hook one and that's just the way It was. He ALWAYS supported my habit though! In Florida as a kid, I used to catch bass and keep them In the bathtub till my dad got home so he could clean them. We were poor and ate fish A lot!! When we moved to Pa he would drive me to a lake any time I wanted to fish, drop me off, and pick me up at dark. He always had time to take me to the lake, but I wish he would have spent more time with me at the lake.

Mom and Dad are long passed. Now I have a son, and I take Justin every chance I get. He's 9 and has caught more species of fish than most adults. Who knows If he will grow up with the passion I have with the sport, but he certainly has had plenty of exposure to It.

Fishing has just been a part of my life from the time I could walk. In Florida as a kid, I used a cane pole and dough balls to catch shiners, which In turn I would use to catch bass (usually bigger than dad's). Maybe that exposure to It at such a young age really ingrained It In my soul. My first grade report card says "Rodney spends most of his time daydreaming and not enough time paying attention In class". Uh....yeah, I was thinking about going fishing

Now, I'm 44 and nothing has changed. I still daydream about going fishing. An older and wiser friend of mine says that we are "tamed" predators and It's simply instinctive for us to fish and hunt. Some of us are more effected by this primal urge than others, but to simplify it, we really are true carnivores and It's only natural for men to not only catch our food, but to find extreme fulfillment In the hunt as well.

The older I get the more I believe In that. How else do I explain my passion since childhood? I attach all types of "modern day reasonings" to why I go fishing, and from day to day they are accurate but they don't explain why I fish In the first place and why It has been a 44 year obsession.

So...6 more weeks and this preditor and his offspring will be cruising the Florida Keys on our annual winter trip and no doubt half of It or more will be on the water fishing!!

[muskybob]

Great stuff . I have pondered this question often, Why do I fish? I think about this possibly because nobody In my Inner circle fishes, and certainly no one I know (minus people I have met on LOU) fish to the extreme that I do. I have often wondered why? Why has fishing always been such a mad passion of mine, often taking precedent over everything else.

Catching fish has never been the main obsession of mine, but rather the mere act of fishing. Being a very competitive and passionate individual, catching just happens, but I have had many rewarding days on the water without any fish to show for It.

Why do I enjoy It so much? My father enjoyed fishing, but we only fished together on rare occasion. In fact, when I lived In Florida as I child we lived on a lake and my dad and I had separate areas that we fished. I don't recall ever fishing there "side by side", but rather we fished opposite ends of the lake. I also don't recall him ever letting me pull In a fish that he hooked, like most of us do with our children. I remember going to Canada with him and my grandfather and never landing a fish the entire week. If I wanted to land a fish, It was up to me to hook one and that's just the way It was. He ALWAYS supported my habit though! In Florida as a kid, I used to catch bass and keep them In the bathtub till my dad got home so he could clean them. We were poor and ate fish A lot!! When we moved to Pa he would drive me to a lake any time I wanted to fish, drop me off, and pick me up at dark. He always had time to take me to the lake, but I wish he would have spent more time with me at the lake.

Mom and Dad are long passed. Now I have a son, and I take Justin every chance I get. He's 9 and has caught more species of fish than most adults. Who knows If he will grow up with the passion I have with the sport, but he certainly has had plenty of exposure to It.

Fishing has just been a part of my life from the time I could walk. In Florida as a kid, I used a cane pole and dough balls to catch shiners, which In turn I would use to catch bass (usually bigger than dad's). Maybe that exposure to It at such a young age really ingrained It In my soul. My first grade report card says "Rodney spends most of his time daydreaming and not enough time paying attention In class". Uh....yeah, I was thinking about going fishing

Now, I'm 44 and nothing has changed. I still daydream about going fishing. An older and wiser friend of mine says that we are "tamed" predators and It's simply instinctive for us to fish and hunt. Some of us are more effected by this primal urge than others, but to simplify it, we really are true carnivores and It's only natural for men to not only catch our food, but to find extreme fulfillment In the hunt as well.

The older I get the more I believe In that. How else do I explain my passion since childhood? I attach all types of "modern day reasonings" to why I go fishing, and from day to day they are accurate but they don't explain why I fish In the first place and why It has been a 44 year obsession.

So...6 more weeks and this preditor and his offspring will be cruising the Florida Keys on our annual winter trip and no doubt half of It or more will be on the water fishing!!

To summarize it more precisely, because I like it.

Nice explaination Rod.

[lil' troller]

Great video. My dad and I still fish a lot. I remember a lot from growing up fishing. One that sticks out right now is the day i started taking fish off the hook. We were at a small pond we fished a lot, and we were catching blue gills like crazy. One of those days where you have a fish as soon as the worm hits the water. i remember him trying to rig his pole as i brought him sunny after sunny. He finaly got pissed and said that's it! lol. I was probably 4 at the time, it's funny to look back at. My dad worked 2nd shift most of my younger years, so the only time i really saw him was fishing on the weekends. I used to drive the boat when we were trolling, probably started around 3years old. I would drive while he would set up the downriggers. My dad and i were talking the other day, he said that by the time i was 5 he would rather have me driving the boat than his buddies. I remember watching that old hummingbird fishfinder with 1/4" blocks on the display. I think it only went down to 200'. I would drive by that and look out for upcomming points and creeks. Good times. He tells me of a day there was a 3' chop on one of the fingerlakes (i can't remember) he would get everything set going into the wind. We had 4 poles down, and he says we would turn downwind and get atleast a double each pass. I guess a few times we had all 4 poles "pop". He gave away his boat to a guy he worked with when i was 12 or so. I hated to see the boat go, but that guy had cancer and it was good that he got to enjoy it. I just got back into trolling the last few years, and the lakes are totally different from 15 years ago. I fish because i have always fished, it's what i do and it's who i am. theres no place i would rather be than in a boat or on the ice. the tug of a fish on the other side of my line always brings a smile to my face. I still get excited like i did when i was 2-3 catching carp out of the river. It never gets old.

[Richard Bullen]

BluEye very nice tribute. same here as for fishing Did take my granddaughters fishing the grandson's only 1 so it'll be a year or two then watch out fishy's

[dcso]