The most memorable fishing experiences aren't always about the size or quantity of the catch. Sometimes the fishin' hole or the fishin' companions make the moment most special.
I'll always remember sitting in the sparse shade around the lakes at a Texas catfish farm, the mid-summer sun baking the rust-colored banks into a crack-lined crust, my dad baiting my hook with kernels of corn, casting as far as my young muscles would allow, waiting, waiting, waiting for a cat to swoop in and tug at my line, reeling,
reeling, reeling as slowly as my young patience would allow, eventually landing the purring beast, both of us gasping for air.
I'll always remember my dad taking me to fish at a small pond in a local park, casting my line, and watching my bobber go into, and immediately under, the water as if I'd cast directly into a fishes mouth, which, it turns out, I apparently did as I set the hook and reeled in a decent-sized catfish.
I'll also always remember walking the banks and fishing during the annual fishing trip Rachel's dad organizes. He's taken Rach and her sisters on this trip for close to twenty years. I've been joining in on the fun for close to ten years and, now, Mini-Me, The Wubster, and Mickey (TKNTD) are joining in on the fun. Mini-Me has become quite adept at casting, while The Wubster wows us with his desire to carry fish from rod to basket (something his mom won't even do). Some years produce better fishing results then others, but each year is special on its own way: torrential downpours, lake swimming, boating adventures, bluegill frenzies, killer swans, or ginormous bass.
The kids won't remember the fish we caught this weekend without looking at photos and video, but, hopefully, they'll remember the time spent together.
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