Fish Tales from Your President’s Perspective.
I was remembering back when I went fishing with my dad. When we went fishing, we each had a job to do. Mine was seeing the fish. My dad knew so much about fishing, not in a bragging way, but in a catching fish kind of way. Fishing was not just fun; it was a critical part of our food supply. So, when we went fishing, it was important to catch fish. And catch f ish, he could do. So that takes me back to my job – seeing the fish. He taught me that you didn’t have to see the fish, but you had to see where the fish are, how to read the water, the weather, the bait that was there, the structure, the brush, the wind, and many other little things. It’s kind of funny that he chose me to see the fish. I was the littlest of the family. In fact, until the 6th grade, I was one of the smallest kids in school. My nickname was Peanut.
I digress, so I’m back to seeing fish. The skills he taught me to see the fish have carried over to the rest of my life. I have always been able to see things that others couldn’t, like animals, golf balls, and lost items. My nickname, when I was older, became Hawkeye. When we went backpacking, I was always in the lead, as I could see ahead of us and choose the right path, keep us out of trouble, and most of all, spot others along the way. And yep, I could spot the fish. And again, catching fish was critical to our food supply. And catching f ish, we did.
Now that I am older, I seem to have forgotten to see the fish,. So, the other day I decided to do exactly that. I was at a pond in Colorado, on a break from the conference I was attending, and I saw some kids fishing. I watched them for over 45 minutes, and not a single bite. So, I started trying to see the fish. I looked at the sky, the water, the weather, the wind, the structure, and the bait. And I was amazed when I realized I could see the fish. I talked to the boys and had them move about 200 feet. I had them change their bait and had them slow down their retrieval. Sure enough, on the first cast, one kid caught a fish, then the next, and finally the third. They weren’t the biggest, but the kids caught them. I watched them for about 15 more minutes, and each one caught a few fish. They were happy; I was ecstatic and thankful that my dad took the time to teach me to see the fish. So, on our next outing, if you see me looking around, I’m probably just trying to see the fish.
Here’s to looking around, seeing the beauty all around us, seeing the joy of friendship with your fellow Senior Anglers, and yes, seeing the fish.
Your President