GrotonJoe
08-04-2006, 08:39 AM
This is long....
After thinking about my desire (need?) to fish, I've come to the conclusion that it's almost an addiction for me.
My story: Up until last year, the last time I fished was over 30 years ago. I'm not sure why, but I suppose life got in the way, and I forgot what fishing was all about. For the last few years we've rented a house on McWain Pond in Waterford,ME, and for some reason, I decided to do some fishing last summer. My daughters were 8 and 12 years old at the time, and I thought I'd introduce them to fishing.
So, we drive to Wal-Mart, buy a few fishing rods, tackle, a 7 day Maine fishing license, and I'm ready. After spending a while trying to remember how to rig up the tackle, we're good to go. I teach the girls how to cast. They get the hang of it, and my 8 year old pulls in a 12 inch smallmouth on her 2nd cast. Cool! Unfortunately, that's all that was caught on that trip, and that was the only fishing for the rest of the year. A spark was lit, however....
This year is different. I get my Mass license. We go back to Waterford, and I ended up fishing almost every day. While the family is still in bed, I'm up at 5:30 driving to places I spotted using google maps. I catch fish everytime I go out. Lots of panfish, but also some lake whitefish, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, etc. My older daughter catches a 12" horn pout one day. On the last night there, I try fishing at dusk with poppers. Within 30 minutes I've caught three smallmouth bass, the largest is 15". Not bad.
We come home, and I'm completely and utterly hooked. I try to find time for fishing without impacting the family too much. Sunday morning early, I'm at the Squannacook River in Groton, 5 minutes from my house. I catch a 5" sunfish. I don't care, because I'm fishing. While I'm there, a guy pulls up in a pickup with a canoe in the back. I help him get it into the water, and we talk a bit. He tells me there is a dam about a mile up the river next to a paper mill, and the only way to get there is by boat. He told me he caught a 22" trout there a while ago. Interesting... I think I'd like to try this.
Back in work, I send an email out to the non-work related email list, asking if anyone has a canoe they'd like to sell. I want a junker so i don't have to worry about damaging it. I get a few hits, and end up with a 16' Great Canadian for $150. The next day, all of us are paddling up the Squannacook just to enjoy the day and check out the canoe. I want to see this dam by the paper mill. Turns out there's a tree laying across the river. A big one. We scoot over to the left, the kids climb onto tree while my wife and I drag the canoe over some submerged branches, and we're through. We can hear the dam up ahead.
We get to the dam, the entire width of which is made up of a series of steps with water cascading down. My older daughter casts a plastic worm over to the frothing water at the base. She reels in, casts again, and pulls in a 16" largemouth. Groovy... We catch a few smaller fish, but it's time to go home. The next day, I'm back on the river by myself by 7am. I navigate the tree by myself, get to the dam, and catch some trout, largemouth, and some panfish. On the way back downriver, I stop at some lilypad-covered inlets and catch a bunch of panfish. It's beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. God, I love fishing.
I'm smitten. Even getting 30 minutes here and there is good.
Today, the family is gone until tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, I'll be on Baddacook pond at 5:30 to try some lake fishing.
I think I've become so completely infatuated with fishing because it's so totally NOT engineering (my job), it's peaceful, I don't have to think, just experience. And , it's FUN! Anyone else feel this way?
After thinking about my desire (need?) to fish, I've come to the conclusion that it's almost an addiction for me.
My story: Up until last year, the last time I fished was over 30 years ago. I'm not sure why, but I suppose life got in the way, and I forgot what fishing was all about. For the last few years we've rented a house on McWain Pond in Waterford,ME, and for some reason, I decided to do some fishing last summer. My daughters were 8 and 12 years old at the time, and I thought I'd introduce them to fishing.
So, we drive to Wal-Mart, buy a few fishing rods, tackle, a 7 day Maine fishing license, and I'm ready. After spending a while trying to remember how to rig up the tackle, we're good to go. I teach the girls how to cast. They get the hang of it, and my 8 year old pulls in a 12 inch smallmouth on her 2nd cast. Cool! Unfortunately, that's all that was caught on that trip, and that was the only fishing for the rest of the year. A spark was lit, however....
This year is different. I get my Mass license. We go back to Waterford, and I ended up fishing almost every day. While the family is still in bed, I'm up at 5:30 driving to places I spotted using google maps. I catch fish everytime I go out. Lots of panfish, but also some lake whitefish, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, etc. My older daughter catches a 12" horn pout one day. On the last night there, I try fishing at dusk with poppers. Within 30 minutes I've caught three smallmouth bass, the largest is 15". Not bad.
We come home, and I'm completely and utterly hooked. I try to find time for fishing without impacting the family too much. Sunday morning early, I'm at the Squannacook River in Groton, 5 minutes from my house. I catch a 5" sunfish. I don't care, because I'm fishing. While I'm there, a guy pulls up in a pickup with a canoe in the back. I help him get it into the water, and we talk a bit. He tells me there is a dam about a mile up the river next to a paper mill, and the only way to get there is by boat. He told me he caught a 22" trout there a while ago. Interesting... I think I'd like to try this.
Back in work, I send an email out to the non-work related email list, asking if anyone has a canoe they'd like to sell. I want a junker so i don't have to worry about damaging it. I get a few hits, and end up with a 16' Great Canadian for $150. The next day, all of us are paddling up the Squannacook just to enjoy the day and check out the canoe. I want to see this dam by the paper mill. Turns out there's a tree laying across the river. A big one. We scoot over to the left, the kids climb onto tree while my wife and I drag the canoe over some submerged branches, and we're through. We can hear the dam up ahead.
We get to the dam, the entire width of which is made up of a series of steps with water cascading down. My older daughter casts a plastic worm over to the frothing water at the base. She reels in, casts again, and pulls in a 16" largemouth. Groovy... We catch a few smaller fish, but it's time to go home. The next day, I'm back on the river by myself by 7am. I navigate the tree by myself, get to the dam, and catch some trout, largemouth, and some panfish. On the way back downriver, I stop at some lilypad-covered inlets and catch a bunch of panfish. It's beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. God, I love fishing.
I'm smitten. Even getting 30 minutes here and there is good.
Today, the family is gone until tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, I'll be on Baddacook pond at 5:30 to try some lake fishing.
I think I've become so completely infatuated with fishing because it's so totally NOT engineering (my job), it's peaceful, I don't have to think, just experience. And , it's FUN! Anyone else feel this way?