Emma's first fishing trip

I grew up fishing, I thought I'd fish until the day I died. In fact, keeling over while reeling in a big one while in one's 90's is one of the better ways to go. Way back in the old-days when my Dad used to take me fishing I would think about taking my own kids fishing some day and telling them stories about their Grandpa.

Then, about five years ago, just before my wife got pregnant for the third time, the first two ended in miscarriage. My Dad died suddenly from complications from diabetes. Dealing with my Fathers loss and them the stress of another pregnancy, which thank God ended in a healthy baby girl, I gave up fishing for a season out of respect for my Dad. Then life got really complicated and simple pleasures like fishing and sleeping for that matter suddenly became less important. Occasionally I would see my tackle-box or my poles behind the hanging clothes in the closet and feel a pang of regret like neglecting a old friend, but still had no time or money for my old companions.

Then this Labor Day weekend a friend invited us to Crestline for the day at Lake Gregory and mentioned that her boys wanted to go fishing and if I had any tackle for Emma I should bring it. My first thought was of my friends gathering dust in the closet. Its amazing how good a old tackle-box can smell, dried fish guts and old bait are great for bringing up memories. Then I saw the date on my fishing licence, 2004, and realized its been way to long. I couldn't justify spending the money on a licence that expires in December or a ticket that was $500 10 years ago so Emma fished and I supervised. We didn't catch anything but we got to spend some father-daughter time with Em and tell her stories about her grandpa while we sat in lawn chairs at the lake shore. I like to think her grandpa is fishing in heaven, if there's no fishing in heaven its not heaven, and smiling knowing his granddaughter is following in his muddy bootprints.