
My daughter Katherine may have been a little young when I took her fishing for the first time.
Friends had given her a kid-sized rod-and-reel combo with her name embossed on it. Never mind that she wasn’t 3 yet — I couldn’t wait to take her fishing. After teaching her the basics of spincasting, we climbed into a johnboat and paddled out to the middle of a friend’s pond.
“Throw over there,” I said, pointing toward the bank.
Rearing back, she hurled the brand-new rod and reel into the deepest part of the pond. She turned and smiled broadly, pleased that she had done exactly what I had asked her to do.
I’ve had an easier time introducing my grandchildren to fishing. My eldest grandchild, Elsa — the one who decided that my grandfather name would be “Ho-Ho” — took to it immediately. At the end of one of our outings, she announced, “Ho-Ho, fishing is my thing!”
Now 16, she wishes she had time in her schedule to compete with her high school’s bass fishing team.
I’ve learned at least two things about kids as I’ve introduced my grandchildren to fishing. First, they have a natural love of the sport. Second, they’re born to brag.
When Elsa’s little sister Evie caught her first bass, Elsa remarked, “Oh, how cute. But my first bass was a lot bigger.”
When my middle grandson, Boyer, then 5, caught a catfish half his length, he said, “Have any of your grandchildren ever caught a bigger fish?” These are memories I cherish.
I tell these stories about grandkids fishing because it’s timely. National Fishing and Boating Week is this month and so is Father’s Day. If you don’t have a child or grandchild of your own, invite somebody else’s kid to go fishing.
All three of my children love fishing, and they are intent on ensuring their children are introduced to the sport at an early age.
Taking my grandchildren fishing is one of the most rewarding things I’ve found to do in retirement.
It’s good for them, too. It teaches them patience and problem-solving. It builds self-confidence. It instills an appreciation for nature and a conservation ethos. And it enables a grandparent to impart his or her beliefs and principles.
I asked my eldest grandson, Ian, 9, to explain in his own words what our latest fishing trip meant to him. (His other grandfather also takes him fishing, and he’s even more passionate about bass fishing than I am.)
“That day was honestly one of the best days of my life,” Ian said. “It’s not every day that you get to hang out in a boat with your dad and your grandfather and just catch fish. It was a special moment. You introduced me to the whole world of fishing, and I just want to stick with it. I love fishing more than just about anything.”
Even more than video games?
“I like fishing a lot better,” he answered. “Let’s say you win in a video game — you don’t really get anything, but in fishing, you do get something. Even if you don’t catch the most fish, it’s OK because you get to spend time with your family and you have all those memories.
“I’d go days without looking at a screen if I could go fishing instead.”
Fishing is a bridge between generations. As Ian put it, “I enjoy fishing with you more than anything else we do together.” Ditto for me.
Proverbs 17:6 says it best: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged.”
Especially if you take them fishing.