When I was younger, I used to think it was about the prospect of a fish biting, that feeling you get from pulling out a haul and getting to be impressive in front of your parents. However, as I grew older and my father and I began to go on more fishing trips, I began to realize just how important fishing had become to me, because of how much it had taught me over the years.

While it’s kind of a cliche to say that my father had taught me just about everything I know, I have to say that my dad comes close (and my mom is amazing by the way!). Even when I might not have been the most interested kid when it came to fishing, my dad would always be patient with me. He’d teach me how it worked, and we’d bond as we waited for the fish to bite. Over the years, the beauty of fishing - at least to me - translated as being patient with life.