I Really Don’t Understand Fishing

There are lots of people at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (the DNR) who worry about this young generation not getting into fishing. And if they don’t get into fishing, then there will be less people buying fishing licenses and equipment and going to parks to fish, etc. Basically, it could be a loss of revenue for the state.

Well, fishing is complicated. It’s more than a rod, a line, and some bait. It’s knowing how to set up a fishing rod and then knowing how it needs to be set up for what fish you’re going to be fishing for. Then it’s having the right equipment – rods, reels, line, sinkers, bobbers, nets. And what bait are you going to use? And where are you going to fish?

The list goes on and on. And by the time you’re done with the list, it’s like – forget it!

My fishing knowledge is very limited. I fished a lot as a young girl. My grandparents lived on a lake and always kept rods and bait at the ready. I’d get up early and head to the dock and plop my line into the water. Sometimes my grandpa would get up early, too, and we’d take his boat and head out into the lake and fish.

My dad and I went bass fishing in the St. Croix River and lots of other places, too.

And of course, Ray and I went fishing all the time. We probably fished in every major lake and river in Minnesota.

But, even though I’ve been exposed to fishing all of my life, my fishing knowledge is almost nil. When Ray died, all his fishing knowledge died with him. But, at least, he left behind his fishing equipment, so I have a full tackle box and a few decent rods.

My lack of knowledge is really exposed when I take my grandsons fishing. We usually go at least once during the summer. We went fishing last weekend. It was a gorgeous day, not too hot and not too cold, and lots of sun.

One problem we have is that neither boy will touch the bait or the fish that they catch. Isn’t that sad? They’re afraid to touch worms. They’re afraid to touch fish. But they LOVE fishing. Go figure. So I spend a lot of time putting bait on their hooks and taking off the fish that they catch.

On top of that, the younger one constantly tangles up his line. So I’m constantly untangling it, which consumes a lot of time.

I’ve learned, when I go fishing with them, I don’t fish. I bait, remove fish, and untangle lines, and enjoy being outside with them.

They’re also not “nature” kids. The older one is frightened of trees and bushes. They’re both terrified of bugs. They’re happier when they’re surrounded by cement. So I try to take them to state parks and trails, so they’re exposed to the beautiful outdoors and get away from that hard and sterile cement.

The Minnesota state parks offer “I Can Camp” sessions, where you and your family go camping. The park provides a tent and other equipment and you learn how to set up a camp site. I asked the boys if they would like to do this and guess what? “NO!” The younger one said he’d go if we could camp in an RV.

I can understand why this younger generation isn’t into fishing. Fishing requires a lot of patience and delayed gratification. Fishing requires learning how to use the equipment and also adjusting the equipment to your environment. It requires you to watch the weather and be aware of the conditions around you. That’s a lot to ask of a generation that is all about smart phones.

Speaking of equipment, we have a nest of yellowjackets by our back of the garage garden. I was watering that garden the other day, and I got stung several times. I got stung twice on my right hand. It immediately swelled up like a sick balloon.

Joe took me to urgent care and I got some cold compresses for my hand and leg. We stopped by the pharmacy and I got Benadryl to help with the itching. And believe me, after the initial shock wears off, the itching and burning is almost unbearable. The Benadryl really did help.

My hand swelled up to about twice its size for a couple of days, but now it’s back to normal. I sprayed wasp stuff into the nest last night, but today, there they were – all those little grumpy yellowjackets. I’ll have to try it again this evening. I also have some insulation stuff I can spray into the hole and plug them in.

Ray used to do this stuff all the time. I was wearing my winter coat, gloves and hat when I sprayed, but Ray just sprayed wearing his shorts and a short sleeved shirt. He was so brave. I can’t think of anything that really scared him.

Yeah, the good old days. Now I get to blunder through life on my own. It’s not fun.

August is the beginning of harvesting the goodies that I planted last spring. We’re starting to get tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini.

Joe bought me a hummingbird feeder last year. It was used extensively by hummingbirds and Baltimore orioles last spring and summer. We didn’t see any hummingbirds this past spring, but they’re really hitting the feeder now. It’s so awesome to sit on the deck and see those tiny little birds take a few sips from the feeder in their delicate way.

And the hot weather is GONE! We’ve been in the 80s and 70s for the last couple of weeks. It’s wonderful to have the windows open again and not be in a constant state of sweating. Now if we would get some rain . . .