You started when?

[MX man]

When did you start fishing? Why and how?

graemlins/applause.gif

[maggot]

I started fishing because I thought the "chicks" would like it.......I'm 36 and never been married...hmm

[AtWorkALot]

I started seriously fishing when I left the Marine Corps in '97, at 25. My Dad is a great man, but he's disabled, and we didn't get to fish much when I was little. Thanks to some good friends I've met these past six years, I've come along pretty quickly, and I enjoy every minute of it, fish or skunk. I think the biggest reason I fish is to spend time with friends and see the pure joy they get from hooking up. We always have a great time and get a lot of laughs, and find a few fish now and then...

[Blue Fox]

I started trout fishing with my husband and son probably 6 or 7 years ago. Caught my first steelhead probably 3 years back and have been a junkie every since! My husband can't get me out of the boat! No matter how rainy or cold it is! :smile:

Blue Fox

[GasJockey]

Sportsman show when I was five. Caught two fish out of the pond on corn. My dad bought a boat and I've been fishing for the last 26yrs.

[chromebright]

My dad started dragging me down to the river when I was around 4. He would hook steelhead and then I would try and fight them for a minute until my arms hurt then he would land em. I was probably 7 when I was really able to to start fishing by myself for anything bigger than trout. I think I was 8 or 9 when I caught my first steelhead all by myself and about 11 when I caught my first chinook. By the time I was in high school I was going down to the river before school to catch steelhead.

I feel very lucky that my father got me involved with fishing at an early age. We still fish together atleast a couple times a week.

[fish assassin]

Almost 50 years ago. I'll be 51 in June ...
:shocked: :grin: :shocked: :grin: :shocked: :grin:

[KingFisher85]

I started fishing when I was knee high to a trout :grin: :wink: :tongue:

[Slugranch]

Started fishing seriously in the 4th grade. Used a metal baitcasting rod and a very inexpensive levelwind. Caught a dollar bright steelhead on a worm in the John Day River in Prairie City Oregon in the spring of 1954. Found out later that steelheading was closed at the time, but the evidence had been consumed by the family. Been an avid angler ever since. Graduated to an Ocean City levelwind on an 8' Shakespeare fly rod, that I could cast fairly well with 3/8 ounces of lead. Bought my first Mitchell 300 for $12 in the summer of 62. I'm a tackle freak now, and own 85 rods and reels and more tackle than the average bait shop

[id. painter]

I was too young to remember the first fish (age ?) but i clearly remember my first Salmon. I was 8 , in my grandfathers 16ft. boat, on big blue . I didnt realize, that fish was actually hooking me. id. p.

[Troller]

I have been fishing as long as I can remember. It probably didnt hurt growing up on a river and fishing everyday. My dad has allways fished and so did his dad. I quess it is something that has just come down from the generations. I am the only one of three kids that still likes to fish. But I have been taking three nieces fishing. They all love to go and get out have fun. We will see if it sticks and any of them keep up the tradition.

[Spoiled Daddy]

I started fishing for Kokanee and Rainbows on Crane Praire Res when I was six. I owe my addiction to my grandfather.

He would put me in his garage built wood drifter and row us all around CP. He had an old sleeping bag and on icy mornings, I would curl up in it until it got warm enough for me to come out or when the fish started biting, whichever occured first.

Great memories! SD

[dawhunt]

A long time ago !!,I think I was around 10 when I started fishing with a friend of mine and his dad.Did some trout and salmon fishing with my dad got really serious about fishing when I got home from the service in 1964,that's when I caught my first ever steelhead.I've been hooked ever since.
Bob graemlins/applause.gif
Oh Yeah,I'm 59 now and still hooked on fishing.
:dance:

[ 02-13-2003, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: dawhunt ]

[WildHawg]

I was born with a fishing rod in my hands. Mom said that it really hurt :rolleyes: .
I grew up between the Mckenzie and Willamette Rivers, and had an old gravel pit called Ross's pond at the end of my street (where the State employment division is now in Eugene). What a paradise it was. Relatively undeveloped in the 60's and 70's in that portion of Eugene, with alot of wildlife and darn good fishing for warmwater fish at Ross', and great trout fishing in the Mckenzie.
The Willamette was real interesting, as it went through a big cleanup in the 60's and early 70's. Fished where Alton Baker Park is now, and watched the evolution from a trashfish river, back into an excellent trout (and occasionally even steelies) river.
What I really loved though was the freedom afforded me in those days by my folks. The only thing they worried about was me drowning graemlins/1zhelp.gif .
There was little fear of molesters and freaks--I could go anywhere within about a ten mile radius on my Stingray (covered alot of cool hideouts), be gone all day, and not panic my folks. I was probably 8 when I really started adventuring out of my neighborhood.
Met a great old guy at Alton Baker the summer between my 5th and 6th grade years who rode a cool old Schwinn that looked like you could pack a weeks worth of gear on it.
Had knee surgery early that summer, and had to wear a cast from my ankle to my hip. I walked down most everyday to fish with him (1 1/2 miles or so). To this day, that was probably the most pure fun I ever experienced fishing.
Nowadays I worry about leaving my 14 year old son to cruise on his own. Too much traffic, and too many freaks out there too relax.
Man I miss the days when, if ya got a flat tire, you didn't have to worry that the guy who stopped to help was gonna abduct ya.
Sorry...that was long :grin:

[fly4steelies]

I started fishing when i was 8 on the B.C. coast
and been fishing ever since the only thing i changed was going from spin cast to fly pole about 6yrs ago
and lovin it

[Re:Play]

I started fishing in South Dakota with my Dad for bullheads and bluegills when I was about 6.
I did not have the patients to fish for bass or walleyes when I was a kid.

I have been fishing for a half century + 1, and still do not much patience, but have a lot more endurance and determination now. I also have 2 grandsons 7 and 9, and want them to have the chance to learn to enjoy fishing and the outdoors also. Life is good :dance:

[Steelie Steve]

I started fishing when I was about 6 or 7 years old. Used to go out on the docks in Texas and drop a live minnow down for bass. Moved to the inland northwest (eastern washington) when I was about 10 and fished for trout, perch, walleye, crappie, etc.

First started fishing for salmon and steelhead about 6 years ago. I am hooked on those steelhead. They are a blast. :dance:

[RogueFishr]

Caught my first winter steelhead 30 years ago (whenI was 4). My Dad used to come home from work and take me across the street from our house and fish the Rogue. By the time I was 5, we were fishing the pothole on the Illinois. He used to tie a rope around my waist, then around a rock so I wouldn't fall in. :shocked:

RF

[lost_sailor]

They say I went camping when I was 6 weeks old. I have vague memories of a fish farm, must have been about 3 years old.

Let's just call it "forever"!

[Silver Hilton]

I went with my dad and grandpa at the age of about 4, for 4 inch sunfish in a michigan pond somewhere. I was immediately addicted, and have been an idiot about it ever since.

That's now 40 years ago, and Dad and Grandpa are both long gone. :depressed:

[CAGEY]

:hoboy: would you beleave around 1940 ?

My stepdad was a fishing and hunting guide in the state of S.Dak. Fantastic pheasant hunting,goose and duck hunting and some of the best bass fishing in the United States. Thanks to him i did it all from a very early age.

[Firedog]

I don't actually remember the first fish I caught. I know it was sometime around 3 years old. Grew up spending the summers at my Great Grandparents who had a great stream running through the back yard. Caught my first Steelhead behind the house when I was five and my first Chinook fishing Tillamook with my Dad when I was 10. can remember both like they were yesterday, and that Salmon was 25 years ago. Sure would like to know how many I have caught since then :smile:

[Keta]

1954 at age 2 was the first time I had a rod.

[DriftR]

I was around 7 years old. Actually my grandfather was an avid fisherman. He passed away when I was about 2 or 3 and my mom got all of my Gramps fishing gear. Now my mother was small in size but very beautiful. Looking at her you would never guess she liked to fish or get her hands dirty. WRONG. She would load my brother and our two neighbor hood friends up in an old black Plymouth and we would head out to the local farm ponds for sunfish,bass, perch and crappie. We had the cane poles given to Mom from my grandfather. Mom would have us put those out the window instead of breaking them down while we drove over the fields to different farm ponds. What a hoot. I have been a fisherman ever since. My older brother is an avid fisherman, his kids and my daughters too along with me. The two friends we used to take fishing well one of them still fishes to this day. My beautiful mother died in 1999 but she was truly one of the first outdoors woman that I ever knew. I'm in my 50's and will keep on fishing for as long as I can hold a pole.

[snowball]

got my first zebco 201 ( i think that's the number) and fiberglass rod at age 5, caught my 1st pike at that age too. My dad, stepfather would take me out crappie fishing in the spring--l guess i was hooked at an early age. I can recall being about age 8-9 and sneaking out of the house with my rod and heading to the mississippi as I lived about 6 blocks away---my parents and i still joke about that, as here I am 23 years later, still trying to sneak out whenever possible.

[timinthegorge]

I was lucky to have a best friend in the 7th grade who had a very understanding dad with a boat. He started taking us fishing in Puget Sound in the mid-60's, and from the first trip, I was hooked. :smile:

Got my first boat in 1969 (Thanks Mom!), a 12' plastic Sears Gamefisher with a 4hp Merc. I fished all over the Sound in that thing for several years! Not recommended! But at the time I thought I was STYLIN'...... graemlins/applause.gif :laugh: :cool:

[True]

Started when I was 3 fishing for bonito on Berth 5 in the L.A. Harbor... God those are great memories!

True

[Snapset]

1965, Strawberry reservoir, I was 4.

[ryan fish]

I started fishing in a very small creek in Kalama about 1943 that was with a willow stick and a safety pin.I've been hooked since.

[hawgcatcher]

I first started fishing when I was about 8 years old with my dad, I am now almost 61. He was used to fishing with a steel casting rod and reel back in Montana for Pike and had no idea about fishing here but he wanted to learn.

He took me to Clackamette Park with that kind of outfit. Needless to say, I was unable to cast them, so I was more interested in watching others. Well My dad put a piece of raw chicken on a hook with a 1 inch piece of ribbon that he got from my Mom's crafts, cast it out under the 99E bridge with a 2 ounce lead and it sank to the bottom. After about 20 minutes, the pole tip vibrated (steel does not make a good indicator) and he reeled it in. He caught his first salmon, a 3 pound jack.

Well that got my interest and I was hooked. But what really got me fishing was when I was about 12 and I started to fish behind the courthouse in Oregon City off the boat dock. Along with others, we fished Carp, then bass, catfish and chub. Doesn't sound like much, but the fight that I got, made my desire to learn more come out and I have fished ever since. Even now, an old carp on the line still gets my heart moving.

[Mark Vickers]

My dad introduced me to fishing when I was 2 or 3 and we lived in Hawaii. He's been fishing since he was that old himself.

I did give up fishing in my teens as I thought it was stupid. I'm quite happy to be well past that stage now and looking forward to passing fishing on to my daughter.

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

1949 at the old Cow Camp at Crane Praire back then no century drive had to 4 wheel into Cow Camp from 97. Lots of 12-15 lb rainbows in those days Never see it like that again

[nerta]

:grin: I've been fishing as long as I can remember. Why? Because thats what there was to do. How? Willow branch, hook, line, and split shot. Go out in the back yard at grandmas put a worm on the hook and throw it in the river.

[bucketmouth]

Hey MX man, great thread. :cheers: I have enjoyed reading everyones posts. :smile:

I, like "atworkalot" and "Dawhunt" did not really get started into serious fishing until I got out of the military back in 1970.

My dad was not a man of leisure and was never into fishing himself. The only exposure I got to the outdoors when I was younger was through the boyscouts. I remember some halfhearted attempts at fishing back then which did not instill much of a desire in me for the sport.

But after Nam, the best therapy I ever encountered was to wake up with the wildlife in a beautiful setting and seek out an ever elusive quary on a tight line!

[ 02-13-2003, 08:31 PM: Message edited by: bucketmouth ]

[DAB]

Started fishing about 1959 for trout, my Uncle took me and to this day if I could paint a picture I could paint it as if I was standing there then. I can still rember whereI caught my first fish by myself. When I was around 9 years old I got my picture in the local home town news paper ( Gresham Ootlook or the Sandy Post) of a trout I caught in Bear creek.
I am one happy hooooooker.
DAB

[Dipnet]

I never really fished until my husband and I were going together in high school! graemlins/hearton.gif I lived on Willamina Creek and he would come over and we would go fishing down by the field. Got some nice trout out of the river. He, on the other hand has been fishing since he was about 6 years old. He and his friends would go to the old plywood mill pond and catch catfish, bluegill etc. I guess now they are going to move Willamina Pond to this same sight! He also used to fish Willamina Creek in town with friends and cook the trout over an open fire under the railroad trestle. How times have changed!! :depressed:

Dipnet :grin:

[Navigator]

First trip when I was 5 or so - with my Granddad. It was in my blood from the beginning.

[The Overfishin Condition]

Oh I musta been obout three fishing horshoe lake. We used to go to the coast and camp and fish, I washed the boat and built fires until my first time out on the deep six at about age 12. I loved playing with the fish heads though. Spent lots of time fishing at swift and horseshoe, plus anywhere I could get a line wet.

[Small Fry]

I think I started about age 4. I can remember summer vacations to Timothy Lake and catching fish off one of the docks. Then fishing a Small Fry Lake at Promatory point camp grounds. PGE used to maintain all the campgrounds in that area. Since dad worked for PGE we had access to lots of neat stuff.

All three of my boys started fishing by the time they were 3 or 4 years old.

[OceanBlue]

I was pretty little. I don't remember how old I was when I caught my first fish (maybe 5 or 6), or even what kind they were (we called the goldfish because they were orange). We fished with cheddar cheese on a lake in CA the rare times we went camping. I do remember I usually caught more than my brothers :grin: Until one day I got hooked in the finger and my dad told me that because of the barb, he was going to have to push it out the other side. I wailed and ran for the hills.

After I tore the hook out, I wouldn't go near a fishing pole until January 2002 when I hooked up with Pilar. I'm sure glad I had the opportunity to try again - I love it! (I still get nervous when anyone near me is casting, though!)

P.S. I still usually catch more than the boys :grin:

[fishbait]

Started trout fishing with my dad at 3-4, and steelheading with dad and my uncle at about 7. Remember trips to the wilson, Mills Bridge and Girl Scout hole, we fished mostly boraxed eggs and okies. Caught my first slime rocket at 7 it was 1962. Chinook fishing came much later as I was mostly atrout fisherman for many years. Would make trips to so. Oregon, Idaho and Montana in addition to all the local streams. My first fall nooker on a home made bobber a 42 pound chrome girl and I think it was 1977.

[Pilar]

This exerpt is cut from a thread that ran a couple of years ago. It's in the 2001 archive,

http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=001705#000000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Great answers. I guess I could be more specific. I really like the Florida Keys. This is because my earliest memories are from there. Any time I smell diesel and salt water I can close my eyes and go back to 8 years old. I used to help my Dad on his 23' wooden boat 'Jimmy Joe'. We ran a dive and fish charter business out of Marathon Florida. I got to drive the boat and help wrangle clients. Nowadays we just sit in the sun, drink adult beverages and go for a few dives or chase a tarpon or sailfish. But it still fills the empty spot for a few days......
Here in Oregon it is different. When I surround myself with the blue immensity of the Pacific I am admitting that there is a force that binds this planet together. Something about being surrounded by thousands of wheeling, feeding Puffins does this to me every time. The sound of a grey whale blowing right next to the boat is also a thriller. Last summer we added the sound of a 4/0 Penn Senator under the influence of Albacore Tuna to the library of thrilling sounds heard on the ocean.

This is why I go there ........ There is something much bigger than all of us. I am fully aware of it when I am at sea in my small boat. The experience is humbling and I crave it.

Thanks Dad for the shove in the right direction........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[joliver]

I started when

The Lucky Jim Adventure show was the wildest thing on TV

Quick reels were the things dreams were made of

I had to clean the oil off from my line when we trolled for 30 pound springers in the Willamette Slough

When whitewater marine had a waiting list a mile long to get a boat

Okie drifters werent colectors items

Eastside boats were cutting edge design with wood and fiberglass

The real steelhead rods were big, bright and yellow eagle claws

The nicest jet boat around was a wood inboard painted blue that ran up and down the deschutes with no restrictions

Sturgeon fishing was 3 and 36" limit

Johnson Creek had a steelhead run

Hows that for a foggy mind

[SHLEPROCK]

My dad used to take us to Big Creek every year for the opener of trout season in the early 60s, We would camp and fish about 4 miles above the hatchery. I still remember driving up there in a Willys Jeep and watching the new hiway 30 being built.
Early limits for dad and I even caught a couple.

[TAILOUT]

12 or 13 years ago for steelhead the first 1-7 were confusing and frustrating but still very exciting I just liked finding new holes or ones that were hard to get to. I am self taught and as the years went on they became more successful the last 3 years were spent with an average of 5 to 6 days a week but that has sense changed with more clientel and a first child in our family. Now I get out when the water is to my liking or any other time I can sneak out. I long for the days when it all blends together into one day again.

[BonkBonkBonk]

ive probably been fishing since i was about 4-5, and im 20 now

[FallRiverGuy]

It was 1966 or 67 and my grandparents took me out on Prinville Reservoir where I caught my first fish, a 13" trout.

After that it was a short hike to a small pond with my Zebco to catch cutthrout. Mom would get so mad becuase I almost alway returned home late due to last castitis. I also remember faithfully watching the Jim (I think) Conway fishing show.

That was about 36 years ago and I still get all excited whenever I go fishing. My wonderful wife just does not understand my finful fanaticism.

[ 02-14-2003, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: FallRiverGuy ]