Fishing stories my Dad told me...

[Jennie@ifish]

You can replace this with Uncle/Grandfather/-- Hey, even your Mother, if she fished!

I love to remember stories I heard from my Grandfather and my Father--

My Grandfather was so intensely in love with fishing that it was a sickness. (Hmmm... wonder where I got it!)
He would get in the boat every morning, when we were at our annual trip to Diamond Lake, and be in the boat before daylight.
Our family has a 57 year tradition of spending a week at the lake at a cabin there.
All day long, he'd hold his rod with his arm out, rigid. I mean rigid! His whole arm was extended, like an extension of the rod. His face was turned, eyes tuned perfectly to the end of the rod tip. You could barely talk to him!
Fishing is serious stuff, you know!

My Dad told me a story once, about he and Grandpa fishing on the upper Lewis, when you could do that.
It was a really windy stormy day, and they were after steelhead.
My Dad set down his tackle box, and wandered upstream to a great looking drift.
Just as he arrived at the hole, minutes later, he heard a huge crash! He looked downstream, only to find a huge tree had fallen and crushed his tackle box! Whew! Close one!!!
My Dad said that later that day, Grandpa hooked into a huge steelhead. They were sharing Grandpas tackle box at that time!
My Grandfather could not walk well... He did the best he could, following this monster up and down stream. Finally, my Dad had to take over. Jumping over bramble and bush, Grandpa screamed at him not to give up, as he rested on the shore.
They did, finally land that fish, together.

I spent hours and hours with my Dad on the Sandy, and the Molalla river. Either on his shoulders, crossing the river, or playing on huge boulders beside the river.

I also spent tons of time in Willamette hoglines in Oregon City.

When my Dad took a job at Warrenton High School as the Basketball Coach, my Grandfather was ecstatic! A place to stay on the coast to fish!
Of course, I hear... when he moved, he was downright angry at my Dad! How could he move? Now Grandpa has no where to stay and fish! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" />

My Grandfather was a very gentle man. He survived polio, even though the doctors said he would die. He walked, even though the doctors said he would never walk again. He went through really tough times, in Forest Grove, trying to provide for his family... In fact, read this! I love this! CLICK HERE to read what my Grandfather wrote.

Anyway... Once my Grandfather, this very kind, gentle man, was out fishing with my Dad. Note: My Grandfather did not cuss. Ever! Well--

He was on the water, and they were doing very well out of my Dad's driftboat. Another boat came around the bend, saw the action and began to close in.
They got closer, and closer, and closer, until my Grandfather yelled out....
"Hey! Can you sons of ******** get any closer?"

I guess it was shocking just because of who he normally was, and how he normally reacted. It goes to show just how serious he was about keeping the luck to his own boat. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" />

I woke up this morning thinking of my Grandfather (God bless his soul) and my Father. I'm not sure why, but I love hearing stories about/from them, and, as my Dad put it, "When you could catch fish with a paper clip!"

Does anyone else have any stories told to them from their family history?
I guess this is a spinoff from "the good old days".

Jen

[Thumper]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your grandfather again. What a story he tells!

[Jennie@ifish]

I have to pull that out at least once a year.
I'm glad you enjoyed it again, also!

I miss my Grandpa SO much!

Jen

[Pete]

What a great story! I loved it the first time I read it. And I loved reading it again. Thanks!

[Kaptn Ken]

:smile: Great story and GREAT memories for you to have...But, for all of you out there whose "Father's & Grandfather's " didn't teach you a damn 'good' thing, especially about fishing and solitude and quiet and serenity and peacefullness and PATIENCE, etc....And are self taught in the art of fishing, not necessarily "Catching," then learn from Jennies short, but sweet message about how good memories, like these, last forever and ever! They will last a LIFETIME...Possibly not yours but those you pass them off on.

*****TAKE A KID FISHING!!!*****

If you don't have one, or two, of your own, borrow one!!! They're all over the place!!!

[Good to the Last Cast]

You know when I read life stories like this I like to place myself in that time frame and wonder how I'd do. A big stretch for someone from New Jersey, but I've always been drawn to the image of living in more rustic times, I remember reading " Undaunted Courage" about the Lewis & Clarke expidition and for me the best part was trying to place myself there and really relate to what they were expieriecing. It was the same with this story, I try to imagine this Great State as it was then and how people struggled to live and raise a family. No one worried about a "nest egg" it was about living in the "now" putting food on the table and raising the kids the right way, about dealing with roadblocks instead of runnning from them. It was about paying your way and doing the right thing when you were best able to pay a debt you paid, no bankruptses here(sp) Your granddad was I think, telling his kids and grand kids through hard work, love and more hard work you could live your life right and be proud of what you've done. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era...........but would I have measured up?????
P.S. I'm still a transplanted N.J"er who is suffering the sophmore jinx,5 years after moving= 3 tagged in OR. 7 tagged in WA. (this year)
will trade trips in my Alumaweld 18' 80hp Jet for a driftboat slide down any coastal river.
P.S.S- appreciate where you live, you have it better than most................fishing wise...............