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My dad died 4 years ago now. Retired to the cape, lived there 2 or 3 years and got cancer and died. The most difficult thing I ever had to watch unfold.
He enjoyed fishing and boating and talking fishing and boating even more then I do. (I know that is hard to believe but it is true)
He introduced me to fishing from a very early age and I went with him often growing up. He was my favorite fishing companion and the person I would like most to fish with. He introduced me to the joy of surf fishing and offshore action for bigger game. He loved them both. My brother and sister didn't get into the sport quite like I did and I developed a close relationship with him. We did a lot of boating as a family and visited all of NE via boat many times. Even in the dead of winter, when we got together we talked fishing.
I miss him, and now that I live where I do, my only wish would be to fish with him out here again.
One of my favorite memories of him was an evening trip fishing Plum Gut in the 1970's. We used to stay at a cottage Orient Point for a good part of the summer each year for a number of years. We were in between two giant schools of feeding big fish on the surface and were all alone. On the port side were bluefish and the starbard side was bass. He landed the largest bluefish I have ever seen (23#) and we had bass in well the mid-30's. All on surface plugs. Sea conditions were perfect, light winds clear skys sun setting... and we could not believe we were the only boat in sight. It was double hearder action non-stop for more then 1.5 hours until it was pitch black. I recall asking him (while both our drags were screaming) if it gets any better then this....He responded, maybe in our next lifetime but for now this is pretty darn good.
Today, my kids enjoy the sport but don't crave it like I did. (this is OK by me) I just hope I can expose them to it and give them a serious appreciation of the beauty of our surrundings in the places we fish.
Moral of all this blabber: Live ( fish) and enjoy each day like it is your last. You never know what will happen tomorrow.
If there is fishing in Heaven....my Dad is trolling the rip right now.
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