Fishing has boatloads of great metaphors that reflect on our lives. When things get tough, “take another cast, change baits, ————————————–
Lately life has kicked all our Butts. The Covid fiasco, election issues, lawlessness, terrorists, illegal immigration, inflation, expenses, and a long Winter. Life is hard. “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” “Fishing is like dating, its all Catch and Release until you catch a Keeper!” “If people focused on the really important things in life, there would be a shortage of fishing rods!” “The two best times to fish are when you are happy or sad.”
It’s times like these when we need to Look Up, Not Down. Spring has sprung. Even though our rivers are high and off color, they will soon be low and clear. Hungry fish will be ready to tackle whatever we throw at them.
We can’t avoid the Bad News. Like the river, it keeps flowing downstream. There will be ups and downs. When you find friends, in your age range to join you, the songs are all the same. The comradery keeps everyone heading out and having fun. Just keep fishing.
Find joy in the little things. I enjoy watching the weather change. The peace we find camping is restful. Campfires, night skies, nature’s sounds, and sights. I hope to hunt and fish as long as I can, but every outing is harder.
As we get older, we try to avoid the physical and mental pitfalls. We can still move but not quite as fast. Crossing strong currents, hiking high mountains, and travelling to far places becomes challenging. We now need to pick and choose our bucket list dreams and adventures.
What is tough is that after a lifetime of working, raising kids, multiple responsibilities, us retired folks finally have time, less expenses, and all the toys to enjoy outdoor fun. We lack the bodies to carry us through the trip. My suggestion to the younger sports is to not wait for later. It may never come. Fish and hunt hard now. Spend quality outdoor time now, hike, bike, paddle, drift, ski, use your youth to support your favorite sport and assert your superpowers.
When in Doubt, FISH!!!
Montana Grant
