Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1958)
r 1 a."tlX- " r- 3 or Everyoneil 4. 5- fcW5 If An ardent angler tells how his enjoyment of the sport increased J when he started I tuning inc wiic ynu 2 children along. Fishing, says author, is a recreation the whole family can enjoy to gether. No matter where you live, some kind of fishing is available. by Byron W. Dalrympl he sun was warm, and an easy surf rolled over the sand. A wonderful picnic lunch was in the car, my fishing rod beside it. I was starving and fish were biting. But I was too busy to either fish or eat "Come on, now," I pleaded in mock an guish with my family, "let's eat." The reply: clamor from wife Ellen to fetch more bait quickly; urgent demand from five-year-old Mike to untangle his line. Fishing had long been a hobby of mine. Now we'd become a fishing family! I never knew how much fun fishing was until I started taking my family along. It is different from what I once called fishing. The family keeps me hopping, but when you've seen the expression of wild delight as a youngster hauls in a "big one" seven inches long that docs it. Having Mother in on it completes the picture! We have concluded that fishing is the best recreation any family can have. And it's available to everybody. No matter where you live, some kind of fishing is possible. The number of fish caught, how fine the tackle, how expert the angler these mean nothing. Far more important: fishing is something a family can do together. It is a clean, wholesome occupation. A big argument favoring family fishing is economy. Licenses cost a dollar or two per year for parents: kids invariably fish free. Any old car or, yes, even subway or bus gets the family to water. Happily, tackle can be tailored to your purse. It is just as much fun to catch pan fish with brush-cut pole, cork bobber, ten cent line, penny hook, and bait picked up on the spot as with a hundred-dollar outfit. However, tackle to fit any need fills the stores. An exciting feature of today's fishing is that state conservation departments have been tremendously successful in keeping lakes and streams amply stocked, even on the very edge of cities. Some waters, scientists have learned, need more fishing to keep fish populations in control. Parks and picnic grounds on lakes and streams are abundant We believe in starting youngsters in boats and life preservers before they can talk, and in teaching them to fish as soon as they can hold a light pole. At first we let young Mike play at it. Meanwhile he was learning many things: obedience, safety in boats, respect for water without fear, and that fishhooks are not playthings. Such lessons taught him self-reliance, sensible caution, and other qualities of character that we hope will carry over into his everyday life. More impor tant, he had fun learning. We revel in watching Mike acquire respect for nature and an insatiable Interest in it We study together the frogs, crabs, birds, rocks, flowers, berries. We never catch just a "fish." We learn what kind it is. - Most important of all, our youngster is learning sportsmanship. Not just the word, which many of us use far too often without really considering what it means, but the true significance: how to be a good loser, a modest winner; how to understand the thrill of releasing the big one to battle again someday; the difference between killing something you will use, and wanton destruc tion of life, even a grasshopper for bait. But don't get the idea this family fishing of ours is a sober-faced affair. Far from it. We have one whale of a lot of fun. We com pete for first fish, biggest fish, most fish. We picnic, visit, swim. We learn new tricks. Fortunately, basic fishing requires little know-how. And tackle such as the new spin ning rods and reels take all the exasperation out of learning how to cast and fish with arti ficial lures. Women and youngsters especially find spinning a delight. They enjoy the cast ing, and find they can do it easily. One of the greatest joys of our family hobby comes after the season is over, with the reminiscences. -It is delightful to share pleasant outdoor expe riences, and then share the memories later on. This pleasure awaits any family that's near water with fish in it! 4 family Wttkly. June I, Mil
