I was fishing one of my favorite trout streams on a recent evening, making my way down to a particularly favored spot — when I stopped short.
Wouldn’t you know it — someone was already there.
An element of irritation started to rise. More and more in the past year, as people have sought ways to get out and enjoy themselves during the pandemic, I’ve run into other anglers in places I usually would have to myself.
I kept walking, intending to leapfrog past to a next hole farther downstream. As I approached I saw that it was two people — and when I got even closer it was clear there was an man and a girl. She was maybe 12.
They were both decked out in their matching Simms waders and high-end fly fishing vests. The girl was working the deep run alongside a large rock — right where trout should be — using a nymphing technique with her fly rod.
The man made an encouraging comment or two and I noted something interesting — he didn’t have a rod himself. That clearly showed he was serious about teaching and letting the girl have the best chance to catch something.
I stopped on the bankside trail when he glanced over. “Any luck?”
He replied, “We’re just getting started. I’ve had good action in this hole and I’m hoping she gets into one here.”
“That’s a good spot,” I said. “Good luck.”
I continued on and reached the next run, about 50 yards downstream. A few moments later the girl’s “Oh, my God!” carried downstream.
She indeed had gotten into one. I watched for a minute or two as she played the trout. The man moved in with a small net and scooped — they scrambled to switch places and I could see him taking a quick cellphone picture before releasing the fish.
My last impression before turning back to my own fishing was the girl doing a fierce, two-fisted “Yes!”
I smiled. I could only assume that it was a father-daughter pair — conventionally speaking he looked the right age to be her dad and there was a resemblance. But it really didn’t matter; he was performing age-old fatherly duty in all the right ways, giving the time and attention to ensure a young person develops a new skill and has some success.
It was natural that my thoughts turned to my own dad, even more so because of the time spent on the same stream with him. Few people would take greater delight in catching a fat trout than my dad, but when we were small children he took the time to make sure we learned how to fish ourselves and be successful.
Dad’s been gone for nearly 20 years — and those moments from when we were children are even more decades ago. But when I am on that stream I feel particularly close to him and that girl’s success brought back a flood of good memories.
It doesn’t matter the activity or pursuit, time and attention — real attention — are the greatest gifts that a father or father figure can give.
Maybe it’s teaching a youth how to take apart an engine, breakdown a tough math problem, improve a golf swing, ride a bike or catch and throw a ball. Bedtime reading, science projects, special movie nights (with the child/children picking the movies), giving a two-player video game a try for an hour or two or just a walk in the park or on a trail — there can be no such thing as time wasted when spent on a child.
To every man who gives time — truly makes time — for children, Happy Father’s Day.
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