When I was a kid, like most boys, my father was a little bit larger than life in my eyes. I thought he was the tallest man alive, swam the fastest, and piloted the fastest boat on the Butler Chain. Without a doubt, though, my favorite childhood memories with him had to be out on the lake fishing.

            He was a bass fishing guide then, working with some of the best anglers Central Florida had to offer. His clients consisted of many tourists, local fishermen, and even celebrities such as Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Ken Griffy, Jr. His expertise was known to many in the Orlando fishing community and he could always be counted on to offer advice and service to those in need. He was a man who loved to fish and as always, a father/son trip out on the boat was always a good time.  It helped to establish a unique bond between the two of us that could never be broken.

            Each trip would include fishing lessons I'd remember for the rest of my life. He taught me to follow through with my casting for precision and distance. When the fish weren't biting like I hoped for, he expressed to me the importance of patience and that not every cast will result in a fish (his signature phrase "That's why the call it fishing and not catching" still proves true today). He taught me to respect the water by keeping it clean and free of litter and to respect other fishermen and the wildlife by practicing "catch and release" so that the bass may be caught again one day for others to enjoy.  When I missed the first strike, he taught me to wait for another because more than likely, I'd get another chance. Each bit of advice made me to be a better fishermen, and for that I will always be thankful.

            When I was fifteen, my father was taken from me suddenly by cancer. He was in my life one day and then gone the next.  Whenever I think back to the great times we had, they were usually out on a boat where he was telling a good story, a bad joke, or just spending time with his eldest son.  The lessons he taught me can still be applied to today: Like he taught me to follow through with my casting, I will follow through with my commitments in life and see them to the end. Like he taught me the patience of waiting for the strike, I will have patience with those things in life that are in the hands of God and that I cannot control.  Like he taught me to have respect for the water and wildlife so shall I have respect for my family, friends, community, and any strangers that might make their way into my life as they sometimes do.  And like he told me to never give up on the first strike, I will never let rejection stand in my way and I will press on, while making sure that my course stays true and that my cause is just. Truly, the times enjoyed by father and son on something as simplistic as a fishing trip can build a relationship a flood dare not break.  I implore to you fathers and brothers to share this wonderful experience with those  boys and girls in your lives so that they might know the joy I did as a boy.  Do it while there's still time and I'm sure you'll see it as the blessing that it really is.  Good luck and good fishing to all.