Fishing, Lies and Other Tall Tales

The Beginning

You could say fishing has been in my blood since birth. My father fished a lot while I was still in the womb. When I popped out - he was fishing even more, and when when I learned to walk and hold a rod, I began fishing - which as things go - is pretty early since I began to walk at around 8 months old. I walked so early that I needed special shoes. Something in line with Forrest Gump, but not quite so sturdy. Needless to say, I have had countless years under my belt fishing and learning how to fish, it all began before I could walk.

In the days that followed, my brother and I were very close. There was always a little rivalry, but nothing irregular amongst brothers. I was the "Pro" and he was the kid. I thought I knew everything, and my brother soaked it all in, learning. It was later in life that I learned, that Pro's can be humbled by little kids. Back then it didn't matter - I watched how my dad fished and I became the authority on fishing. My brother and I were supposed to be sleeping while in day care somewhere in Daly City and I vividly remember telling him the difference between feeling the sea tug at your line and a fish.

"You see, when the swells pull on your line, it tugs nice and gentle... when a fish tugs, its shorter and faster"

Locals, Cabelas & The Country

We grew up fishing the Pacific Ocean. Mostly in a little coastal community of Pacifica, Ca. There exists a little pier at Sharp Park which affectionally became our local spot. All of the fishermen brought their kids to the pier and all of those kids were Sharp Park Pier Locals. Even at the pier, there was a hierarchy and pecking order of kids. Those at the front of the pier were transients, those in the middle were regulars, those at the end were salty, those at the hook end where the locals. Thats just where we were - at the top. Don't ask me how we got there, but we just were. Most of the kids left us alone because everyone knew our fathers. We ruled the pier with a heavy fist, or at least made sure we got the best fishing spots.

For what seemed like hours, we would run up and down the pier, looking for the bait. Bait fishing, as it turns out, is why our fathers took us to the pier. We would catch the live anchovies or sardines - and then run it up to our dads to ensure that he would have the freshest, liveliest bait to tempt the giant salmon.

Catching bait for a kid is exciting. 4 or 5 sardines or anchovies on one fishing rod spooled with 4lb test made for fun fishing. When a bigger mackerel took a bite, we were in midget fishing ecstasy.

When we got home, we ate fish, we talked fishing and we learned to read by flipping through the Cabelas Fishing Catalog. I learned to write saltwater before I could spell my own name. I often wonder if my dad knew what he was doing in how he introduced me to fishing - but it worked. In fact, his tactics worked so well, that I have used the same on my own son and he's a full blown fishing addict.

My Dad, Bill, was a tackle fanatic. He ordered all sorts of tackle and items from the Cabelas catalog. And each time, he let me order 1 small thing. Sometimes it was a pack of worms, sometimes it was a fish stringer, sometimes it was something so odd, that it could only catch the eye of a 7 year old kid.

Needless to say, I grew up thumbing through that Catalog waiting impatiently for the package to show up...

To Be Continued