Sunday, June 16th is the opening day for the fishing season on the rivers and streams in southwest Alberta. It is also Father’s Day. What better day than Father’s Day to start the fishing season?
My dad helped me catch my first fish when I was a young boy, and when he grew old, I was with my dad to help him catch his last fish. We fished many places together over the years – mostly lakes, but also rivers.
We spent many days fishing for northern pike on the prairie reservoirs east of Coaldale, and it was at one of these places where I caught my first fish. I was nine or ten years of age. We used to fish for trout on Lee Creek and at Police Outpost Lake near Cardston. In the summer of 1985, while I was guiding on the Bow River, my dad took time off work so he could come on a float trip with me. The photo at the top of this post was taken during this trip. During the winters, we would go ice-fishing. The last time was in the winter of 2005 when we fished for perch in British Columbia.
My dad and mom loved to fish and it was through them that I developed my passion for fishing. The last time I fished with my parents was in 2006 at Lee Lake. It seems like yesterday.
Something I have learned is that if you take your son or daughter fishing when they are young, they will take you fishing when you become old. What better day than Father’s Day to go fishing with your dad? To all the fishing dads, including my dad, Happy Father’s Day!
