Life is funny. It gives you opportunities and sometimes you don't even notice them. Sometimes, you don't appreciate the gravity of an opportunity until you look back on it. Please allow me to give you three examples. First, one fateful day, I watched a guy catch hybrid striped bass at Watkins Mill Lake with chicken livers. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might not have ever employed the strategy and would not have grown as an angler. Second, if I had not learned to catch hybrid stripers with chicken livers, I would not have been able to give my dad an easy, but solid day on the water. Finally, I would not have been able to give my youngest son a similar experience.
In mid July, my dad was preparing for a pretty major surgery. He needed to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm fixed and it came along with some risks. He could have ended up paralyzed, or even worse, he could have died on the operating room table. Thankfully, neither occurred. Prior to his surgery though, I invited him to hit the water with me. He is 75 years old and gets around really well, thankfully.
I decided to use my new fishing strategy to try and give him a good morning. I wanted a simple fishing method that would be productive. One thing my dad loves is having a fish on the line that pulls drag. He doesn't eat fish and only fishes for the sport. For him, the tug is the drug and it has always been that way. In a strange twist, I ended up being the guide rather than him tutoring me! We caught a lot of fish that morning and I was happy to do the baiting, casting, and netting. It felt a little strange to have the shoe on the other foot, but it felt good to give him a good trip after all of the fishing experiences that he has given me.
Last Sunday (August 3, 2025) I got to play the role of guide again, but this time I also played the role of dad. I took my youngest son, Cody, to the same lake and used the same method. I showed him how to cast, how to hook, and how to fight a hybrid striper. He took my instruction really well and only lost 2 fish while boating 5 hybrids completely on his own. I also let him reel in most of the fish that I hooked and we landed somewhere around 15 fish that evening.
It is difficult to describe the emotions that I felt watching my son that evening. It wasn't pride and I wouldn't describe it as some sort of ego boost. The best word that I can find is delight. It was delightful to watch my son learn to do something new and be successful in a short amount of time. The sound of his laughter and the sight of his appreciation for the fish (and all of the nature we observed) brought me joy that is particular to being a parent.
Life is funny and what I really mean to state is that fate (which I wholeheartedly believe in) can change your life. Only while writing this post was I able to understand the gifts that I had been given. My life would be different if I hadn't watched a guy catch hybrids with chicken livers. If that had not happened, I never would have been able to return a small favor to my dad that has taught me so much. He was, admittedly, skeptical of my plan but, in the end, he learned something and had a fun time doing it. And finally, I was also able to pass along some knowledge to my youngest son and give him a (hopefully) solid memory.
None of those events would have transpired if I hadn't been in my boat on Watkins Mill one day and within eyeshot and earshot of a guy catching hybrids with chicken livers. My life would have been different without that moment. Instead, that moment gave me a gift that I was able to pass along to a couple of guys that I love with all my heart. One man has been an example to me for my entire life. It is my hope that I have been an example to the other fella. This is what the outdoors/nature/fishing/hunting/hiking/camping can do for people. These activities can change lives because they are real and genuine. We all need to be careful though! Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Disclaimer: That last philosophical nugget comes to you via the movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If you haven't seen that movie, watch it. If you have seen the movie, watch it again! It is just that good!
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