THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502230150
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Ford Reid
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
At my wedding, my father-in-law proposed a toast. He did not know me well, he began, ``but anyone who likes to pull bluefish out of the surf has got to have a lot of good in him.''
In the 13 years since then, we have come to know each other well, and fishing is much of what has brought us together.
Although we live almost 700 miles apart, we manage to get together, usually a couple of times a year, to fish. We have fished in Nova Scotia, in the Bahamas, on the New England coast and, of course, on the Outer Banks.
Finding someone to fish with seems, on the surface, such a simple thing, but it can be very tricky. Tens of millions of Americans fish, but fishing covers a wide variety of activities.
Asking someone if he fishes is like asking someone if he reads. Are you talking about novels or text books on nuclear physics?
The serious largemouth bass fisherman might not be very happy trying to catch trout on a mountain stream and the offshore angler, used to hunting and hooking big marlin in the blue water, might be a bit underwhelmed sitting on the bank of a farm pond holding a cane pole and the prospect of landing an eight-ounce bluegill.
Everyone has his own ideas about what fishing is, or at least about what it ought to be.
In most cases, it is an individual activity that can be done in groups. The problem with groups is that within them there are opinions that vary widely. One person wants to fish at Oregon Inlet, another settles for nothing less than Cape Point. One angler wants to fish all night while another is anxious to get back to the card table and another can think of nothing except a good meal in a fine restaurant.
So finding a perfect fishing companion is not easy and if you find more than a couple in a lifetime you are indeed lucky.
One of my first indications that my father-in-law is that companion was when I realized that he was never ready to quit fishing before I was.
That is saying something. When I am catching fish, I do not want to stop. When I am not catching fish, I am muley enough that I do not want to give it up.
Over the years, I have learned a lot from my father-in-law. He has a cunning instinct for fishing that I cannot always replicate, but just by watching him, I usually pick up something. He seems to know where the fish are going to be.
But it is the companionship that I really treasure. Fishing with him, I have learned much that has nothing to do with the sport.
I consider myself fortunate indeed. To find a good fishing friend is hard enough. To find one who is also a relative by marriage is a marvelous bonus. by CNB