Friday, June 5, 2015

Gifts for Fisherman Dads

 

My Dad by Billie Amidon
Maybe your dad would like one of these gifts for fisherman dads. These types of gifts were often on the list when it came time to think of gifts for my dad. Among other things, my dad was a fisherman.

His delight was fishing for catfish in the central Texas rivers and lakes. He would sit for hours patiently waiting for fish to nibble, wearing his old fishing hat (the one his mother said was the ugliest hat she had ever seen!), and was thrilled when he caught enough to bring home. Often as not, he caught some, but not enough to feed us all. On those occasions, he gave them to another fisherman on his way home.

Dad had one rule when he took someone fishing. They couldn't catch more than he did. For as long as I remember, only two people ever did. Me, when I was thirteen, and my son when he was about ten. The rule applied to me.

I didn't get to go again until I was married, and went along when my husband did. Dad always claimed it was because I fell in just below the dam and nearly drowned, but I often teased him that it was because I caught more than he did. My son, though, was exempt. Dad loved taking him fishing.

When I was a kid, we often went camping as a family. Dad would spend his time fishing on the river bank with three or four lines cast out and propped up using Y shaped sticks. He would watch over them, then grab one up when he got a nibble. We kids ran up and down the road away from the water. It would never do to be too loud at the water's edge. We might scare away the fish. Those times when Dad caught enough to have a fish fry were special times the entire family remembers. I can remember him catching a 20+ lb. catfish. Talk about a fish fry!
 


Don't Forget the Bait

Stinky Blood Dough Bait
Worms
Shrimp
Old cheese
Grasshoppers
Crickets
Snails
Lures

Dad Loved Trotline Fishing, Too

When we went camping, which was almost every weekend during the summer when I was little, he would find a small cove and put out a trotline.

He usually caught several catfish big enough to fry up for dinner.
The main difference I can see in what he did and what the people in the video below did was that he marked his lines with floaters made of old bleach or dishwashing liquid bottles. Basically, when empty and closed, the bottles were tied to the trot line with a length of twine so that they floated above the trotline.

This had three purposes. One, it made the lines easier to locate when you went back to remove the fish. Two, it identified your line if others had trotlines out. And three, it let boaters know there was a line in the water so that they wouldn't foul their boat motors with the line.

The fish Dad caught were delicious, and I cherish the memories of our camping and fishing trips.
 


Non-Fishing Items to Take With You Fishing

Skillet
Matches
Oil
Ziplock bag with seasoned cornmeal
Paper plates
Plastic Forks
Steel slotted spoon
Sun glasses
Hat
Long sleeve shirt
Sunscreen
Ice chest with drinks and sandwiches (in case the fish don't bite)
Campfire coffeepot and coffee



Does your dad love to fish? If so, maybe one of these gifts for fisherman dads is just what he wants!



Which gift for fisherman dads would your dad prefer?


No comments:

Post a Comment